The Future hook is a powerful thing. It can single-handedly make a hit song, it can resurrect a career, it can even show up three times on a fake Carter V tracklist with no one batting an eye. The Future hook can be triumphant, vulnerable, melodic, punchy, sometimes all at the same... ok you get the idea.
Future's presence on rap choruses has become an accepted standard. He's been called the new T-Pain (even by the old T-Pain), but outside of the auto-tune use/abuse, his appeal is much different. This can easily be traced by his roots, T-Pain being earth-born and Future, of course, hailing from Pluto.
All jokes aside, Future's unique lovelorn robot approach to vocals, and undeniable knack for songwriting has proved that he's far from a flash in the pan, and his partnership with Mike WiLL has resulted in a bonafide hit-making team.
With hundreds of songs available, it's hard to narrow Fewtch's catalogue to just 20 tracks. We've included a selection of his best and most defining tracks, including some of his biggest hits, some overlooked gems, and a few experiments (disclaimer: there's a Flo Rida song included in the list... come at me y'all).
Please feel free to share some of your favorite tracks in the comment section below, and perhaps we can all achieve astronaut status together.
Move That Dope (2014)
Future's ad-lib game is nearly as strong as his hook game. On "Move That Dope" he's able to compliment his simple and straight ahead refrain with slyly referential "push it" ad-lib's that fully realize the 80s futurism at play in Mike WiLL's monstrous instrumental.
Tony Montana (Feat. Drake) (2012)
Far from Future's BEST hook, "Tony Montana"'s importance mainly comes from its star-making role in the rapper's career. Fewtch's refrain is certainly not the first or most accurate attempt at Pacino's Scarface character from a rapper, but it does have a certain infectious-ness about it. While it was an introduction to the Pluto rapper for many, he quickly transcended what could have been a novelty hit for him.
No Matter What (2012)
A straight up ballad, "No Matter What" was one of Future's first stabs at R&B songwriting, and still stands as one of his best. Aside from his unmistakeable warble, the track plays like mid-tempo pop jam you might hear from someone like Rihanna (who he later on began writing for).
Flo Rida- Tell Me When You Ready (Feat. Future) (2013)
As far as Future's fame as a hook-writer has taken him, he's generally operated within the world of hip hop and R&B. This is one place where he took a crack at EDM, or more specifically, Trap-Rave. It somehow works magnificently, but while it seemed like it was impacting at the exact moment to be consumed by raving teenagers, just catching the final migrators from Brostep to Trap, it never really took off.
Meanwhile, Katy Perry and Juicy J's stylistically similar, but ultimately inferior "Dark Horse" skyrocketed only a few months later. At the end of the day, it's probably for the best, as we wouldn't want Fewtch to go full EDM on us, but for the record, he definitely out-wrote Max Martin on this one.
Straight Up (2012)
When Future is guesting on a track, it's easy to differentiate his refrain from the song's verses, but sometimes his solo cuts can feel like one 3 minute hook. "Straight Up' might be the best example of this, with Notty Beatz refusing to pair down his triumphant instrumental on the verses, and with every line playing into one overarching melody, kind of like a more complex "Love Sosa".
Lil Wayne- Love Me (Feat. Future & Drake) (2013)
Mike WiLL once described Future's contribution to "Love Me" as being as familiar to the ear as a lullaby, more specifically "Mockingbird" in which it shares some melodic similarities. The nostalgia present in that hook is enough to sell it as is, but luckily Drake, who's got some hook-writing talent of his own, was able to step in to finish off this gigantic chorus.
Chosen One (2013)
"Chosen One" is a more reserved vocal take, with Future focusing more on tone than power, almost mimicking the electric guitar noodling in the song's intro (they do call him Hendrix after all). He reaches just out of his range, never allowing a full voice crack (something he often does to great effect), but instead taking his voice to the brink of breaking its sweetness.
Gucci Mane- Fuck The World (Feat. Future) (2012)
Future and Gucci Mane have done some great work together, but "Fuck The World" definitely stands out. The collaborative relationship between Mike WiLL and Future is also evident here, in a particular moment that almost makes the song.
WiLL's formula of bringing in the underwater trap filter before dropping the beat is his not-so-secret weapon, but when it comes in here, the first two toned 808s link up melodiously with Future's "lately", which signifies an attention to detail that takes Future's hooks to the next level.
Pusha T- Pain (Feat. Future) (2013)
Future's contribution to Pusha T's "Pain" was an unexpected one, but it was certainly successful. The auto-tuned crooner compliments Kanye's piano line with a relatively contained vocal take, never belting out the hook, and subtly changing parts of the melody as the song progresses.
