Wow (Drake voice). September 20, 2015 a night like any other, you might of been ready to go to sleep early, maybe study a bit more for class, shoot maybe even give your parents that once a year call. Bet that changed when our resident trap rapper, Future, and the 6's finest, Drake, came to together to blow the internet up.
A collaborative mixtape (though it's available for purchase through iTunes): "What a Time to Be Alive" had been hinted at only a week prior to it's release. In keeping up with the current trend of dropping huge albums shortly after their announced, like Beyonce's self titled release back in 2013, artwork released 3 days, and faster than fans could say "activist", the mixtape touched down on the internet.
The hype was real folks. The two rappers seem to make a better duo than Batman and Robin. We actually seen a little rap duo team up earlier in the summer when Chance the Rapper and Lil B dropped their surprise mixtape "Based Freestyle Mixtape". But the hype of "What aTime to Be Alive" far eclipsed that project. It seems one reason for this were the resources used to push the album. Future took time to buy a stock photo of diamonds for the now iconic album cover while Drake took to Apple music, on his OVO radio station, to debut and stream tracks from the album.
But were we all just blinded by the glitter and fame of these two big superstars? Hype as unbelievable as this can make mediocre projects seem larger than life often times. Projected to sell 500,000 in it's first week and actually selling 379,000 and we only had a week notice? Not to mention these two's careers individually are worth millions and have fan bases deeper than submarines.
Did you even notice Mac Millers project dropped the same day? Poor Mac, he has the worst luck (http://www.xxlmag.com/news/2015/09/mac-miller-wors...).
The project does live up to it's hype though. Drake's DJ "Noah 40", and Future's DJ "Esco", link up wonderfully to glam out this opulent release. Boi 1-da, Southside, and as executive producer, Metro Boomin', molded the release. Production
Future's ode's to his lean and trapping lifestyle meets Drakes sad boy ways meet well in the middle of the two's common interest: grinding and making more than they did yesterday. "Digital Dash" opens the project up and sets the tone for the rest of the mixtape as the two test their new fusion.
"Big Rings" explains why the two decided to drop the tape, with Drake on the hook saying plainly "Cause I've got a really big team and they need some really nice things". With the two at the peak of their careers why not team up? With Drake still due to drop, "Views from the 6" and Future fresh off his "Dirty Sprite 2" album, drop they're just capitalizing on their popularity.
"Diamonds on Me Dancing" features a relentless bass drop that disrupts the languid, syrupy instrumental in the background. Drake glorifying the way their diamonds dance in the club and Future chilling "sipping on Dom Perignon for no reason", the track fades out with Drake mourning a girl that doesn't call him anymore, after all they've been through, "doing him dirty", while Future agrees in the background with disgusted grunts.
Vices plague Future after the come down from "Diamonds Dancing" in the track "Scholarships". A confessional of sorts from the two, letting us know they've got their demons too. Only difference is they have the formula to beating theirs defiantly spitting "These demons they calling my soul/ I say f*** all of you h***".
It seems that when comes to making it out of the bottom Drake leads the team in songs like "Plastic Bag" and "30 for 30 freestyle". On the flipped Future leads for the majority of the album setting the scene and setting Drake up to take over the beat with comparatively faster slows like in "Jumpman" and "I'm the Plug".
Boastful is the tone of the whole album and the cover really predicts the glamorous lifestyle these two rap about. It dropped demanding all attention on it at once. The beasts are plastic in their aesthetic but beautifully panned out and cinematic. Drake and Future give the best from both of their comfort zones for this project.
And even greater than the actual album are the mass of memes that dropped right after the drop.
Check more of them out at The Faders website. http://www.thefader.com/2015/09/20/the-iwhat-a-tim...
