Over the past year, Future has proven himself as bonafide rock-star in the rap game. In our recent feature on the Atlanta trendsetter, we chronicled the wildly successful trajectory Future has been on since the release of his last official album Honest. While Honest was not a full-fledged disappointment, longtime fans of the self-dubbed Future Hendrix levitated from purgatory to a purple drank laced heaven upon the impressive Monster, Beast Mode, and 56 Nights mixtape run. So when Future announced that the streets would be receiving his new album Dirty Sprite 2 (serving as a sequel to his breakout 2011 tape) this summer, the hype behind the Future Hive machine began to buzz all over again. And while the massive amount of attention placed upon Future continues to be warranted due to the quality of his music, Dirty Sprite 2 should not be given special treatment just because it is categorized as a ‘studio album’. Future’s execution on DS2 is similar to that of the previous popular mixtapes, which results in another enjoyable body of work fueled by booming production and an artist who is currently unshakable in his determination to create unfiltered anthems.
As expected, Future wastes no time in being direct with his raps. Hell, the first bars on the Metro Boomin/Allen Ritter produced intro “Thought It Was A Drought” are ‘I just f*cked your bitch in some Gucci flip flops’. Future truly earns the Parental Advisory sticker on this album, but it is this extreme level of abrasiveness coming from such an infectious voice that makes his work so enthralling. After the listener is hit with perhaps DS2’s most jarring cut in “I Serve The Base”, we are blessed with the only feature on the album as Drake can’t help but supply a standout verse on “Where Ya At”. Capturing both a catchy and hard-hitting vibe is executed on some records better than others, but the compelling power of songs such as “Lil One” and “Stick Talk” is forceful enough to cover up any minor shortcomings.
Thanks to the potent chemistry of Future’s go-to producers behind the boards, Dirty Sprite 2 truly kicks into gear on the latter half of the album. “Slave Master” is a fine example of Future at his best on this project as the Atlanta rapper expertly relays his ‘staying true to his culture’ message over the cinematic production. When Future croons that he’s ‘feelin way better’, the listener is engrossed in the genuine vibes which resonate from the music. Whether Future is balling out on “Blow A Bag”, feeling luxurious on Zaytoven’s “Colossal”, or reminiscing on the struggles of dope dealing “Blood On The Money”, every line from the Atlanta emcee is emphatic and it has a resounding impact upon the listening experience.
Before Future officially closes out the album, we are supplied a few more bonus track gems. Along with the previously heard hits “Trap N*ggas” and “Fuck Up Some Commas”, new tracks such as the smooth rolling “The Percocet & Stripper Joint” and storytelling at its finest “Kno The Meaning” end the DS2 show on a favorable note. The latter is an exceptionally moving narrative that features Future detailing the hardships that resulted from DJ Esco being locked up in Dubai for 56 nights on marijuana charges. While this is Future’s highpoint on the album in regards to specifically descriptive honesty, the concept of emotional admittance (for better or worse) has its footprints all over DS2. Dirty Sprite 2 may not be a masterpiece culmination of Future’s three previous tapes, but it has a large handful of majestic moments and consistently imperfect self-awareness that qualifies the project as another win for Future.
Repeatable: “Slave Master”, “Kno The Meaning”
Skippable: “Freak Hoe”
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