Ahead of this month’s release of Shiesty Season: Certified, Pooh Shiesty and digital artist Waheed Zai (co-founder of Smilesss) have partnered on a new NFT collection.
As detailed in press materials shared this week, the partnership also serves as a celebration of the success of the original Shiesty Season release, specifically the project’s platinum certification. The mixtape went gold (500,000 units) in May 2021, followed by an RIAA platinum certification (1 million units) in February of this year. The Pooh tracks “Back in Blood” (with Lil Durk), “Monday to Sunday” (with Lil Baby and Big30), and “Neighbors” (with Big30) have also been certified platinum.
The Smilesss x Shiesty Season NFT collection features 250 each of four different Shiesty Season pieces, which will be available to mint (1,000 in total) alongside a one-of-one auction of the official mixtape cover. NFT buyers will receive a t-shirt and ski mask designed by Waheed, a metaverse wearable, and an exclusive first listen of Shiesty Season: Certified, which is currently set for release on April 29 as an expanded/deluxe-ified edition of the original tape. Whoever ends up winning the one-of-one auction will get a personalized platinum plaque.
“As I look back, what at the time felt like a good commission opportunity, now is a significant moment in my artistic career,” Waheed, co-creator of Smilesss, tells Complex. “I took a leap of faith to build something I hadn’t built before, and Pooh Shiesty and his team took a gamble on having me deliver on that promise. Months later, that risk allowed me to create my own world through Smilesssvrs. With Pooh’s album going platinum and me building my own name and world via my NFT project, it felt inevitable to come together to help highlight and celebrate our growth as artists over the past year, which birthed Smilesss x Shiesty Season.”
Both the minting of the four Shiesty Season editions and the one-of-one auction are set for April 27. Get a closer look at the experience below. For full info, hit the designated Smilesss x Shiesty Season site.
Below, see the official Shiesty Season: Certified cover. Pre-save info is available here.
This week, Pooh Shiesty received a 63-month sentence in his federal firearms case. In a message to fans and supporters shared to his Instagram on Thursday, he teased the imminent arrival of new music.
“I WISH I COULD BE COMINGG HOME TO YALL TODAY BUT THIS COULDVE BEEN WAYYYY WORSE, I WILL BE BACK SOONER THAN YALL THINK!” his message read.
