As a fan of Travis Scott, Migos and other trap artists, I have never been a big fan of Future. With the release of the collaborative album “WE DON’T TRUST YOU” between rapper Future and producer Metro Boomin, putting my bias aside allowed for a smooth and enjoyable listening experience.
The album features a full tracklist of Metro Boomin-produced songs with Future as the main vocalist. There are five different features including The Weeknd, Travis Scott, Playboi Carti, Kendrick Lamar and Rick Ross.
My favorite track was “Like That” which features Kendrick Lamar. The beat is my favorite of the album because of the upbeat tempo, use of bass and the high-pitched, warped trumpet sound from a Rodney O and Joe Cooly sample titled “Everlasting Bass.”
“Like That” starts out with a verse from Future featuring an interesting whistling noise between lines. I enjoyed Future’s verse, but it began to get a little repetitive, repeating “If you like that” multiple times at the end of the chorus.
Kendrick’s verse shimmers with confidence, as he disses hip-hop heavyweights J. Cole and Drake. Kendrick calls the duo out specifically in one bar, citing J. Cole and Drake’s recent song entitled “First Person Shooter.”
“F– sneak dissing, first-person shooter / I hope they came with three switches,” Lamar rapped. “I crash out like, ‘F– rap’ diss Melle Mel if I had to.”
The latter half of the lyric went over my head initially, but after learning the reference, it is my favorite line on the album. Lamar is saying he will diss Melle Mel – a popular rap artist between 1983 and 2016 – to prove he is the best. Melle Mel is often considered a pioneer in the rap scene.
Another track that shined was “Young Metro” which featured The Weeknd. I was especially a fan of the violin in the beat and Future’s wordplay, especially the use of “Evel Knievel”. Even though The Weeknd’s feature was limited to a few words, he delivered on the track with background vocals.
My least favorite track of the album was “Fried (She a Vibe)” because the beat drags and repeats the same bell noise throughout the entirety of the song. Future also mumbles on the track and is overly repetitive.
Future repeated “yeah, I’m fried” 12 times and “I’m f– up ‘bout lil’ shorty, she a vibe” nine times.
The negative aspects of “Fried (She a Vibe)” also apply to a few other songs on the album that don’t feel complete. This coincides with why I am not the biggest Future fan; he lacks the lyricism and versatility to be the only artist on a song.
Songs like “Claustrophobic,” “Slimed In” and “GTA” share the same flow and have basic, boring beats. Songs such as “Like That,” “Young Metro” and “Ice Attack” helped the project, leading to my rating of a six out of 10.
