Well, half his label is going to be locked up come Christmas, but somehow that still hasn’t stopped Gucci Mane from feeling the holiday spirit and continuing his longstanding season tradition of releasing a holiday-themed compilation album. While previous years have seen new iterations of the trap pioneer’s East Atlanta Santa mixtapes (most recently in 2019), this year’s project is, like his October 2021 release So Icy Boyz, a compilation project showcasing the talents of his 1017 signees such as Bic Fizzle, Big Scarr, BigWalkDog, Enchanting, and Hot Boy Wes.
Unfortunately, two of the label’s biggest stars, Foogiano and Pooh Shiesty, are not on the compilation despite being the consensus standouts of last year’s So Icy Summer and having massive breakouts earlier this year as a result. Both rappers are locked up facing various federal charges after a series of shootings; Foogiano, in custody for skipping bail to attend a funeral a state away from his native Georgia, was indicted for a South Carolina club shootout that left two dead, while Pooh was accused of not only shooting a security guard at a Miami club but also playing Grinch during a driveway sneaker sale, shooting the seller in the buttocks and stealing the shoes (but forgetting to collect all his cash in the getaway).
Apparently, Gucci won’t let their dilemmas bring down the rest of the team, slinking down rap fans’ collective chimneys and dropping off this 17-track celebration of the season. While only a handful of the tracks seem to be actually about Christmas — namely, the ones Gucci himself is on — it’s still a worthwhile addition to his quasi-annual tradition, bringing some cheer to a December capping a year that desperately needs it.
So Icy Christmas is out now via Atlantic. Get it here.
