North Texas Daily

Xavier Spurlock | Contributing Writer

Around the third quarter of last year, barbershops and lunch tables all began to count Future’s new “Hndrxx” album out.

“He can’t top his 2014-15 run,” they said. “It can’t get bigger than ‘What a Time to Be Alive’ or ‘DS2.’” As of today, Future is the first solo act in Billboard history to be No. 1 for two back-to-back albums. Along with a new Beats 1 radio show and an upcoming tour featuring Migos, Tory Lane and Kodak Black, with Young Thug and A$AP Ferg on certain shows, Future is continuing to push barriers and build his legacy.

On Feb. 14, Future commented on the fans who, once again, stopped believing in him by tweeting this:

I was preparing the feast. U walked away from the table too soon https://t.co/n1PFChLlyb

— FUTURE/FREEBANDZ (@1future) February 14, 2017

The fans were not prepared for what was about to happen within three weeks.

Three days after, Future released his 17-track “Future” album on Beats 1 show, titled “Freebandz Radio.” This is Future at his finest. With tracks like “Draco” and “Super Trapper,” Future is reminding the culture that he is, and has been, running rap.

It became Future’s fourth no. 1 album in the last two years, and he was far from finished. Within the first week of the release of the album, Future released music videos for “Draco” and “Super Trapper.”

If people were unaware of how hard Future works, he proved it this time around.

A week after his first album of the year, it was time for another episode of “Freebandz Radio.” That week, Future and DJ Esco released “Hndrxx,” the second album of the month.

It was a completely different sound compared to the self-titled album, and it was a soulful album with concepts and sounds completely new for contemporary culture.

On the song “Use Me,” Future tells a woman all that he can provide for her so she knows how to utilize what he does to her benefit. His crooning on this song is very similar to his Dungeon Family comrade André 3000’s singing on “Hey Ya!”

This year has already been strong for hip-hop, with both Big Sean and Migos also gaining a no.1 within the first two months. With Drake’s “More Life” on the way, it’s looking like a great year for rap.

As for Future, he plans on going back to a more underground sound and reconnecting with his original fans this year. “The fans are going to dictate everything that I do, pretty much, in 2017,” the mumble rapper told television presenter Zane Lowe. “It’s not going to be me. I’m going to see how the fans react, what they’re thinking about and what they are talking about.”

The debate used to be over whether or not Future has peaked. Now as we wait for more music from him, it has changed to which album is better: “Future” or “Hndrxx.” Personally, I’ve been in limbo since the day “Hndrxx” was released. While you’re thinking about which is better, go ahead and get your tickets to his Nobody Safe Tour and spend some time this summer singing “Percocets!”

Featured Image: Future on the Honest Tour at the Sound Academy in Toronto on July 11, 2014. Wikimedia Commons