Connector Staff
When rumors of a possible Drake and Future collaborative release began circulating the Internet, fans of both artists, and fans of rap in general, were obviously excited, and rightfully so. The worldwide icon working with the Autotune-happy Atlanta native was sure to result in an array of club smashes and chart toppers, and combined with the momentum of Future’s recent critically-acclaimed and commercially-successful album “DS2,” or “Dirty Sprite 2,” the two artists were looking to bounce off and capitalize on each other’s success. “What a Time to be Alive,” released Sept. 20 on Apple Music and iTunes, is the project born of their ideas of shared greatness, and in a lot of respects, it hits the mark, but in others, it falls short.
The obvious fact that needs to be kept in mind when listening to Future, or even Drake, for that matter, is that these two are not rappers whose lyrics are meant to be superb. They are not meant to be technical, or especially deep, or to tackle issues with a ‘hip hop conscience’ like Kendrick Lamar would, for a contemporary example. Instead, they are meant for parties, for clubs, and for playing with your friends rather than to be pondered over. You are supposed to bump it and be impressed with the beat and bass; the lyrics are merely gloss over an otherwise finished, yet attractive, product.
That is not to say that it is not enjoyable to listen to Drake and Future’s rapping; of course it is. But their voices act more as another instrument within the beat, like the hi-hats or snares, than a container of lyrics that need to be constantly examined. Everything in “WATTBA,” thus, is more like something to sit back and relax to than something to get actively engaged with. Songs like “Live from the Gutter,” which is my personal favorite, and “Big Rings,” “Plastic Bag,” “Diamonds Dancing” and “Jumpman,” to name a few others, keep your attention, and Drake and Future’s back-and-forth over the mostly-mellow beats maintains an interesting, almost haunting, daunting dynamic.
This dynamic, though, would be a lot more interesting if there was a greater variety of production. Metro Boomin’, a renowned producer based in Atlanta, made sure his presence was felt all over the mixtape, but that also leaves a lot of it with a repetitive feel. Some songs sort of blend together, and it would be a lot better of a whole piece of music if there were a larger range of music, as the mellow style becomes not boring, but easy to anticipate. A shared release by Drake and Future should have the most premier production possible, and the producers in the track listing were certainly capable, but I feel like there was too much stagnation, staying in one comfort zone, instead of trying out some insane beats to better test their unique voices and flows.
Overall, “What a Time to be Alive” is not as bad as mediocre, and not as good as great. It is not the greatness that everybody expected, either, but that is not their fault. A lot of hype preceded the release, and even a stellar track listing would have had some holes. To any fan of Drake or Future, this is absolutely a mixtape to check out; there will be songs you like, or even love. But to anybody whose cup of tea is not trap-inspired club hip hop, this will not impress you.