Karate Chop (Feat. Casino) (2013)
Future borrowed Lil Reese's stutter flow for the "Karate Chop" hook, but of course couldn't help but put his own bizarrely catchy spin on the delivery. While Reese used the flow as an abrasive barrage of phrases, Fewtch adds a broken melody to the staccato rhythm. Paired with Metro Boomin's seasick piano sampling, it makes for a woozy dealer's anthem that takes a couple listens to really ingrain itself.
YC- Racks (Feat. Future) (2011)
The first time we heard Future on the radio, and still the definitive example of how Future can gift pretty much anyone with a hook. The ironic part is that Fewtch didn't get nearly enough credit at the time. In fact, the video makes it seem like YC is doing the hook! Seeing that the rapper follows Future's hook rhythm for the entirety of his verse, paired with the fact that we never heard from him again, it's pretty safe to just think of this as a Future solo cut.
Fo Real (Feat. Drake) (2013)
"Fo Real" is one of Future's simpler hooks, but it's notable in the way it interacts with Mike WiLL ambitious production. The beatmaker pulls out all types of production tricks on this one, with fluttering trance-like synths in the songs second half, as well as some theremin sounds in its outro, all the while stripping things down to a bassline on the verses. Future's melodies float above it through its many forms, and allow the beat to shape them.
Same Damn Time (2012)
The new wave of artists from Atlanta generally bear two influences in common, lean-era Lil Wayne, and Gucci Mane. The structure of "Same Damn Time"'s hook is classically Guwop-ian, flipping one phrase in increasingly absurd ways to build something that is equally catchy, clever, and often hilarious. When its really done well, it can be applicable to anything (see: millions of unnecessary "Same Damn Time" jokes around the time of its popularity).
Neva End (2012)
The second best in the trilogy of Mike WiLL R&B songs from Pluto (after "Turn On The Lights" but above "Truth Gon' Hurt You"), "Neva End" proves Future's hook-writing ability is big enough to support a big voice like Kelly Rowland's. Still, the Askronaut's charm is the main appeal here.
Unconditional Love (2011)
The casual Future listen likely isn't familiar with "Unconditional Love". I'm not even sure it's a fan favorite. It is however, one of his most perfectly-crafted hooks, as well of one of his most conventional melodies, relying less on vocal tics or affectations than straight up great songwriting.
Rocko- UOENO (Feat. Rick Ross & Future) (2013)
"UOENO" became infamous for reasons far outside of Future's contribution, which is too bad, because the concept in itself is great. So good in fact, that our boy Future essentially repurposed it on the title track to his upcoming sophomore effort, Honest, and it still sounds pretty damn good.
This is yet another example of Future working off of Gucci Mane's hook framework, throwing around a phrase until it becomes so sticky, you can't help but repeat it incessantly in your everyday life.
You Deserve It (2012)
Future may have made the most triumphantly self-congratulatory song of all time with this one, speaking to himself in the third person as he exclaims "You Deserve It Fewtch!" like he's screaming it from a Plutonian mountain top.
The infectious melody will find listeners giving themselves AND Future a well-earned pat on the back. We all deserved this one.
Rihanna- Loveeeeee Song (Feat. Future) (2012)
"Loveeeee Song" is an example of Future's ability to write for others. He sent Rihanna the song as a reference track, and while she recorded her own versions of the verses, she decided to leave his hook intact, rather than re-record it. It's an indication that while his voice is far from conventional in terms of R&B standards, his songwriting is no less strong.
Ace Hood- Bugatti (feat. Rick Ross & Future) (2013)
According to the man himself, "Bugatti" was recorded in just one take. Given the freestyled nature of his writing/recording process, it makes you wonder if the hook was a truly spontaneous moment. When he rips into the first "I woke up in a new Bugatti" it certainly seems that way.
As furious as Ace Hood's spitting is on the track, the song is nothing without its chorus, and is once again a testament to the fact that Future and Mike WiLL bring out the best in one another.
Turn On The Lights (2012)
To this day, Future has cited "Turn On The Lights" as his favourite song, and it's difficult to see it as anything but his definitive track. His biggest hit to date and also his most unapologetically R&B, "lights" also served as a crowning moment for Mike WiLL, whose transformation from Gucci Mane's futurist trap producer to a full-fledged pop hit maker was complete with its release.
Future and WiLL are very much a songwriting team, constantly reworking the dynamics of songs as they write them. In a time where most rappers are recording songs in different studios from their producers, it says a lot about the duo's dedication to traditional songcraft.