Pooh Shiesty – “All Eyes on Shiest” review

This could potentially be the only studio album from Memphis, Tennessee rapper & songwriter Pooh Shiesty. Signing to Gucci Mane’s historic 1017 Global in tandem with Atlantic Records in April 2020 off the single “Main Slime”, he would later drop the Shiesty Season mixtape merely 10 months afterwards until serving a 3 year prison sentence. However, he’s dropping All Eyes on Shiest under 1017/Atlantic ahead of his upcoming trial for armed robbery & conspiracy to kidnap.

2-time WWE Hall of Famer, former 16-time WWE world champion, WWE Intercontinental Champion, 6-time WWE United States Champion, 6-time WWE tag team champion & 9-time NWA World’s Heavyweight Champion Ric Flair gets referenced during the intro “I’m Back” talking about his return whereas “Federal Reality” ironically flexes burning his prison uniform when he’s likely spending the rest of his life back behind bars for being stupid.

“Reap What You Sow” talks about laying low & playing slow being the motto around his parts of town leading into “Last Man Breathin’” containing one of my favorite instrumentals from Mike & Keys despite him discussing the struggle of rapping & being caught up in the streets. “Collecting Tears” talks about stealing hoes & putting them up on game just before “Still on Timing” featuring Big30 speaks of stealing 2 different souls together.

Sexyy Red appears for the raunchy strip club anthem “Booty Club” produced by the late Tay Keith delivering another standout beat leading into “Reckless Living” wrapping up the 1st act of All Eyes on Shiest talking about him making his lifestyle vivid for people. “CMO” featuring Baby Slime, Big30 & K Carbon finds the quartet uniting for an underwhelming freestyle until “McLaren Truck” talks about him sticking up Gucci.

“Trip” hits us with more mediocre gangsta raps on top of a bland piano-driven trap instrumental but after “JPay & CorrLinks” talks about him not understanding why other artists be movin’ lame when he made a stupid move himself at the beginning of the year that could cost him his eternal freedom, “New One” featuring K Carbon reunites so they can declare themselves smackers who happen to rap over more hi-hats & keys.

The song “Bigger Than the Program” winds down All Eyes on Shiest’s final moments hoping to explain the difference between him & most other rappers being bitches while “F.D.O. (First Day Out)” talks about staying true to himself upon coming home although it quickly aged like milk 4 weeks later when he got arrested again. “Mane” featuring Glorilla sends off the album having both of ‘em poppin’ out with that dog shit because that’s the way both of them stunt.

I can’t even begin to express the disappointment I have for Pooh Shiesty holding Gucci at gunpoint in an attempt to get out of his deal only for All Eyes on Shiest to still come out under said labels like a dumbass, which makes the full-length even less enjoyable than the final product already is because he pretty much threw himself beck behind bars for the rest of his life over nothing. I truly did believe he had the most potential out of everyone on 1017’s revamped roster despite the features & production becoming less enjoyable than Shiesty Season.

Score: 2/5

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Gucci Mane – “Episodes” review

Atlanta, Georgia rapper, record executive & entrepreneur Gucci Mane celebrating 1017 Day with his 17th album. Notable for being one of the Big 3 pioneers in trap music alongside T.I. & Jeezy, of course you can’t forget to mention him having one of if not the largest discography throughout the entire subgenre that continues to grow today. Breath of Fresh Air exactly 2 years ago was a decent 2-disc offering & to coincide with his new memoir, the 1017 Global founder has recorded a companion soundtrack to Episodes: The Diary of a Recovering Madman.

The title track produced by Pooh Beatz works in some pianos, hi-hats & a 2 Chainz vocal sample to talk about going crazy until taking the soulful trap route instrumentally so he can reflect going from bad dreams to “Beautiful Nightmares”. We get some more pitched sampling during “Voices” talking about dropping all of his artists besides Pooh Shiesty & Foogiano leading into “Psycho” questioning if his mental health has been declining.

“Gucci Special” vibrantly talks about leaving the whole parking lot annoyed after pulling up to kill that bitch while “Only Time” cautions at the last time someone tried to fuck with him, he almost caught a murder case. “Still So Icy” playfully talks about feeling like WWE Hall of Famer Mike Tyson with 2 tigers in his crib just before “Rich N***a Problems” breaks down the cons that come with being wealthy from his own personal experiences.

