Hip hop and rap music are very demanding. In order to stay at the top of the game, you have to release new stuff frequently. It is a road paved by Lil Wayne. He changed the game forever and made rap stronger than ever.
In that sense, Future did not do anything new. He was just very dedicated. What made him so popular is the fact that he succeeded to reach number one spot on Billboard Album Chart three times in a row in a paradoxical moment. When he gave up on studio projects and decided to release one of the hardest tapes, Dirty Sprite 2, he became mainstream. Success didn’t come as a consequence of compromise. It came as a result of one of the best rap albums recorded in 21st century.
This success gave him confidence to stay raw. Future realized he doesn’t have to conform to the market. In fact, he will be more popular If he sublimes his angst however he wants it. It would not be fair to judge him because he has found the recipe and now he is making a lot of money. There is only a question for how long is this strategy going to last. Maybe the answer is in his two new releases – mixtape Purple Reign and album EVOL.
Purple Reign is a decent mixtape, and it keeps the legacy of his previous effort. The only difference is that it more pathetic. The title track closing the mixtape has a line I just need a girlfriend.Like, dude, seriously?
While Purple Reign continues the fever of Dirty Sprite 2, EVOL is something else. On Evol, album heavily produced by Southside and Metroboomin, Future is not looking for hits. He only has one guest appearance and it is the one with The Weeknd. Self-medication is a central theme. In case you don’t know what it means, it is a term widely spread in young black community describing the use of medicine for getting high. Future says that result is down and not high.
Maybe Dirty Sprite 2 was how Future self-medicated himself and EVOL is a sequel that proves success of the therapy?
