10 classics from the Atlanta rapper’s career-defining run
Few names in rap have been as hot as Future’s in the past year and a half.
The Atlanta rapper’s winning streak dates back to the October 2014 treat Monster, a return to trap-star form following his scattered, if ambitious, sophomore album, Honest. Since, Future Hendrix has dropped three mixtapes (Beast Mode, 56 Nights, Purple Reign) and three retail releases (DS2, What A Time To Be Alive, EVOL), each offering a different shade of purple swag.
Genius cued up Future’s fire output of the past 16 months and plucked these 10 standout tracks—the best of the best.
The Future Hive deifies its idol because of songs like “Codeine Crazy.” The Monster standout is a meditation on the push and pull of love and addiction—Future is aware of his lean dependency yet thoughtful enough to steer loved ones away from the drug. “That’s for them other niggas, that’s for them other bitches,” he insists.
Like Kendrick Lamar’s “Cartoon & Cereal” and Drake’s “Club Paradise,” “News or Somethn” is a stellar loosie orbiting around a great album. Nard & B marries a solemn guitar with twinkling bells, a perfect bed for quotable lines like “We better hear about this shit in the news or somethin.’”
To the inattentive ear, “March Madness” might register as another empty turn-up track. But Future slyly weaves in commentary on police shootings in this banger, allowing those sentiments to worm their way into your brain while you let loose.
With its bright piano trill—courtesy of Zaytoven—“No Basic” serves as a contrast to the heightened self-awareness that characterizes Beast Mode:
They gave me the game and I ran with it / Took all the pain and I ran with it / Took all the fame and I ran with it / Took a few losses and ran with it
Future spends the first 30 seconds of this song prepping his lean, setting the tone for Dirty Sprite 2. Only Future could formulate a hook so melodic, yet so audacious: “I just fucked your bitch in some Gucci flip flops / I just had some bitches and I made ‘em lip lock / I just took a piss and I seen codeine coming out / We got purple Actavis, I thought it was a drought.”
To decipher the post-Honest output, you need to understand “Throw Away.” Its dual beats foreshadow the progressive structure he’d adopt later on Monster’s “Codeine Crazy” and Travi$ Scott’s “3500.” Future’s lines are petty (“Got my dick sucked, I was thinking about you”), but they belie vulnerability in the aftermath of his breakup with Ciara.
“Diamonds Dancing” is a slow-moving song musically in sync with Future’s beloved codeine. Drake adapts to Future’s aesthetic (as he does for much of What A Time To Be Alive), playing petty via the outro (“Ungrateful, ungrateful / Your momma be ashamed of you”).
Sure, this is a “Codeine Crazy” sequel, but Monet painted over 200 water lilies, so who’s to say repetition can’t be compelling? This song’s beat is most impressive, as Metro Boomin builds a masterwork with downtrodden synths. Future gets emo—“I just need my girlfriend,” he moans—but he could’ve read a theoretical physics paper over this instrumental and listeners would still be all in their feelings.
Check out the lyrics from Future’s latest release, EVOL on Genius!