The chipmunk soul/trap fusions from earlier carry their way onto “I Need You” throwing a hint of pop rap into the mix paying tribute to his wife Keyshia while “Cold” swaps out the soul elements in favor of acoustics talking about going from the bed to the floor with his wife. “In Common” discusses the similarities between him & women who don’t take shit from anyone while “Savages” flexes that your favorite actress is on her knees kissing his ring.

“Money” locks in with Murda Beatz to talk about his children loving to spend their bread & him falling asleep with stacks in bed while “Forest” with co-production from Bricks da Mane boasts of him moving invincibly because of the invulnerability he’s had throughout his whole career. “Record Deal” talks about his way of life being waking up while chasing bags while “Real” discusses his boss status & 2 decade plus longevity over synthesizers & hi-hats.

OJ da Juiceman appears for the nostalgic “Back Cooking” taking it back to the mid/late 2000s whipping work again while “Preference” talks about not having any kind of favorite hoes over Honorable C.N.O.T.E. incorporating some pianos. “You Don’t Love Me” featuring Sexyy Red samples “I Think I Love Her” playing off one another’s verses perfectly while “Hit” featuring Bossman DLow didn’t need to be included whatsoever since it originally appeared on DLow Curry.

“Heard” starts the final leg of Episodes by talking about hearing all kinds of crazy regarding a hoe he’s familiar with whether it be the sex causing men to break the law & not having a car as a result of low income while the soulful trap hybrid “Lust or Love” asks the woman he has in mind what her intentions with him. “Just Like Me” finishes it all of with 1 final trap song talking about spending money like it grows on trees.

I‘m still pretty in different towards Breath of Fresh Air, but Episodes surpasses what very few expectations I had going into it with the most enjoyable Gucci Mane album since Ice Daddy excluding the So Icy Boyz compilation. The production Pooh Beatz primarily handles is significantly more interesting than it was 104 weeks previously & thematically, he’s basically giving the world a look at his own struggles with mental health.

Score: 3.5/5

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Gucci Mane – “G.O.A.T. (Greatest Of All Trappers)” review

I believe this is the 56th mixtape from Atlanta, Georgia rapper as well as record executive & entrepreneur Gucci Mane. Emerging in the mid-2000s becoming one of the Big 3 pioneers in trap music alongside T.I. & Jeezy, he also has one of if not the largest discography throughout the entire subgenre that continues to grow today. He spent a good bulk of this decade signing acts to 1017 Global putting out a number of showcase compilations that successfully gave these newer cats more exposure. Wop’s previous solo effort Breath of Fresh Air last fall was just a middle-of-the-road double disc experience & is having DJ Drama host the long-awaited G.O.A.T. (Greatest Of All Trappers).

The title track gets us started by referring to himself as the Greatest Of All Trappers over a bouncy trap instrumental whereas “Rich Niggaz” has a more playful atmosphere to the beat from Zaytoven talking about starting to become rich 18 years ago. “Kicked In” produced by Honorable C.N.O.T.E. energetically explains that you can’t get high without these hoes because they’ll give you herpes leading into “Questions” grittily observing all these broke muhfuckas lookin’ sad out here.

“Leak” humorously talks about a hoe as fine as Kim Kardashian the night before & waking up the next morning lookin’ like Chief Keef without makeup while “Hypocrites” calling out those sayin’ it ain’t about the money on their bullshit knowing good & well that it really is. The sequel to “Making Love to the Money” picks up where The Appeal: Georgia’s Most Wanted highlight left off just before “4 Lifers” triumphantly gets his flowers since Wop gave life to the culture.

Starting the tape’s final leg, “I Told Myself” talks looking like $500M every time you see him over a suspenseful trap instrumental while “1 Thing About It” vibrantly pushes towards the conclusion by getting with some of that paper. “Chanel Bag” featuring JT formerly of the City Girls has an eerier beat looking to maintain each other’s statuses as fly & “TakeDat” ends the G.O.A.T. (Greatest Of All Trappers) with a vicious diss aimed at Puff Daddy a.k.a. P. Diddy or Diddy.

Gucci’s discography is large enough to the point where it’s accepted that he’s gonna have some misses & G.O.A.T. (Greatest Of All Trappers) easily stands as the most I’ve enjoyed a project from him since Ice Daddy in the summer of 2021 commemorating him becoming a father. There’s obviously much less filler than there was on Breath of Fresh Air, the production has improved & the 1017 founder reassured his status in the trap subgenre.

