Mixtape Future Is The Best Version Of Future

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Getty Image/Merle Cooper

Future is currently the most hard-working artist in hip-hop. After releasing two albums produced by Metro Boomin this year, We Don’t Trust You and We Still Don’t Trust You, he’s returning to the well one more time with Mixtape Pluto.

For some fans, it’s the best of the three, for the same reason that the paired projects marked a return to form for Future in the minds of many longtime fans. Mixtape Pluto calls back to one of the most productive and fan-revered eras of the veteran trap rapper’s career.

Of course, I am referring to the Future era in which he released no fewer than five standout projects from 2014 to 2016. Beginning with the DJ Esco-hosted mixtape Monster and including Beast Mode with Zaytoven, 56 Nights with DJ Esco, What A Time To Be Alive with Drake, and, of course, DS2, and ending arguably with 2016’s Purple Reign and Evol, Future’s 2015 run was rivaled only by a few in hip-hop, and all of them are titans of the culture.

During this time, he released 10 platinum-selling singles, including some of his most beloved festival hype DJ playlist favorites, like “March Madness” “Jumpman” with Drake, and “Low Life” with The Weeknd. These time may not have produced his highest-charting, but it began Future’s string of multi-platinum hits (beginning with “F*ck Up Some Commas” from DS2 at No. 55) and it contains the densest concentration thereof (peaking with “Low Life” with eight certifications).

Unlike prior albums Pluto and Honest, and latter albums like Hndrxx, High Off Life, or even his Metro Boomin collabs, this success was driven by Future’s gritty solo charisma, with much less of the focus on melodizing his heartbreak. Instead, he growled dismissive dispatches from the depths of his hedonistic excesses, going out of his way to shoot down any suggestion of soulful introspection or simping.

He also needed little in the way of featured artistry to fuel his ascent. While Future himself was a hotly demanded guest star on works from other artists, including DJ Khaled, Mike Will Made It, Travis Scott, Ty Dolla Sign, and 21 Savage, the only collaborations of his from 2015 to chart were those from What A Time, a collaborative album, while “Low Life” with The Weeknd was the biggest hit he had to feature another artist in 2016.

He was at the height of his powers — which you could argue he most strongly taps into on his other mixtapes. Mixtape Pluto might not only apply to 2015 and 2016; it might also refer to his street-bred beginnings with tapes like the original Dirty Sprite or collaborative efforts like Super Slimey with Young Thug or Beast Mode 2 with Zaytoven.

The new tape indeed does find Future going solo for its 17 tracks. There’s a mixture of producers, but all of them provide vintage 808 and skittering snares — exactly the sort of backdrop over which the Atlanta native thrives. The hypnotic, chant-like choruses? They’re represented here on tracks like “Lil Demon” and “Aye Say Gang.” The rapping is as crisp as it’s ever been. And for those fans who love wounded Future, there are a few standouts like “Too Fast” and “Lost My Dog.”

Which is why Mixtape Pluto is hitting all the right notes with those fans who’ve been following him all this time. Future — an artist with roots that reach back to Atlanta’s initial epoch in the rap mainstream with Outkast and Dungeon Family — has transformed dozens of times over the course of his career, but the form he always seems to return to is the one that has the most potential to go anywhere and everywhere else. Mixtape Future is the best Future, because like the future, the possibilities are endless.

Drake & Future Gave Us An Instant Classic With “Digital Dash”

Drake and Future are a duo that hip-hop fans have loved for a very long time. Overall, these two have combined for a plethora of hits that continue to get playlisted. Moreover, they don’t seem to be finished with their collaborative ways. It almost feels like we get something from these two every single year. That said, their most famous collaboration is the 2015 album, What A Time To Be Alive. This was a surprise drop that has had a lasting impact on hip-hop and music as a whole. Today, the album turns eight years old.

When you talk about this album, there are various different songs you could highlight. However, we have decided to throw it back to the intro track, “Digital Dash.” With the help of Metro Boomin, this song became an instant classic for everyone involved. From the opening plucky synths to the explosive 808s, this is a song that sets the tone for one of the best collab tapes of the 2010s. Not to mention, Future and Drake come through with phenomenal chemistry all the way throughout.

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Drake and Future Did What Needed To Be Done

Throughout this track, we get gems from both artists. Of course, Future starts off the track while Drake comes in halfway through. It is one of those songs that you have to crank up whenever it comes on. In fact, this is something you can say about a lot of the tracks on this album. 2015 was huge for both artists, and this album was an example of their greatness.

Let us know what you think of this track, in the comments section below. Which track from WATTBA is your favorite? Additionally, stay tuned to HNHH for the latest news and updates from around the music world. We will always bring you the biggest releases from all of the biggest artists.

Quotable Lyrics:

These bitches be naggin’ the kid (Fuck ’em)
They get on my motherfuckin’ nerves (My motherfuckin’ nerves)
I showed up with racks and they love me (They love me)
I’m smokin’ that pack and on muddy (That gushy)

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