Drake & Future – What A Time To Be Alive (7.5/10)
Can two of the best rap albums of 2015 speak for themselves? Apparently not. Future and Drake spent the better part of this year riding high off of successful mixtapes and albums.
Seemingly out of nowhere, Drake dropped If You’re Reading This You’re Too Late to critical and commercial acclaim. He then became a spokesman for Apple Music, got his own radio show, and dropped hit singles including “Hotline Bling” and “Back to Back.”
Future took over the Atlanta trap scene this year. With Gucci Mane incarcerated until early 2017, Atlanta needed a new trap lord. Future’s body of work for this year alone is impressive. He dropped two mixtapes early in the year, Beast Mode and 56 Nights. In July, he released his third album, Dirty Sprite 2, to major acclaim and his first No. 1 on the Billboard charts. He’s been featured on tracks by A$AP Rocky, Travi$ Scott, and Vince Staples all in this year alone.
Better yet, these two powerhouses have come together on What A Time To Be Alive. This is the first major collaborative album from two superstars in rap since Watch The Thrown by Kanye West and Jay Z. WTT’s cover is gold, and WATTBA’s is diamonds. Is this to say the young guns are challenging rap’s old royalty?
Yes and no. WATTBA is a continuation of a strong year for the two, but 2015 isn’t close to over. Both Drake and Future are expected to drop their fourth studio albums by the end of this year. The mixtape is an impressive feat, but it would be a mistake to call this a 50/50 collaboration.
This is Future’s mixtape with Drake, not Future and Drake’s mixtape. There is one song with Drake’s signature sound, but Future’s sound covers everything else. Future’s key producers such as Metro Boomin and Southside produced the entirety of the project.
Future’s output doesn’t change; most of his songs sound the same. He’s found his comfort zone instead of discovering new styles. Drake was the only collaborator on DS2. Future has opened for Drake on two tours, but Drake’s sound is not Future’s. Future gargles and hollers, while Drake boasts and croons. Drake raps and sings over pop and heavy hip-hop beats. Future’s production has stalled to remain murky trap beats.
Drake contributes to WATTBA, but gets pulled under by Future’s wake. Future is set to do things his way, and his collaborators are faced with getting on board or getting out of his way.
Mac Miller – GO:OD AM (6.8/10)
Some CC students may remember the day Mac Miller came to town. The Pittsburgh rapper was a headliner for Llamapalooza 2013, to honor the life of Reuben Mitrani ’14, who passed away the previous September. (Miller has started a label, REMember Music, in honor of Mitrani.) Mac Miller’s performance received varied reviews.
Contrary to performance mediocrity, Mac Miller’s stock has risen in past years. Miller’s first big break was a series of mixtapes with hits like “Knock Knock,” and the now unfortunately named “Donald Trump.” The songs were considerably weak, as Miller came off as a white kid from Pittsburgh trying to rap.
His first album, Blue Slide Park, was a commercial success, but a critical failure. Miller’s image failed to change, inescapably seen as a boring white kid who used dirty language to be cool.
Miller needed to make a change before he would become the next Asher Roth. His second album, Watching Movies with The Sound Off, was released against two powerhouse albums: J. Cole’s Born Sinner and Kanye West’s Yeezus. While he outsold neither, WMWTSO was a critical boost as the rapper decided to explore drugs and experimental rap with help from Flying Lotus, Diplo, Schoolboy Q, Earl Sweatshirt and Action Bronson.
Mac Miller has decidedly improved his sound by putting more work into production and creating his own sound. His latest release, GO:OD AM, wasn’t ready until Miller scrapped eight albums with which he wasn’t satisfied.
GO:OD AM is a slight improvement over WMWTSO but is still not great. The album has two stellar songs, “100 Grandkids” and “Weekend” featuring Miguel. Most of the other songs are average, some are worth a listen, and some are forgettable. Unlike Future who has found a comfort zone, Miller is growing musically as he continues to explore new sounds. The one thing Miller has consistently done is promised us that it will continue to get better.