Score: 3.5/5

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B.G. & Gucci Mane – “Choppers & Bricks” review

This is a brand new collaborative mixtape between B.G. & Gucci Mane, one of whom hails from New Orleans, Louisiana starting as 1/4 of the Hot Boy$ & the other coming straight outta Atlanta, Georgia becoming one of what I like to call the big 3 trap pioneers. The only time we’ve ever really heard them together previously was in 2015 on the track “Try It Out” & with B.G. being released from prison this past fall, he & Wop are joining forces throughout the duration of Choppers & Bricks thus making the collab tape the first body of work from the Baby Gangsta ever since he came home.

“Talk” is a chilling trap opener produced by DJ Paul cautioning that shit’s gonna start getting real here pretty quickly whereas “Guwop & Gizzle” gives off a more suspenseful atmosphere instrumentally so they can both break down the significance of both their nicknames. The title track boasts that they got plenty of sticks & weight on them accompanied by a bouncy beat, but then “Cold” gives off a vibrant approach with the help of Mike WiLL Made-It reflecting on the days where they were both incarcerated.

The Atari-synths that Honorable C.N.O.T.E. hooks up throughout “My Bitch” aren’t too bad breaking down how much they spoil the special women in their lives leading into the spacious “Run a Bag Up” that ATL Jacob cooked up talking about making that paper. “Paperwork” makes it clear what they’re standing on over a solemn beat with co-production from 30 Roc, but then d.a. got that dope radiates a chilling atmosphere during “Idiot’s Worst Nightmare” declaring themselves to be exactly what these bitches fear.

“At This Point” has one of the weaker features on the tape from Lil Jairmy despite the bell-infused trap instrumental making it known that there ain’t no stopping for any of them while “Rewanksta” pretty much recreates “Wanksta” by 50 Cent down to Bandplay heavily sampling it. The song “Project Baby” featuring C-Murder finds the trio breaking down what it was like in the PJs for them while KLC gives “She Say She Love Me” more a dirty south feeling telling the baddies to let them see ‘em bend over. “Beautiful Life” happens to be a profound closer expressing gratitude that both of them are home.

I know B.G. said he wrote 7 or 8 albums worth of material during his time behind bars & stand by that we could be in for the best music that he’s released post-Cash Money if he gets the right producers & features. If anything, Choppers & Bricks could very much be the beginning of that. My favorite thing Gucci has done within the last few years & a consistently solid way for B-Geezy to reintroduce himself to everyone. The production’s better than Breath of Fresh Air & it’s fun hearing these 2 different worlds of southern hip hop colliding.

Score: 3.5/5

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Gucci Mane – “Breath of Fresh Air” review

Gucci Mane is a 43 year old rapper, record executive & entrepreneur from Atlanta, Georgia emerging in the mid-2000s becoming one of the Big 3 pioneers in trap music alongside T.I. & Jeezy as well as having one of if not the largest discography throughout the entire subgenre that continues to grow today. He spent a good bulk of this decade signing acts to 1017 Global putting out a number of showcase compilations that successfully gave these newer cats more exposure. Wop’s last solo effort Ice Daddy in 2021 was a solid commemoration to fatherhood & he’s looking to return in the form of his 16th album following former 5-time NWA World’s Heavyweight Champion, former PWG World Champion & WWE’s Director of Live Events Adam Pearce’s first night as the GM of the Monday Night RAW brand on USA Network.

“Must Be Me” is a soulful, jazzy trap opener talking about how he’s seeing something that everyone else doesn’t whereas “Bluffin’” featuring Lil Baby hooks up these synthesizers & hi-hats together so both of them can call for some of these people out here to throw their hand in & stop all that cap. “Thank Me” featuring the late Young Dolph gives off a manic atmosphere musically boasting they got blue cheese in their pockets leading into “Trap Money” with underwhelming features from Li Rye & Sett hopping over a classy sample & more hi-hats flexing that they still got paper from their hustling days.

Dolph returns for the rubbery “Pretty Girls” produced by Mike WiLL Made-It showing off all the baddies that they have surrounding them just before “Glizock & Wizop” featuring Key Glock happens to be a decent introduction to the titular trio of the same name from the synth-woven trap beat to the boastfully icy lyrics. “Internet Chatter” makes it known that he isn’t phased by all the things they say about him online accompanied by a minimal trap sound that Dez Wright & Murda Beatz cooked up just before the shimmery “Talkin to the Streets” featuring Mac Critter drops off decent braggadocio.

