Show Preview: Future

[BACK TO THE…] Earlier this year, Auto-Tune aficionado and new father Future released “Move That Dope,” the first single on his then-highly anticipated second studio album, Honest—and it was awesome. The guest-laden tracks find the Atlanta native kicking things off on a grimy, robotic beat by super producer Mike WiLL Made It, before a snarling Pusha T and a Gandalf-hat-rockin’ Pharrell promptly steal the show. “Move That Dope” definitely pushed the already substantial Future hype train further into motion, but when the album was released in April, Honest honestly didn’t hit as hard as promised. Maybe it was overshadowed by YG’s surprise hit a month earlier, or maybe it was because second single “I Won,” featuring Kanye West, makes you throw up in the mouth a little bit. The album does have its highlights—like the unexpected “Benz Friendz (Whatchutola),” a summer-ready, automobile-denouncing jam with a verse from the resurgent André 3000. Either way, a lackluster release didn’t seem to hurt Future’s popularity among mainstream hip-hop fans. Don’t be surprised to see him headline a much bigger Portland venue next time.