Shiesty Season

Memphis rapper and Gucci Mane protégé Pooh Shiesty hinted at what he was capable on his ruthless 2020 single "Back in Blood." The icy track found Shiesty and Lil Durk in a mode of complete menace, with spirals of lyrics about shooting up the opposition and threatening to do it again without warning. The track was one of the harder songs to break the Billboard Top 100, and debut mixtape Shiesty Season is every bit as intense and unflappable as the sneak previews that preceded it. The 17-track project starts in full gear, with the fast flows of "Shiesty Season (Intro)" giving way to the established power of "Back in Blood." Several guests show up across the track listing, including 21 Savage on "Box of Churches," Tay Keith on the roundabout tribute "Masta P," and Gucci Mane on the somewhat subdued piano-loop-based trap track "Ugly." Particularly impressive is Foogiano's laid-back, smirking contribution to the otherwise severe "Take a Life." Some songs start to feel redundant, but Shiesty's energy stays in the red for the entirety of Shiesty Season. The best moments deliver on the promise exhibited with "Back in Blood," and the lesser tracks are still formidable thanks to the balance of hunger and excitement that Shiesty carries through the entire mixtape. ~ Fred Thomas