“There I Go” featuring J. Cole has these cavernous undertones to the beat that Mike WiLL brings to the table here knowing that the hoes jump out the gym for both of them while “Mr. & Ms. Perfect” feels like a spiritual successor to a highlight off Wop’s 8th mixtape Mr. Perfect over 15 years ago. “I Know” vigorously produced by Tay Keith declares his awareness off how much it hurts people knowing he’s doing well while the piano-driven “Stomach Grumbling” ends the first half of the LP explaining that they want to be him despite the difficulty of doing so.

To start the 2nd leg, “Business Not Personal” gives off a theatrical edge instrumentally advising not to get emotional over any business matters as it has nothing to do with you personally while the cloudy “King Snipe”featuring Kodak Black & Richie Souf talks about being real from the jump. “06 Gucci” featuring DaBaby & 21 Savage finds the trio paying homage to Chicken Talk/Hard to Kill-era Gucci delving into the gangsta lifestyle accompanied by strings & hi-hats while the spacious “Pissy” featuring Nardo Wick & Roddy Ricch shows off their yellow gold.

The organ/trap hybrid that Zaytoven gives “Say No Mo” is interestingly distinct talking about not wanting to hear another word from anyone that doesn’t want to talk money while the fittingly lavish “Married with Millions” details the life of having a family as a millionaire. “Woppenheimer” goes for a suspenseful vibe pointing out that people like bringin’ up the past talkin’ recently while “Now It’s Real” talks about life being as beautiful as Pharrell & WWE Hall of Famer Snoop Dogg over keys & hi-hats.

“Broken Hearted” airily asks if anyone can cure the heartbreak that he’s experiencing while “Hurt People” remains in trillwave turf once more uniquely examining why everyone likes to cause harm to one another in our daily lives. “By the Water” sees Zaytoven lacing Wop with a synth-trap beat expressing for his desire to cop a house that has an ocean view & the closer “Big Boy Diamonds” is taken from WOPTOBER II. Better than “King Snipe” but much like “Mr. & Mrs. Perfect”, it’s an older cut that has no purpose of reappearing here.

I was interested in hearing that Breath of Fresh Air was going to be a double-disc LP considering the World War 3 mixtape that celebrated it’s 10-year anniversary over the summer happens to be one of my favorite projects from the trap pioneer. With that said: It’s not as solid as Ice Daddy was over 2 & a half years ago. Although I like that he took a different direction with it after the deaths & incarcerations of some of his friends, the production is a mixed bag & a few features punch under their weight other than a couple older tracks being rehashed.

Score: 3/5

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1017 Global – “So Icy Boyz” review

1017 Global is a record label founded in 2009 by Atlanta, Georgia trap pioneer Gucci Mane after his departure from Mizay Entertainment. They’ve housed a revolving door of artists ranging from Waka Flocka Flame to Asian Doll during it’s first decade, but regained momentum last year after revamping itself along with putting out it’s first 2 compilations So Icy Summer & So Icy Gang last year showcasing their brand new roster of young talent. Most notably Pooh Shiesty, who earned a spot in this year’s XXL Freshman Class over the summer. But now with 3 new signees coming into the picture, it’s only right for Wop & the rest of the 1017 family to come together for their 3rd showcase comp.

“Poppin’” by BigWalkDog & Gucci starts the comp off with some keyboards & hi-hats to show off their charisma whereas “Sno Cone” by BiC Fizzle & Gucci has a more symphonic sound with the help of Tay Keith talking about how cold they are. BigWalkDog returns alongside Bankroll Freddie to detail the “Trap Life” over an instrumental kin to the opener, but then BiC & Wop return alongside Cootie on “TrapMania” to reaffirm their big dog status despite the nondescript beat.

Meanwhile on “Rolling Loud”, we have Hotboy Wes alongside Big Scarr & BigWalkDog over some more piano trap shit using the title as a few clever metaphors just before “Whole Lotta Ice” by BigWalkDog, Lil Baby & Pooh Shiesty of course lavishly details the chains they got. Big Scarr gets his own solo joint with “From da South” grimly detailing life in Atlanta leading into the [Honorable C.N.O.T.E.]-produced “Trap God”, where Gucci rightfully proclaims himself as such alongside BigWalkDog.

