Future Future Colored Vinyl Edition

The absurd musical output machine that is Future slowed down a bit in 2016. The 33-year old rapper only released an album, a mixtape and an EP (despite his numerous guest spots on it, Project ET is credited as a DJ Esco release) last year, which is a pretty notable decrease from the pair of mixtapes and studio albums he dropped in 2015. After somehow going a full calendar year without releasing a full-length solo project, the reigning codeine king of Atlanta's workhorse-driven hip-hop scene has returned with a vengeance on “Future”.

As confident and playful as Future sounds on this record, the production is the primary reason Future never hits any notable slumps over its 63-minute runtime. Would-be filler tracks like "Super Trapper", "Scrape" and "Flip" are salvaged by their frantic, electric production from Future's most trusted collaborators (Metro Boomin, Southside, DJ Spinz) that you can't help but groove to despite the middling nature of the bars. The quality of the production is essential for trap to work and Future's ear for sharp, inventive beats is as good as you'll find in the genre.

“Future” seems like it’s only the start of a new chapter for Mr. Hendrix. The broken man that has dominated his releases over the past couple of years has been replaced by an arrogant one that gratuitously flaunts his success in everyone's faces, and that revamped attitude helps makes this record one of the most consistently enjoyable releases he's put forth to-date.