I’m not going to lie, I was a newbie to the #FutureHive. Sue me.
I honestly wasn’t that big of a fan of the dude until the three successive, outstanding mixtapes he dropped starting in October 2014 (Monster, Beast Mode and 56 Nights). During that time, I came to appreciate Mr. Nayvadius Wilburn for exactly who he is, a melodic rapper with a penchant for choosing the greatest beats imaginable, great hooks while at the same time dropping small gems per song that makes the song stand out amongst the normal throwaway tracks you hear ad nauseam today. Needless to say, I, along with millions of members of the #FutureHive were anticipating the release of his first legit album since the lackluster “Honest” that dropped in early 2014. This felt like it could be the culmination of an extraordinary run of success that we hadn’t seen at this level since maybe the Lil Wayne run of the early 2000s.
So, I will try to break down exactly what transpired the night I happened to receive DS2 via an illegal downloadable link(again…sue me).
When I got the link, I was happy as hell…NEW MUSIC….FEWTCH!
I HAD to hit the homies up.
“AYE I GOT THAT NEW FUTURE…HERE YALL GO!!!!”
I did not receive fast enough replies from a couple of the fellas. One wanted to wait for the “Group Rip.” Others wanted to wait and cop from ITunes or whatever.
“Fuck that…I’m bout to crank this joant!”
Here goes nothing…
Track 1 – Thought It Was A Drought
“Ok….I’m already laughing off the break because of the “I just fucked your bitch in some Gucci flip-flops…” bar. I already know this will be chanted by everybody and its perfect for the meme-inspired world we live in today. I like it…its not extra crankin but its a solid start for Mr. Hendrix.”
3/5
Track 2 – I Serve The Base
“NOW WE TALKIN!!! This doesn’t sound like anything comin from Atlanta right now. I love when I am totally blown away by an unexpected beat. Metro Boomin put his foot in this beat, man! Already know this will be one of my favorite songs on the album.”
5/5
Track 3 – Where Ya At? f/Drake
“Yeap…another radio smash…easy repetitive hook for the litty crowd. Drake does his thug-thizzle on this blend too. A definite banger.”
4/5
Track 4 – Groupies
“At this point, I’m all siced up in my living room…I done cut off the main speakers and cut on my headphones so I can get the full effect of these beats. Rockin!”
3/5
Track 5 – Lil One
“Being a recent member to The Hive, I’m not a fan of everything Fewtch drops BUT I can understand WHY his fans like certain songs. While this isn’t a favorite of mines, it’s tolerable and its a favorite of a lot of The Hive”
2/5
Track 6 – Stick Talk
“OK…we back on track again with the bangers! At this point I sent the text to the fellas “Aye man, Fewtch in rare form on this joant…..”
I sent that text because of one particular set of bars LOL and if you know the song, you know what I’m talkin about.”
4/5
Track 7 – Freak Hoes
“When the track first comes on, I recognize the hook off the break….”
“… which again sices my life! You don’t really see many remakes in rap music that are taken from “album cuts” so for Fewtch and Metro Boomin to flip the old TRU blend while mentioning “more Cuban Links than the Wu-Tang” ?!?! SOLD!!!!”
5/5
Track 8 – Rotation
“Ok, at this point….I’m blowin the fellas up with these texts. Anybody that knows me knows that I love sinister tracks. This song is right up my wheelhouse. Probably wont be a huge favorite of the litty crowd but fuck them, this is my shit!”
“BITCH I’M MAKING THE SAME MONEY AS CAM NEWTON!”
5/5
Track 9 – Slave Master
“WILD name for a song….like EXTRA WILD…but it’s rockin….like shit! At this point…it’s a New Era Classic in my eyes. The fellas don’t believe me. They will find out eventually.”
5/5
Track 10 – Blow A Bag
“I’m still waiting for a truly bad track on this album real talk…this is kind of amazing in 2015. Everyone has had a moment in their lives where they just blew that bag…. Today!”
3/5
Track 11 – Colossal
“Another one I know is gonna be for the long time members of #FutureHive. I like it, not like the others but I like it.”
3/5
Track 12 – Rich $ex
“Yeap…the one for the ladies and strip club! I can just envision how many strippers are dancing to this blend RITE NAH!!!”
4/5
Track 13 – Blood on the Money
“As I told you guys earlier, I love, love, LOVE sinister tracks. This track reminded me of some old Beats By The Pound/No Limit type sound of the late 90’s with a modern twist….extra rockin to me!”
5/5
Track 14 – Trap Niggas
“One of the songs that made me a fan. This song was from the 56 Nights mixtape so I had been rockin this blend for 6 months. For the newbies, just wake up, grab your strap before you brush your teeth and say your blessings!”
5/5
Track 15 – The Percocet & Strippers Joint
“The title is perfect LOL! Again, I’m imagining a lot of female gyrations at your friendly neighborhood adult entertainment venue.”
4/5
Track 16 – Real Sisters
“Confession, this was my favorite song of 2015. It was actually my ringtone for 6 months. My daughter knows the beat. I dont think I need to mention anything else about it.”
5/5 obviously
Track 17 – Know The Meaning
“Ok, he’s actually telling a story on this one. Learned a lot on this song….definitely a favorite of mines.”
5/5
Track 18 – Fuck Up Some Commas
“A total smash hit from the Monster mixtape. An almost perfect club/radio/car song. The rare trifecta.”
5/5
Needless to say, after all of my homies finally gave this album a good listen, they all agreed with me. Even all of my “real hip hop” heads couldn’t deny it. Future may not be everyone’s cup of tea. He may rub people the wrong way in his dealings with his child’s mother, Ciara. Regardless of those facts, this album was his magnum opus. It still bangs today just like it did one year ago. A rare “trap album” with some serious lasting power.