“Free Smoke” by Big Scarr & Hotboy Wes finds 2 heinously detailing how they living while the guitar-driven BiC Fizzle solo cut “Mo Money” speaks on the increasing problems them dollar bills bring. “Free Foo” by Foogiano works in a bassy instrumental talking about doing better & the BigWalkDog solo joint “So Icy” incorporated some strings paying homage to the squad.

I feel like everything about “On God” is a bit of a rehash of “TrapMania” down to how it’s structured, but “My Lil Dance” by Gucci & Hotboy Wes energetically details the latter’s past with his mentor talking about getting him right. Sure enough, Wes gets his own solo song with “Slide” spitting that gangsta shit while the penultimate track “Freestyle” by Big Scarr & Gucci feels like some off-the-cuff shit despite it’s flute-heavy beat. “Never Trust a Soul” by Enchanting, Foogiano & Gucci ends the comp by living up to it’s title concept-wise even though there’s not much to the instrumental.

It’s been made pretty clear that label compilations like this can be either hit or miss & as much as I really admire the camaraderie between everyone on 1017, I’m kinda torn by So Icy Boyz. I genuinely think there is potential with the signees, but the production is very generic even by Gucci’s standards.

Score: 3/5

Gucci Mane – “Ice Daddy” review

This is the 15th full-length album from Atlanta, Georgia’s very own Gucci Mane. Emerging in the mid-2000s, he would go on to receive legend status for being one of the Big 3 pioneers in trap music alongside T.I. & Jeezy as well as having one of if not the largest discography throughout the entire subgenre that continues to grow today. He spent a good bulk of last year revamping 1017 Global, signing a bunch of acts (the most notable one being Pooh Shiesty) & putting out a couple showcase compilations that successfully gave these newer cats more exposure. But after having a kid with his wife Keyshia almost 6 months ago, Wizzop is officially returning by dropping Ice Daddy.

The opener “Poppin’” incorporates some piano & strings as Gucci is pretty much showcasing 1017’s newest signee BigWalkDog while the Mike WiLL Made-It produced “Posse on Bouldercrest” with Pooh Shiesty is a dope lil homage to the classic Sir Mix-a-Lot joint “Posse on Broadway”. I love the ominousness that 30 Roc provides for “Shit Crazy”, but the Big30 feature is so wack. Luckily we have Pooh Shiesty reappearing on “Like 34 & 8” to make up for it.

Richie Souf & Southside work in a flute for Wop to get in his drug dealer bag with “D-Boy Style” whereas the Lil Baby-assisted “Trap Shit” speaks on how everything they put on wax is official backed by a lavish Zaytoven instrumental. On “I Got It”, we have Lil Uzi Vert accompanying Gucci for a moody slow jam attempt & the energetic “Rich N***a Shit” needs no further explanation.

Meanwhile on the piano-inflicted “Top of Shit”, we have 2 Chainz tagging along to address their longevity just before E-40 fills in for the organ-laced paper anthem “Never Runnin’ Out of Money”. Then we have Project Pat helping Wop go back on the pusher tip for the synthy, bass-heavy “Fold Dat Money Up” leading up to the bloodthirsty “Gucci Coming for You” featuring these gun-cocking sounds in the production.

d.a. got that dope whips up a more somber sound for the boastful “Invoices” just before Gucci & PeeWee Longway start a bonfire on the rowdy “Live at the Red Carpet”. The song “Bust Down” is a nice throwback to dirty south strip club bangers while the penultimate track “Lately” is a spookily-produced confession about fake motherfuckers. The album then ends with “How I See It”, where Wop jumps on a rubbery instrumental to speak how he views things.

It’s been pretty clear that Father’s Day is approaching this weekend & Ice Daddy to me is a dope way for Gucci to celebrate. He sounds focused & charismatic on the mic once more with Mike WiLL, Zay & Southside helping to bring the best out of him as they usually do.

Score: 3.5/5

Big Scarr – “Big Grim Reaper” review

Big Scarr is a 21 year old rapper from Memphis, Tennessee that broke out in 2019 off his debut single “Make a Play”. This would catch the attention of Atlanta trap pioneer Gucci Mane, who signed Scarr to his revived Atlantic Records imprint 1017 Global last year. The kid has gone on to release 6 singles since being taken under Wop’s wing & with the commercial success of Pooh Shiesty’s debut tape Shiesty Season that came out a couple months back, Scarr is next up at bat.

