Shiesty Season: Certified

While the traditional hip-hop meccas of New York, Los Angeles and Atlanta garner more headlines, one of the most compelling storylines in that genre during the 2010s and early 2020s has been the emergence of Memphis as a creative hub whose breakout stars have subtly reoriented street rap as dance music. Gucci Mane protégé Pooh Shiesty is one of his hometown’s most magnetic new voices. <i>Shiesty Season: Certified</i>, an expansion of his 2021 studio debut, doubles down on its Memphis-ness, finding him more sinister—and more playful—than ever. Take the careening “No Clues”, where Shiesty and fellow local hero Big Scarr trade threats with expertly comic timing. Though Shiesty can seem like an uncontrollable ball of energy, <i>Certified</i> reveals him as a sly master of precision.