The list of artists who have benefited from Future’s Midas touch reads like a veritable who’s who of hip-hop: Megan Thee Stallion, Dreezy, Hit-Boy, Earthgang, NAV and Don Toliver are just some of the talents who have worked with the Atlanta rapper this year.
In January, Future teamed up with Gunna and Young Thug for the former’s single ‘Pushin P’, an anthem that delves into the triumvirate’s playground of sex, money and drugs. The track debuted at No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100, and waves of fans tapped into the trend by incorporating Apple’s blue “P” emoji into Instagram captions. (It lands at No. 17 on the list of most-consumed songs of 2022.) “Making history with my brothers is priceless,” says Future.
While the year offered Future multiple opportunities to work with past collaborators like Drake, DJ Khaled and Lil Baby, he also dipped his toes into the Latin market, rapping about luxury cars, sex and designer drip on ‘FCK U X2’ by Puerto Rican artist Rauw Alejandro and Jamaican Rvssian. Meanwhile, Fred Again and Swedish House Mafia pushed him into the electronic/dance realm with a mix of his early hit ‘Turn On the Lights’. Future’s alliances also extended to Wakanda, thanks to ‘Limoncello’, which appears on the ‘Wakanda Forever’ soundtrack.
“My goal is to create work that touches, motivates and inspires others,” says Future. “I want to work with as many people as possible who share that same goal.
He carried that philosophy into his Grammy-nominated ninth studio album, ‘I Never Liked You’. His guest list included Kanye West, Drake, EST Gee, Kodak Black and Lil Durk. The album debuted at number one, boosted by its singles ‘Worst Day’, ‘Keep It Burnin’, ‘Love You Better’ and ‘Wait For U’, which samples Tems’ ‘Higher’.
“Tem’s voice is magical,” says Future. “All I wanted was for her to feel the same emotions I felt when she heard my vocals. I knew if she loved it, then we had created something really special.
Seven months later, ‘Wait For U’ continues to chart, further demonstrating Future’s ability to run the gamut from toxic to tender, a duality he also displays on ‘Beautiful’, his collaboration with SZA and DJ Khaled. The intricate love song was one of two contributions he made to Khaled’s ‘God Did’ project (his and Lil Baby’s ‘Big Time’ being the other), and Future showcases both his romantic side and melodic mastery on the track.
