Future and his unabashed use of the Auto-Tune vocal plug-in, along with a penchant for catchy hooks, has made the Dungeon Family affiliate a mixtape and radio fixture ever since his unavoidable breakout smash “Tony Montana” – with a little assistance from Canadian mainstay Drake. Grinding hard since 2010 and especially so in 2011, this year finds the 26-year-old Nayvadius Cash doing his best to stand out among the crowded Down South rap pack.
In a brief break in his heavy studio recording and touring schedule, the Atlanta rapper chopped it up with Hip-Hop Wired and broke down the mechanics behind his hustle, chatted up his songwriting duties and showed humility given his steady string of successes.
“I just focus on my craft every day, respecting my craft and knowing where I wanna go, and knowing that it’s already dudes who was doing what I was doing on a professional level,” said a mellow Future of his heavy mixtape presence. “Your work ethic gotta be amazing because people that’s already doing it, they in the studio and they already in the forefront, so it’s [like] trying to find a way to get in the game and find a way to be heard. Every moment you gotta be dedicated to the grind and being creative…being original.”
Future’s mixtape mentality applies to his major label work as well, and he essentially intends to give away high quality work for both the freebies and for sale. “You drop quality for the streets. You drop album quality songs and then put them on the mixtapes,” explained Future. “You just have to keep the quantity of it coming so you’ll never run out. It’s like, that’s my method. I just try to keep the music coming.”
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Photo: Future
Speaking of upcoming music, the “Straight Up” rapper is gearing audiences for his latest album-quality mixtape Super Future, dropping next month ahead of a proper follow up to his debut album, Pluto. Future’s intention with Super Future is to give fans an inside look to his creative process. Calling it “raw footage,” the mixtape is intended to be muddied and unfiltered work.
After penning the YC’s smash hit “Racks” and writing hooks for Kanye West, Pusha T, Ludacris and others, Future likes the idea of being an artist but he admitted that some times he’d rather be back in the shadows. “Some days I just feel like I wanna be in the background and just write, then on other days you wanna be the spokesperson for your music,” said Future.
Future Hendrix is the title of his sophomore effort coming in 2013 and he explained briefly what the reason was for the title. “It’s more like me just being different. I feel like on this album, I’m gonna be my most different,” said Future. “[I will] be more melodic throughout the whole album, more passion.”
Future’s cousin, Dungeon Family producer Rico Wade, has been behind the rising star’s career from the onset, and simply advised his family member to “never change up, keep doing what you’re doing.”
It appears the advice is certainly paying off for Future.
