Scott Glaysher
CCE Contributor
Honest
Future
A-1 Recordings (2014)
What do you get when you mix T-Pain’s auto tune with James Earl Jones’ vocal range and Juicy J’s swagger? What about when you mix the chart topping potential of The Beatles and the song writing of Bob Dylan? No guesses? Well, that’s probably because you haven’t heard of hip-hop’s newest hit maker, Future.
Future has dominated the hip-hop scene in his native Atlanta and has had his hand in practically every hip-hop hit since 2012. Future’s popularity can be attributed to his versatility on the mic, his singing abilities, and his ear for melodies that provide the perfect chorus or hook for any hip-hop hit.
As one of the busiest men in rap music these past years, Future has provided more guest verses and choruses than anyone in recent memory in addition to releasing his second studio album, Honest.
The album features rap heavyweights Andre 3000, Kanye West, Drake, Lil Wayne and Pharrell, among others. These rappers give quality verses and bring crossover fans to the Future fan club making it hard for this album to be considered a miss.
Honest shows how Future has improved as an artist. Through the entire 18 song LP, Future sounds more confident with both his rapping and his singing which makes the project more concise. Deeper album cuts such as “Special” and “Look Ahead” seem to have the same replay value as his major singles “Move That Dope”, and “I Won,” thanks to musical consistency.
Strangely enough, Future seems to have strayed from his usual formula of chorus-verse-chorus which in turn creates a more listenable project. His bangers are restructured, his ballads are unconventional and yet hip-hop’s newest hit maker seems more comfortable than ever.
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