Future’s latest mixtape, Project E.T. Esco Terrestrial, touched down Friday bringing with it trap bangers, baby mama drama, a star-studded lineup, and of course, lots of sauce.
Released via Livemixtapes.com, the project features artists like Drake, 2 Chainz, Juicy J, Rae Sremmurd, Young Thug, and Rich Homie Quan. XXL magazine “Freshman” standout Lil Uzi Vert is also here. Producers Metro Boomin, Zaytoven, and DJ Mustard lend their magic touches to the turn-up session’s 16 songs.
This is Future’s fifth solo release in just one year. He released the now-platinum DS2 in July, which was followed by his mixtape with Drake What a Time to be Alive two months later. He gave us Purple Reign in January and another album, EVOL, in February. His fans may need to free up some storage for E.T.
But as a Future fan who’s been in since 2012’s Pluto, I didn’t have an instant love story with this mixtape. I’ve always been drawn to the 32-year-old rapper (born Nayvadius DeMun Wilburn) and his southern swag and raspy lyrics. For him Auto-Tune is a warping, evolving sand box and he’s a unique, massively influential voice in a saturated genre. In light of all the work he put out in just the past 11 months, this project reeks of redundant beats and lyrics that can’t make up for the flat production. There are only five songs that will get popular and only three I’ve actually wanted to play back.
“Check On Me,” produced by DJ Esco, bumps with authentic gangster menace. Future uses melodic lyrics and high hats to brag about his finances while also shedding light on his ongoing legal battles with ex Ciara and rapper Rocko: Ciara sued him for $15 million in February over defamation after he publicly insulted her parenting skills. She also requested sole custody of their 2-year-old. The rapper is facing a $10 million lawsuit from Rocko over unpaid royalty commissions.
Future goes deeper into the drama on “Juice.” It samples the OJ Simpson verdict, and here he gets explicit:
Tryna fuck my baby mama—dog what’s up with you?
You gon’ make me get that heat—I’m pulling up on you
“Right Now” is the dirty, sexual track that would make your grandmother’s ears fall off. It’s like Future sat in the studio and brainstormed every nasty curse he’s ever thought of and put it on paper. (“Got a lot of jewelry, tryna smash you right now,” goes the hook.)
Drake makes an appearance on “100it Racks,” along with 2 Chainz. In a we’re-the-coolest-kids verse, the 6 God fuses his two favorite things, women and basketball, to describe his unattainable lifestyle. All while in the lowest monotone known to man, Future uses a swaggy triplet chorus to brag on, you guessed it, how much money he has.
“Party Pack,” featuring rap duo Rae Sremmurd, is about their version of the ultimate turn up. Complete with Xanax, molly, marijuana, and Promethazine, their party is for “tweakers” only. An upbeat, reverb-laden piano describes a night not to remember. But it’s also one you’ll be lucky to make it out alive of—Future’s party anthems tend to skew more sullen and harrowing.
Future’s music facilitates the dance floor and maybe your power hour in the gym. This project in particular finds an artist who ran with the success from his first platinum album last summer and is burning himself out by constantly putting out major projects every few months. But don’t say that around his fans, who’ve devoured every batch of songs and touted them across social media with unity. Either way, Future Hendrix is the hardest-working man in music—and he’s showing no signs of of slowing down.
