‘The WIZRD’ reveals the emotional side of Future’s past

Mumble-rap nobility offers a new look at artist’s life in his 7th studio album.

A new viewpoint of Future’s life before fame was made public in the form of a documentary and album on Friday, Jan. 18. Future’s position as mumble-rap royalty has been secured for years – however, the emotional and introspective sound featured in “The WIZRD” is something relatively new to him.

While his overall songwriting formula has remained mostly the same (hard and heavy basslines, drowned-out mids, fast and loud hi-hats and snares, heavily autotuned hooks), Future remains as entertaining as ever. This is one of his best solo projects to date, consistently delivering slaps without skipping tracks. While it may not be on the same level as 2015’s “Dirty Sprite 2,” I’m not sure any trap rapper today can create a project of that caliber.

Future considers his drug-fueled music in his past 7 years of fame, and discusses his addictions like never before in songs like “Krazy but True” and “Tricks on Me.”

“I’m smellin’ like kush, promethazine drinkin’, this ecstasy the only reason why my heart beatin’,” Future croons, as well as “I was lettin the sh*t I can’t control destroy me… I just tried to treat that like a party, I (would) feel weak if I tell you sorry.” A certain level of maturity is required for a trap rapper to talk about their drug use in a realistic, negative way, especially when so much of their career is built on their recreational use of drugs.

Future also brings a deep level of emotion in his lyrics that has just recently become more common among the hip-hop community. He also juxtaposes these emotional lyrics with his more typical ignorant, slightly disrespectful bars in a mostly seamless way.

“I wake up and… on a bad b*tch, drugs got me savage,” he says in “Temptation”, immediately followed by, “It’s so hard, these perkies keep me sad; all my dogs, found em locked up in the cage.”

Overall “The WIZRD” is an entertaining album that offers both the energetic and outgoing Future we may (or may not) have grown to love, as well as some insight into his personal emotions and struggles. overall I would rate the album 3 out of 5, but I would highly recommend listening.