“Grim Reaper” is a to-the-point opener as Scarr hops on some sinister piano melodies & hi-hats to spit about being a murder, but then the next song “Get It In” is a violin-heavy follow-up about being a young legend. “Poppin’” is a doomy ode to his newfound fame whereas the braggadocio-induced “Frozone” goes into a more wintry direction sonically.

The track “Ballin’ in LA” links up with Gucci Mane & Pooh Shiesty to deliver a dark yet infectious dedication to the sunshine state while “Joe Dirt” goes into a more uptempo direction beat-wide as the lyrics detail going from the apartments to the mansion. “SoIcyBoyz3” re-enlists Shiesty & Wop alongside Foogiano to send a warning to their detractors over a glistening Tay Keith instrumental & the Baby K-featured “No Ball” literally has nothing going for it other than the Middle Eastern-inspired production.

Scarr returns to a more darker sound on the track “Don’t Stop” as he raps about beef, but then “IDL” showcases a cool lil chemistry between him & Enchanting as they paint an oxymoronic love story. The woefully produced “Pay Me” details being crossed so many times & on the contrary, “Traphouse” is a stern look-back on his days before rapping.

Meanwhile on “I Would Keep Goin’”, we have have Big Scarr detailing how heartless he is in a petrifying fashion referencing WWE Hall of Famer, 6-time WWE world champion, WWE Intercontinental Champion, WWE United States Champion, WWE Tag Team Champion, WWE Hardcore Champion, IWGPヘビー級チャンピオン, the inaugural 6-time TNA World Champion, TNA X Division Champion & 2-time TNA World Tag Team Champion Kurt Angle before he & Gucci Mane detail how they live life on the Zaytoven-produced “In Color”. The track “From the Jump” details about his greatness over a plentiful instrumental & the tape ends with the first 2 installments of the “SoIcyBoyz” series. The first one is kinda underwhelming & the 2nd one is much more improved.

Even though I came away from Big Grim Reaper with mixed feelings, I’m still very much looking forward to hearing what Big Scarr has to offer. The overall sound is middle-of-the-road, but I’m not gonna deny the ambition in his voice throughout a good bulk of the tape.

Score: 2.5/5

Pooh Shiesty – “Slime Season” review

Pooh Shiesty is a 21 year old rapper & songwriter from Memphis, Tennessee who broke out last spring off the single “Main Slime”. This resulted in trap pioneer Gucci Mane signing him to his Atlantic Records imprint 1017 Global almost immediately afterwards during the COVID-19 pandemic & coming off noteworthy appearances he made for the recent compilations the label’s put out showcasing their revamped roster, he’s dropping a debut mixtape of solo material to further establish himself.

The intro icily talks about seeing through fake shit whereas “Back in Blood” featuring Lil Durk finds the 2 tackling the subject of murder over an instrumental with some foreboding piano melodies. “Guard Up” acoustically looks to fuck up anyone in his way leading into “Ugly” featuring Gucci Mane talks about how everyone with them thuggin’ in their own way over a trap beat with some distressing keyboards.

“Neighbors” featuring Big30 finds the 2 talking about being certified gangstas over a wintry instrumental while the song “50 Shots” talks about getting it in at the trap over an elegiac beat. “No Chorus” pessimistically talks about death without the need of a hook if anyone couldn’t tell while the song “Box of Churches” featuring 21 Savage sees the duo talking about bringing the smoke to ‘em over a spectral beat.

The bassy, horn-woven “Making a Mess” featuring Big30 & Veeze finds the trio talking about romance & guns while “Choppa Way” speaks of staying the same despite being rich now over an ominous instrumental. Take a Life” featuring Foogiano sees the 2 talking about how people don’t know what it’s like to kill someone over an instrumental with a prominent woodwind sample while “Gone MIA” talks about all the pussies out there over a triumphant beat.

“Big 13 Gang” featuring Choppa Wop & Lil Hank cinematically talks about being a threat while “Drop Some Shit” cloudily speaks of trying to make it out before he gets locked up. “See Red” fuses trap & rock to talk about blood being around him & once the highlight “Master P” produced by Tay Keith compares himself to the No Limit mogul of the same name, “Switch It Up” featuring G Herbo starts the deluxe run discussing their operation being too major.

