Future and Young Thug - Super Slimey Album Review

Story posted October 27, 2017 in CommRadio, Arts & Entertainment by Sam McQuillan

No stranger to surprise releases, Future famously dropped his self-titled album last June and his follow-up HNDRXX just one week later without much tip-off. In similar fashion, the Epic records signee teamed up with fellow Atlanta rapper Young Thug to drop their surprise collaboration mixtape, Super Slimey.

The tape opens right away with classic A-Town trap production from Southside. Infusing heavy 808 drums with a wave of unrestrained high hats, the Atlanta-based producer sticks his notorious production tag in right before trap sirens introduce a beat that Future simply walks over. “No Cap” is very representative of how most collaboration tracks on the tape go. Despite their similar styles, shared birthplace, affinity for auto-tune, patek jewelry, foreign broads and double cups, Future and Young Thug lack the consistency to coalesce into a more culminate sound on Super Slimey. Consequentially, the two exist within their own domain on many of the tracks they share and songs featuring the pair often sound like a future song with Young Thug adding an excess verse or vice versa.  

Despite the similar circles they encompass, Future and Young Thug don’t have the friendliest history. In 2015 when producer Metro Boomin lauded Future’s prowess on his beats, Thug took offense and went to twitter to post what he would later call, “Internet Beef.” Nonetheless, it seems the two have settled their differences for now to release what was a very solid mixtape. It is important to note, however, that Metro was not involved in the tape’s production at all. Considering the producing phenom’s history with both rappers, it has raised some questions.

Much like Future and Drake’s What a Time to Be Alive, which dropped back in September of 2015, Super Slimey features both collaborations from the tape’s two main contributors, as well as their own solo tunes. The tape features two unaccompanied songs from both Future and Young Thug. Keeping in theme with ATL’s imprint on the mixtape, Offset of the Atlanta based rap trio Migos adds a verse on “Patek Water,” making him the tape’s sole feature.

Although Future and Young Thug don’t fully connect musically at times on Super Slimey, there are several quality songs like “200” and “Patek Water” where the two simply make it out. And Even though there are a good amount of tracks where they don’t click, both artists due a solid job operating on their own. Future showcases some more of his emotional side on songs like “Real Love” and “4 Da Gang” where he raps about losing one of his confidants and dealing with depression. “I look my demon in the face, I’m booted up the worst way/I can’t grieve, ‘cause ain’t none of my grandma bills late,” raps Future on “4 Da Gang.”

Young Thug also reveals some introspection on the tape with songs like “Cruise Ship” and “Real Love” as well.

Super Slimey is a syrup-filled dive into the perspective of two major artists at their peak right now. The out of nowhere manner in which the two dropped the tape is not to be discounted, despite the longer patience some tracks could have used. While a 13 track tape featuring many tracks that fall flat is rather anticlimactic, fans can rejoice in the fact that Future and Young Thug have finally squashed their beef. Perhaps their nearly identical styles and backgrounds are somewhat of a roadblock to finding the right mesh between the two. It is said that opposites attract. As it may be Future and Thug could be two similar and Super Slimey may serve to show both artists things that work well together to replicate for future collaborations and areas they should avoid or need work on.

Rating: 7/10

 

Sam McQuillan is a junior studying broadcast journalism. To email him, email samuelrmcquillan@gmail.com