Future is indisputably one of the most important and notable figures in the history of trap music. In the 2010s, he pioneered a new evolution of the sound and inspired many subsequent artists to continue his legacy, including artists like Young Thug and Migos.
However, the Atlanta rapper’s impact spans far beyond the trap sub-genre of hip-hop, as projects like DS2 and Monster, as well as hits like “March Madness” and “Mask Off,” have made him one of the most celebrated rappers of the last decade. For this, Joe Budden believe he belongs in the highest tier of all rappers in today’s landscape.
On his “Joe Budden Podcast,” Budden explained how he believes Future rightfully belongs in rap’s current upper echelon, where it typically only includes artists like Drake, Kanye West, Kendrick Lamar, J. Cole and Lil Wayne: “So, I was trying to think of the last and it shocked me to learn that we don’t talk about Future enough on that list and he’s there. But he’s been there and we don’t discuss it. We just say Drake, Ye, Cole, Kendrick, Wayne — Hov is already goated — but Future is there.”
As Budden mentioned, Future should be considered in this elite category that is also occupied by JAY-Z, or Hov as he called him. Future is in agreement with that, as he claimed he was bigger than JAY-Z last month: “In the streets im bigger then jigga. Ima run me a B up easy. 100M’s not the goal anymore.”
As this fueled discourse, Future would double down by sharing a post on Instagram that claimed he would beat JAY-Z in a Verzuz battle.
Joe Budden and Future are clearly confident in his ability to stand alongside the hip-hop greats of this generation. Do you agree?