Lil Baby appears for “Welcome to the Riches” so they can take a few moments to get luxurious & warning to wet up those who move wrong without breaking a sweat while “See Me Comin’” gets in his Memphis bag recalling the harsh realities of his adolescence. “Murder School” talks about learning how to kill someone until embracing the gangsta lifestyle while “Certified” featuring Gunna links up confidently realizing they got muhfuckas figured out.

“Switches & Dracs” featuring EST G, Lil Durk & Moneybagg Yo joins forces to deliver a mild gangsta rap cut where Durkio has the strongest guest verse of the 3 while “No Clues” featuring Big Scarr talks about the Draco coming with shell catchers, leaving no clues behind when the crimes are committed. “Squeeze on ‘Em” featuring 42 Dugg gives us a Memphis/Detroit crossover Wheezy cooked up advising not to tempt them while “Narcos” featuring Baby K brags of their mob ties.

Gucci Mane & Lil Uzi Vert join Pooh over a Brandon Finessin’ beat during “Next Up” talking about the very reason they’re going so hard while “It’s Up” featuring Big30 provides more gangsta-infused lyricism. “Hunting Opps” featuring ShotOff spends a few moments likening their detractors to prey & once “7.62 God” featuring Big30 & EST G on the remix carries over the the gangsta themes, the final bonus track “SUVs (Black on Black)” featuring Jack Harlow ends with a conflicting self-assurance ode.

Of all the recent 1017 signings, Pooh Shiesty has stood out to me the most & I believe he can reach the heights previous artists like Waka Flocka Flame & Asian Doll have reached in terms of success. However, I came away from Shiesty Season a little torn with the final results although I’m confident of him possibly improving. Despite having a great presence & a distinctive songwriting style, a large chunk of the production left little to be desired & there were more guests than I would’ve initially thought.

Score: 3/5

Gucci Mane – “D.O.G. (Delusions Of Grandeur)” review

Gucci Mane is a legendary rapper from Atlanta, Georgia known for being one of the 3 trap pioneers shaping the subgenre to what it is today. However, it wasn’t until 2016 when he finished serving his last prison sentence for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon that he would improve both musically & personally. The dude is known for dropping a couple projects a year & now just 6 months after Evil Genius (which was his only effort last year shockingly), he’s delivering his 14th full-length album.

The album kicks off with “Bussdown”, where Wop talks about not wanting to squash beef over a generically moody beat. The next song “Backwards” with Meek Mill see the 2 getting braggadocious over a lavish Zaytoven beat while the track “Special” with Anuel AA talks about their glow up over a bassy Murda Beatz instrumental with some twinkling piano keys. The song “ICE” sounds like a leftover from Gunna & Lil Baby’s collab tape Drip Harder while the track “Love Thru the Computer” is a painfully corny romance tune.

The song “Proud of You” is a celebration of his new self over a Kenny Beats instrumental with a prominent violin while the track “Bottom” talks about how fine this chick is over a haunting Tay Keith beat. The song “Hands Off” is another sappy love tune while the track “Blind” with A Boogie wit da Hoodie sees the 2 flexing & I really love how Zaytoven samples the classic Nelly cut “Dilemma”. The song “Superstar” is a horrifically delivered celeb anthem with a mellow beat while the track “Upgrade” is a bouncy tribute to his wife.

The song “Lame” with Rick Ross & Wiz Khalifa dissing the titular types of people over a monstrous Southside] beat while the track “Potential” with Lil Uzi Vert & Young Dolph see the 3 sounds like a bland leftover from 1017 vs. the World. The track “Human Chandelier” gets cocky over a nocturnal beat while the song “Us” continues to flaunt over a bass-heavy instrumental.

The song “Look at Me Now” talks yet again about his new life since 2016 over a flute-inflicted Tay Keith beat while the penultimate track “Making a Murderer” gets bloodthirsty over a druggy Murda Beatz instrumental. The outro is a bit of a surprise as well, especially since Wop reunites with PeeWee Longway over a hard hitting Honorable C.N.O.T.E. instrumental.

Yeah, this is yet another decent album from Gucci. There are some catchy bangers, but the buttery cuts like the ones with Justin Bieber & Jeremih weigh it down. Nothing wrong with romance songs but in Gucci’s case, it sounds forced.

Score: 3/5