By Corey Libow
Released January 17, 2016
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Key Tracks:
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“Came from the trenches and turned into art”
Here sits Nayvadius Wilburn a.k.a. Future, cousin of Rico Wade, heir to the Atlanta crew Dungeon Family, firmly stationed upon the iron throne, purple actavis dripping from his chalice. Future has been enjoying the spoils of his unending rap campaign - since the fall of 2014, he has released a full length project every few months, converting new followers into the #FutureHive, enacting his own Sherman’s March on the rap game. Don’t be fooled by the Drakes or the Kanyes. Future holds the title of Best Rapper Alive, and his influence is everywhere. It’s on the football field when players mimic dances from his videos, and it’s on TV when Robitussin commercials reference his album art. Now comes Purple Reign, his first mixtape since his ascent to the top, a reflective work that highlights why Future got here in the first place.
Purple Reign isn’t as good as Future’s previous mixtapes during this stretch. It lacks the sonic cohesion that typified his mixtape trilogy. Each previous tape had one producer handling all the songs and creating a mood for Future to sink into, but Purple Reign has several producers contributing on tracks. None of these beats are as majestic as the kind that we’re used to hearing. They’re more sparse, making Future bounce off of them rather than fully immerse himself like his best work.
Without leaning into a certain sound, Purple Reign lets Future create a mood on his own, showing off his talent as a stylist. In the “Wicked” chorus, Future’s voice dissolves through repetition, as “wicked” becomes “we go” before it disappears in a blur. “Drippin (How U Luv That)” features some 80s power ballad belting that sounds like a Michael Bolton impression. There are effortless bangers here, showing how easily Future can churn out a hit within the confines of well-worn gangsta rap tropes. He flexes like a king on the militant “Run Up,” bragging he has both the streets and the Ku Klux Klan with him. “Bye Bye” and “Salute” luxuriate in his newfound success while always keeping an eye on the block he left behind.
Being a king isn’t just enjoying the spoils of war but being constantly reminded of the war in the first place. Purple Reign adds a backstory to Future’s mythology. “Inside The Mattress” channels the dissolution of his life on the road, a cry for help as his relationships collapse. “No Charge” places him as a trap messiah; he looks inside the eyes of the drug dealers and strippers in his entourage, and sees the same pain he’s going through. The highlight of the tape is the penultimate “Perkys Calling,” an ode to and an examination of his recorded drug addiction that has fueled his run. “I need better thoughts, I need better vibes” he laments, “I need more advice and ain’t got no time.” This is the undercurrent that flows through this tape and his recent ouvre.
With his sixth tape in fourteen months, Purple Reign is the first project that Future has released with the crown fully on his head. His former works were a portal into his headspace. Purple Reign still has emotional transparency, but there is a regal aloofness to the tape. In this rap Game of Thrones, the current king has started 2016 with a bang. It will be fun to see how the rest of the year shapes up.
Purple Reign isn’t as good as Future’s previous mixtapes during this stretch. It lacks the sonic cohesion that typified his mixtape trilogy. Each previous tape had one producer handling all the songs and creating a mood for Future to sink into, but Purple Reign has several producers contributing on tracks. None of these beats are as majestic as the kind that we’re used to hearing. They’re more sparse, making Future bounce off of them rather than fully immerse himself like his best work.
Without leaning into a certain sound, Purple Reign lets Future create a mood on his own, showing off his talent as a stylist. In the “Wicked” chorus, Future’s voice dissolves through repetition, as “wicked” becomes “we go” before it disappears in a blur. “Drippin (How U Luv That)” features some 80s power ballad belting that sounds like a Michael Bolton impression. There are effortless bangers here, showing how easily Future can churn out a hit within the confines of well-worn gangsta rap tropes. He flexes like a king on the militant “Run Up,” bragging he has both the streets and the Ku Klux Klan with him. “Bye Bye” and “Salute” luxuriate in his newfound success while always keeping an eye on the block he left behind.
Being a king isn’t just enjoying the spoils of war but being constantly reminded of the war in the first place. Purple Reign adds a backstory to Future’s mythology. “Inside The Mattress” channels the dissolution of his life on the road, a cry for help as his relationships collapse. “No Charge” places him as a trap messiah; he looks inside the eyes of the drug dealers and strippers in his entourage, and sees the same pain he’s going through. The highlight of the tape is the penultimate “Perkys Calling,” an ode to and an examination of his recorded drug addiction that has fueled his run. “I need better thoughts, I need better vibes” he laments, “I need more advice and ain’t got no time.” This is the undercurrent that flows through this tape and his recent ouvre.
With his sixth tape in fourteen months, Purple Reign is the first project that Future has released with the crown fully on his head. His former works were a portal into his headspace. Purple Reign still has emotional transparency, but there is a regal aloofness to the tape. In this rap Game of Thrones, the current king has started 2016 with a bang. It will be fun to see how the rest of the year shapes up.
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