Fighter: Future
Trainer: A1, Freebandz, Epic
Cutmen: Future, Metro Boomin, Southside, The Weeknd, Ben Billion$, Schife, TM808, DJ Spinz, MP808
Weight Class: Mumble Rapper, Trap Star
Notable Fire: Program, Lie to Me, Fly Shit Only
Notable Trash: Photo Copied
Tale of the Tape: Future Hendrix is back with his fourth studio album EVOL, and he’s still doing what he does arguably better than anyone else in the game right now: float on beats that are straight fire emoji. On EVOL, Future meets all expectations he partners with Metro Boomin — whom you definitely want to have trust in you — and raps about the money, the ladies and of course all of the fun drugs he takes.
What initially jumps out about EVOL is that it is exceptionally short. At 39 and a half minutes, the 11 tracks blow by and depending on your opinion of the Honest emcee, the fact is a positive or negative.
Young Metro and Future don’t waste any time with a strong opening salvo on “Ain’t No Time” (see what I did there?). The beat is top notch, but when Future isn’t in perfect sync with his production, it can be distracting. For example when Future raps, ” We do this Sunday to Sunday/Sun up to the Sun down/Look like I stepped off the runway/They try to tell me to calm down”, the line sees Future slow down the words to fill in a couple of beats. It’s distracting because Future isn’t “technically sound” or “good” lyrically, however that is an accepted part of the Future Hendrix listening experience.
Therein lies the difficulty with reviewing a Future album, at least for me as a well-known critic of the Atlanta trap star. It’d be unfair and a bit disingenuous to evaluate EVOL in the same manner as an album by a more “traditional” hip-hop artist when in reality the patron saint of “Trap Music” as a sub-genre plays by a different set of rules (hence HHSR’s “weight classes”).
I’ve taken to comparing Future to Memphis Grizzlies swingman Lance “Born Ready” Stephenson. Stephenson came into the league after being drafted in the second round by the Pacers. Over a four year period, Stephenson honed his craft to become a key contributor for Indiana as they played the role of noteworthy foil for the LeBron James-led Miami Heat. Stephenson was frustrating to other teams and his own at times, but when he chased dollars in Charlotte he was no longer in an environment that could both withstand his limitations (chasing stats to the detriment of the team, lack of maturity, etc.) as well as allow him to excel. Flash forward 21 months and Stephenson is now on his third team in as many years.
Future is Lance Stephenson if he had continued to thrive playing within the system and culture of Indiana. He’s is undeniably limited lyrically, but he has found the right team of producers to fight for a spot on the top of the charts, or better yet, just being one of the hottest out with every release. Oh and for the record, EVOL reached #1 on the Billboard charts.
With all taken into account, EVOL flows along nicely for the most part and is a worthwhile listen. The opening trio of songs, “Ain’t No Time”, “In Her Mouth” and “Maybach” are good for what they are, yet the album quickly reaches a valley. “Xanny Family” and “Lil Haiti Baby” bring you down slowly to rock bottom, where you’ll hear “Photo Copied“, which is flaming garbage! Future really could’ve left this track on the cutting room floor— it sounds like a bad freestyle song. “Photo Copied” is Lance Stephenson’s LA Clippers tenure— a mistake from the very beginning.
Luckily and thankfully, the album begins to rebound with “Seven Rings” before finishing strong with the radio friendly “Lie to Me“, “Program” and ” Low Life”, which has EVOL’s only featured artist in fellow pill popping poet The Weeknd. EVOL’s concludes with “Fly Shit Only“, one of the best songs on the album.
Fight Night: Winner By Split Decision
EVOL is filled with dope beats; while there are a couple of mediocre songs, and “Photo Copied” is the song version of the crying Jordan meme, there are about seven quality Future tracks. Lots of quality, but nothing that is actually great, which just might be Future’s wheelhouse.