WRITTEN BY: Joseph Cotton, Campus News Editor

Gucci Mane is practically Santa for the Atlanta rap game. He’s the patron saint of the sound, and he is always giving out gifts to his contemporaries in the form of guest verses and cosigns here and there. 

So, when I saw a group album from Gucci Mane and The New 1017 collective called So Icey Gang, I was interested who Gucci Mane decided to cosign on this tape. As a fan of the Atlanta sound, you need to see who the torch is being passed down to. 

The New 1017 is actually Gucci Mane’s new record label that features up-and-coming rappers Pooh Shiesty, Robot, K Shiday, Big Scar, Enchanting and FoogianoTo put it simply, I was pleasantly surprised by the new wave of rappers showcased on the album. 

One of the most memorable moments for me was the song “1017 freestyle” which is essentially a group cipher session that features Pooh Sheisty, BIG30 and Foogiano. 

Each of the member’s contributions floats effortlessly on the raw, but intense production, with the kind of arrogance that rappers from Atlanta uniquely pull off. While the verses could all stand on their own, they’re aided by the fun ad-libs that highlight the track.

Another track that gives off the same aggressive vibe on a group cipher is “No Luv.”

This track was a particularly exciting moment for me because of the contributions from the two women in the group: K Shiday and Enchanting.  

I wasn’t sure if I could tolerate K Shiday’s whispering tone, but she walks the fine line between style and gimmick, and she delivers a cold verse that shoots right to the soul. Enchanting follows the verse up with a fiery verse right after which features the gem of a line, “My attitude so bad get me a tic-tac.” Combine all of this with rock-inspired production, and it’s a banger. 

Another moment from the K Shiday and Enchanting paring is the song “Homeboy On A Shirt.” It’s more of a song that stands on its own rather than just a freestyle session. 

Gucci kicks off the track with a solid verse then hands the rest of the song to the duo. Enchanting delivers a chilling chorus, and K Shiday follows it up with a playfully aggressive verse right after that. 

I would lookout for a stand-alone album featuring both K Shiday and Enchanting that climbs into the top 10 on the charts. Their chemistry at several points on this album is just too good. 

There are a few moments where Gucci Mane gets embarrassed on his own album, however. The song “M‘meeting” features brilliant verses from Mulatto and Foogiano, but Gucci Mane phones it in with one of the most boring verses on the album. 

Also, not all of the rappers on from The New 1017 pulled their weight. 

Roboy fills in the auto-tuned crooner role of the group. He is featured on only three songs and doesn’t do anything more interesting than what any other auto-tune rapper does. Furthermore, all of his contributions to the album are just melodic hooks that just interrupt the hard rap verse between them.