Pooh Shiesty, a Memphis Rapper, got arrested by the FBI for allegedly kidnapping and holding his record label owner against his will. The record label owner who Pooh is signed under is Gucci Mane, an Atlanta based rapper, who has been around over 2 decades. Pooh Shiesty signed to Gucci Mane’s label “1017 Records” back in April 2020, and later that year, November 2020, he made a song with Lil Durk “Back in Blood” which went viral, and also made him and the label a lot of money. But allegedly everything he references is true to his lifestyle, as he was directing the song to a person he actually robbed, telling them to get their jewelry back in blood. He apparently does not play about what he raps about, as Pooh Shiesty and his father are very associated with the streets in Memphis.
Almost a year later in June 2021, he gets arrested on a federal firearms and conspiracy charge, which came from a 2020 incident in Florida which involved robbery, and people got shot/injured doing it. In April 2022, he took the plea deal (which reduced even more time) and was sentenced to 5 years and 3 months in prison. Since he was granted time served from previously being held back in 2021 and had good behavior in prison, he was released 3 years later, October 2025. 2 months later in December he released his first single after being released from prison, “FDO (First Day Out)”, which is a song centering on his resilience, and staying true to himself while facing incarceration. The song blew up on Tiktok, Instagram , Twitter (X), as it helped push out clips, lyrics, and his return energy. His fanbase has been waiting for a release which helped with the long awaited song, this song symbolized the return to the music industry following incarceration, but with that he knows the value of his songs, how popular they grow, and he wanted to gain control again, especially after being away for so long, and how he wants to connect back to his Memphis roots. He talked to Gucci Mane asking to let him out of his contract, but Gucci Mane knows he’s a valuable artist that brings in revenue for the label, so he does not go with it. Even with the early release, Shiesty is still on probation with an ankle monitor. He arranges a meeting with Gucci to talk about a potential release out of the contract in Dallas, Texas. Pooh gets a call from his probation officer asking about his whereabouts, he claims he is on vacation, but the officer tells Shiesty to go back home. Pooh and Gucci meet in the recording studio to get out of his deal and Gucci still declines, Pooh threatens him by telling one of his men to get his black bag from outside. A rapper named Big 30, Pooh’s dad, and his other men bombard the room, and give Shiesty the firearm out the black bag, the rest are armed as well and block the door. Pooh Shiesty’s dad brings out a contract for Pooh’s release out of the contract, while holding a firearm near him. Gucci knew this would not fly, so he signed it anyway, while they recorded him. Pooh Shiesty and his men rob him and flee the scene, which is on surveillance and they see it along with Pooh Shiesty’s license plate. The local Staples, saw Pooh’s dad earlier printing out this said “contract”, and later after the incident, his crew was on instagram live flaunting Gucci Mane’s jewelry they previously stole. Pooh Shiesty gets a call to turn himself in, and he does.
I feel as what Pooh Shiesty did was completely reckless, as he and everyone else knows that this is not the proper way to get out of a deal, but moreover not the way to get what you want. Like other famous artists who had a bad record deal/negotiation, artists like Frank Ocean or Megan Thee Stallion. Frank went ahead and fulfilled his contract, and made one of the best albums produced under his own independent label. Megan had to settle in court over her record deal, and she started releasing music independently as well, making big album hits. Just like how they got out of their record deal the right way, Shiesty could have done it the same way. He talks about in “FDO” how your independence could be taken so easily by being incarcerated, but I guess once he got out, he cared less about independence and more about control, which led him to do something he knew would lead him right back to losing his independence. He wanted to stay loyal to the street life, but he and everyone knows it doesn’t end well. I feel bad for the position Gucci Mane was put in, his life was in danger. But recently spoke out in his new song “CRASH DUMMY”, saying lyrics like “I thought it was a business meeting, but it was a setup, I walked in the room, you could feel the pressure building”. He also goes to say he took his kindness for weakness and more. This was released after it was revealed that Gucci made a statement to police against Shiesty. This situation is what happens when an individual’s personal life (street life) clashes with business. This is to never let your ego, pride, and sense of control get too high to where you have to turn against the people who helped you from the beginning.
