Monster

Sound DNA

• Hip-Hop
• Trap

• bassheavy
• intense
• urban

About

The first in a trio of album-quality mixtapes released in a five-month blitz between fall 2014 and spring 2015, there’s a solid argument to be made that <i>Monster</i> is Future’s most pivotal project. By the mid-2010s, the wild vocal experiment and infectious, post-Lil Wayne pop-rap that defined Future’s first few years had begun to stagnate. And despite the crossover success of his first two albums, the ATLien’s staying power seemed uncertain. Then came <i>Monster</i>, which was released just before Halloween, and which featured gruesome cover artwork that accurately reflected its contents. <i>Monster</i> is a primal scream from the id, and a total rejection of complacency. The tape’s wounded, snarling songs were born from heartbreak (Future’s engagement to R&B star Ciara had recently imploded). But <i>Monster</i> was also a pronouncement of the kind of artist Future wanted to be: not a pop star, but an antihero. And while <i>Monster</i> marks a return to form, it also vaults Future to a new tier of artistry, rechristening him as the king of the toxic-rap banger. “Radical” groans to life like the yawn of an ancient hellmouth, while “Gangland” presents the rapper as a red-eyed vigilante whipping a Hummer through enemy turf. The <i>Monster</i> squad of producers—which includes Nard & B, Southside, and ascendant newcomer Metro Boomin—understood the assignment: Make beats that sound downright <i>sadomasochistic</i>. But for all his insistence that he’s doing just fine on a diet of spite and chemicals, it’s Future’s vulnerability that gives the tape its power. “Throw Away” starts with two minutes of disaffected hedonism until the beat switches to reveal a shattering breakup ballad, with Future’s voice cracking as he wonders if his ex still thinks about him. Then there’s the closing track, “Codeine Crazy,” a TM88-produced masterpiece of lean-drenched anhedonia that could just as easily be called a blues song. It’s a crushing and catchy reminder of Future’s monster talents.

via Apple Music

Tracklist

Credits