Rising Memphis rapper Pooh Shiesty made the most of 2020, after Gucci Mane reached out to help elevate his career. The Memphis rapper spent the year working with those around him on his debut mixtape, Shiesty Season, released earlier this year. It's the culmination of a journey that really kicked off with the track Main Slime, which is what got Gucci Mane's attention in the first place.

The mixtape features the likes of 21 Savage, Gucci Mane, Lil Durk and more. Speaking about the tape to Zane Lowe, Pooh says, “You getting Big Shiest on this mixtape — I’m touching on all categories. Expect me getting versatile. It’s lit. You can expect some big features, shooting a video to every song on there. We’re going all the way up.”

To get you up to speed with all things Pooh Shiesty, read on. He's looking to make it Shiesty Season all year long, and we're absolutely here for it.

Hip-hop is in Pooh's blood. His dad founded the Memphis-based Mob Ties Records, as well as performing as Mob Boss. Pooh spent time in the studio watching his dad perform and learning how everything worked.

During his teenage years, Pooh was always freestyling, as well as launching the Choppa Gang crew. His dad didn't expect him to get into hip-hop, but he was there to help him when he decided to at 18 years old. Pooh says, “My dad didn’t expect me to rap, but when I did, he helped me. He taught me how to put my pain into what I’m doing.”

Speaking to DJBooth, he says that being around his dad and his label taught him about touring. Pooh says, "I saw how they gotta get ready to go do shows. I been knew about tour buses and all that — the tour life. I never got to go with them, I was young then, but I would see when they would get ready to go. I done went to a couple shows here and there."

Hard work pays off, and 2020 was the year that Pooh started becoming a star. A DM from Gucci Mane on April 10th, 2020 changed everything. He'd heard Main Slime and knew that he wanted to work with Pooh. He remembers the day, saying, “I was cooling at the house, and I got a text.

"Gucci was like, ‘I’m listening to your stuff. You’re hard. Are you signed?’ I told him I was by myself and sent him my number. We locked in from there. It’s the perfect situation. Gucci understood it. It worked all around the board.” 

Pooh's always prided himself on his wordplay, and that comes through on Shiesty Summer. Tracks like Making A Mess and Back In Blood throw haymaker after haymaker, and you'll find yourself heading over to Genius to pore over the lyrics after a few spins.

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Speaking to DJBooth, he's not letting his recent success get to his head. In Pooh's mind, he hasn't peaked yet. "I ain’t at my peak yet. I ain’t trying to overdo it or any of that other shit. I feel like I’m gonna get bigger tomorrow."