Future, a trap industry rapper from Atlanta, dropped his first solo project since 2022 on Friday providing fans with a familiar hardcore trap sound and trippy production, taking his audience to another planet.
After a successful past nine months, Nayvadius DeMun Wilburn, also known as Future, continues his momentum with “MIXTAPE PLUTO.”
Future writes fun, yet powerful lyrics all throughout the 17 tracks in “MIXTAPE PLUTO” accompanied with unique productions from Taurus, Southside and dozens of other Atlanta-centric producers.
The second track “LIL DEMON” features a hard trap bass line starting the album off with an energetic vibe that is typical of Future’s discography.
The lyrics, “Lil’ demon in the cut (Fuck you mean?) / Go raidin’ at the church (Shit I’m seein’) / You movin’ wrong, we clutching (That’s gang)” take bold threats at Future’s enemies in the industry.
Future seems to nod to the cover artwork of his 2020 single, “Life Is Good” featuring Drake in his fourth track “READY TO COOK UP.”
He stomps on his rap opponents with shots comparing rappers to golf balls that he hits on a tee at the end of the chorus.
Future’s fifth track “PLUTOSKI” also plays with mumbling and trap beats similar to “Type Shit,” a track on his and Metro Boomin’s collaborative album “WE DON’T TRUST YOU” featuring Travis Scott and Playboi Carti.
However, many of the songs on the album fell flat with melodic rapping that was extremely repetitive.
Melodic rapping is defined as rapping with melodic-like singing that is often found in more popular songs and was popularized by Drake, Post Malone and Future, according to TV Tropes.
On Future’s 2022 album “I NEVER LIKED YOU,” melodic rapping and more slow flows come naturally on “WAIT FOR U” featuring Drake and Tems, and on “PUFFIN ON ZOOTIEZ.”
“MIXTAPE PLUTO” does not meet previous expectations on tracks such as “MJ” and “SOUTH OF FRANCE.”
On a more positive note, “SURFING A TSUNAMI” takes listener into a psychedelic trip of synth sounds and trap beats with the chorus, “I got way too many vibes, ain’t no favorites / I got riders on my side, we gettin’ faded / Double cups with all that drivin’, let’s get wavy.”
Future references some of his grief on “OCEAN,” with the intro “I got enough tears to fill the ocean for all these losses took in this shit.”
He sings about his own experience as he dedicates “LOST MY DOG” to his close friend who lost his life to a drug overdose on fentanyl.
“LOST MY DOG” embodies many of the emotions that young listeners like myself have felt when losing a friend to drug addiction or accidental overdose.
Nearly 70% of overdose deaths in 2022 involved fentanyl, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.
Due to the fentanyl crisis, many people turn to drugs to numb the pain of depression or other mental battles, making this song extremely heartfelt and relatable.
Over a melancholy guitar riff and vocals, Future raps “Lost my dog to fentanyl / I go up and I cry for you / Love you so much, I’d die for you / Lost my lil’ homie to a gang war / I don’t cry, I go slide for you.”
The final track, “AYE SAY GANG,” ends the mixtape in an upbeat mood referencing popping pills, racking up money, girls and pride in his work — a recurring theme throughout the release.
While “MIXTAPE PLUTO” had its exhilarating and mind-tripping moments, it was a weak comeback compared to Future’s previous releases this year.
After listening to the whole mixtape, some songs that I found myself adding to my gym playlist are “READY TO COOK UP,” “SURFING A TSUNAMI,” “BRAZZIER” and “AYE SAY GANG.” However, other than those songs I will most likely not return to listening to the full tracklist.
Future has kept his powerful prowess in the rap game compared to Drake, and has continued to advance in his discography over the past couple years. Outside of those few hits, “MIXTAPE PLUTO” will mostly be a forgettable release for Atlanta trap listeners, proving that quality over quantity is the game changer.
