
By now we all know the story, earlier this year Future put out two albums in as many weeks (self titled & HNDRXX), for reasons attributed to bad business deals the Atlanta MC had made in the past, where long story short Future owed a lot of money to Rocko (from Monica and UOENO fame) and these two releases were supposed to settle that debt. Therefore most would assume that both of these projects would contain throwaway records, yet truth be told with mumble rappers that’s somewhat difficult to distinguish. All jokes aside the albums are standard Future for better or for worse, and thus far have been well received by radio and social media alike.
Below is the first of the two releases and is self titled, critiqued track by track below:
Rent Money
“Got the money comin in, it ain't no issues, I just fucked a rapper bitch, I should diss you, got the MAC-11 cocked, it got the kick too, servin ****** like Doughbeezy in my house shoes” The intro is cool but it’s all about the instrumental, which apparently is provided by The Beat Bully, Chef Tate, & DJ Khaled? I highly doubt Khaled can produce anything but even the real producers put their name on beats that aren’t their own, and I doubt anyone who listens to this record would really care.
Good Dope
“Gotta crazy squad in Alabama, South Carolina boys, we good in Tampa, swipe the big credit card, it's worth the gamble, Lamborghini boys, excuse my manners” Once again it’s all about the production, this time provided by Southside and I guarantee this one sounds crazy in the whip
Zoom
“I secure the bag first, I'm ready to boast, I secure the bag first, I'm full of that dope” Nah… SKIP!
Draco
“Fuck all that biting like Tyson or Holyfield, woah whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa, a couple of pills and I got my soda filled, woah whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa” SKIP!
Super Trapper
“I came up from out the 'partments where they trigger happy, bought my bitch a brand new Rollie and she still ain't happy, got that Cartier with diamonds and I'm laughing at ya, 911 Turbo Porsche cause I'm a super trapper” Good enough for what it is but even still I couldn’t recommend it… skip this as well...
POA
“I need a power of attorney, I'm 'bout to fuck up some M's, I need a power of attorney, you need to get this on film, I'm 'bout to push me a Wraith, you won't catch me in the gym, I'm 'bout to push me some weight, you won't catch me in the gym” More decent production from Southside but honestly… see above… it’s the same record over and over and I’m not on the Molly so I’m not excited… pop a pill or skip this one as well
Mask Off
“Percocets, molly, Percocets, rep the set, gotta rep the set, chase a check, never chase a bitch” Produced by Metro Boomin this is one of the best records off the self titled album, and it’s indisputably one of the biggest records of the year for better or for worse. Never mind the mindless content, it is what it is and I’m not mad at this one.
High Demand
“Why you hatin, why you hatin? Oh I’m fresher, you must not feel how I feel, oh I’m fresh, I just popped open a seal, I’m on X, lil shawty sittin at Blue Flame, sent me a text” SKIP!
Outta Time
“Who knew I'd get this much attention? Be cool before you get put on suspension, P.I.M.P., gettin' that Monica Lewinsky, chain on freeze, wrist on jet-skis” This is not good… SKIP!
Scrape
“Scrape it out the pot when I cook it, scrape it out the pot when I cook it, make me have to cook it off the counter, make me have to serve you with the hammer, make me have to put it in the freezer, make me have to put it in a Pamper” The other Metro Boomin record is similar to Mask Off and if we heard this one a million times on the radio I’m sure it would be just as catchy. Either way I’m not mad at this one and I’d call it a solid album cut, one of the few on the album.
I’m So Groovy
“I'm so groovy, I got power, I'm so groovy, I got power, that’s your bitch? I just bought her, oh that’s your bitch? I just bought her, percs and molly (mhm), Plain Jane (mhm), I just fucked her face (mhm), I don’t know her name” Future tries to get the ad libs to push the record (think Juvenile’s Ha and you’ll get the picture)… honestly idk if it’s a skip but I couldn’t recommend.
Might as Well
“I done swam with the sharks, ***** came from the deep end, you will never know what I was in, times were getting rough, we still get in, I was selling crack when Snoop dropped ‘Juice and Gin’ (yah yah), run a one room shack, with a million in the den (facts)” Produced by Tarantino this is one of the standouts on the album, and even though that’s not saying much this one is worth a listen.
Poppin Tags
"What the fuck is you talkin' bout, I can get ya ass hit, hop out a Corvette nigga, then gon' smash ya bitch, I got American muscle, I'm gonna hit me a lick, sippin on Tussin, fuckin and hustlin” SKIP!
Massage In My Room
“I just took a meeting out in Aspen, You get out of line, it's gon be drastic, Pay my dawg a Perc, it made him happy, put you in a hearse like an assassin” SKIP!
Flip
“Captain seats in my Maybach, in my Range Rover, then I flip, flip, flip, flip, game over (game over), captain seats in the Maybach, in the Range Rover, then I flip, flip, flip, flip, game over (game over)” You’ve heard this record 10 million times before and done better… SKIP!
When I Was Broke
“She ain't leave when I was broke, she ain't leave when I was broke, one thing that she didn't do, she ain't leave when I was broke” Produced by Zaytoven this is a nice introspective record and easily one of the best on the tape, the type of record that makes you wonder what kind of artist Future could be if he was influenced by anything more than the trap and the club [translation: there’s actual meaning put behind this record, which is something Future should incorporate with his music far more often.]
Feds Did A Sweep
“I'm doin' this for infinity, I ain't lookin' for no sympathy, put a dollar sign on my enemies, you can't come between my embassy, you gotta stay off the premises, I was down and out, and I remember this, it's gon' hurt my soul just to reminisce, gotta understand what I represent, you know what I mean to the game” Maybe the best record off the self titled album is the outro, which is again produced by Zaytoven and is apparently dedicated to Future’s former bodyguard Michael Tanner Phillips (who was murdered last year), and perhaps due to those circumstances Future was inspired to make one of his most significant records to date in his young career.
Used To This ft Drake
“Drop-top Porsches, I'm so used to this, smoking out the pound, I'm so used to this, I know where I'm from and I got used to this, mansion in the hills, I got used to this” A promo record that had been out the previous November, Future added this to the album for potential streams but the fact remains this was a lackluster effort from all parties involved.
Mask Off Remix ft Kendrick Lamar
“She said she broke down when Prince died (it's alright), bitch, my hair down, Prince live through me (I am Prince), get your ass up and be inspired (get inspired), you know how many bodies in the street? (how many?), take the mask off so you can see” Strong words from Kendrick and I don’t like the verse, meanwhile this is a remix that came out only a month ago and has since been added to the tracklisting… no doubt for potential streams to get Rocko that paper 😂
Extra Luv ft YG
“Mansion in the Hills and my neighbors is so nosy, only Maybach in Bompton so I'm sliding with the 40, gotta keep it on me cause I iced out the Rollie, my diamonds on disco and they dancin, hokie pokie” Those are YG raps so within his persona they lyrics aren’t quite as bad as they read, yet even still this is another record that was just released and added to the official album’s tracklisting just recently, and while that’s embarrassing it’s the production by The Olympicks & Detail that is the only good quality worth mentioning.
Overall this has to be one of the worst albums of the year, as even though I really enjoy certain records (Mask Off, Good Dope, Might As Well, When I Was Broke, & Feds Did A Sweep) the fact remains that there is WAY TOO MANY SKIPS on this album to consider it a good record, and that shouldn’t be surprising considering the purpose that the album stood for. Throwaway records sprinkled with a couple gems to pay off bad business deals, a money grab that’s happened before and will happen again, yet for the sake of quality Hip Hop’s let’s hope we don't get another record like this anytime soon.