Since releasing his sophomore album, Honest, about a year ago, Future has been on a mixtape tear, sharing Monster last fall and the back-to-back heaters Beast Mode and 56 Nights this year. These merely cap off a half-decade in which the Freebandz president has dominated the ATL mixtape circuit, dropping off at least 12 tapes (if you count collaborative ones with Gucci Mane, DJ Esco, the rest of Freebandz, etc.) in that time.
With many of his mixtape tracks being strong enough to later appear on Pluto and Honest in remixed form, Future Hendrix clearly knows how to craft street anthems at the drop of a hat. He's arguably seen more free releases translated into radio hits than anyone else recently (look at what Monster's "Fuck Up Some Commas" is doing now), and has his fair share of fire deep cuts to boot.
Today, we mine the auto tune warbler's extensive free discography for the 30 finest cuts. The list is presented in chronological order from 2010's 1000 onward, and Future's joint tapes with other artists are eligible for the list. Let us know what you think we missed.
"Yeah Yeah" (feat. Rocko) (prod. by Mercy)
From 2010's 1000.
Later repurposed for Dirty Sprite with a pre-2 Chainz Tity Boi feature, "Yeah Yeah" rides an organ-led beat into glamorous paydirt. The opening line, "All-white bitch to match my all-white Louies/Millionaire frames hand-made; I'm just coolin'," is the first of many that paints Future as an arrogant, brand-conscious connoisseur-- but one that's lovable and unbelievably catchy. Rocko was on many of these early Future tracks, but the pair's output together has slowed in recent years.
Gucci Mane & Future - "Stevie Wonder" (prod. by Drumma Boy)
From 1000.
A joint track with GuWop that later showed up on the joint tape Free Bricks, this marked a big moment for Future in that he was knighted by Atlanta's most trustworthy A&R. If you're looking to break out in ATL, all roads go through Gucci, and Future got the co-sign pretty early on in his career.
"Racks" (feat. YC) (prod. by Sonny Digital)
From 2011's Dirty Sprite.
This was the breakout hit for both Future and YC (who was listed as the lead artist on the radio version), but look at where both dudes' careers went afterwards and it's pretty clear to see who deserved the most credit. Let's not forget Sonny Digital, who also broke out with this one, and has gone on to notch almost as many hits as Future in his tenure. Along with "Rack City," this track made 2011 the year of the word "Racks."
"Dirty Sprite" (prod. by Mike WiLL Made It)
From Dirty Sprite.
All detuned piano keys, mumbly vocals, tingling percussion and chilling synths, "Dirty Sprite" is the first of many Future tracks to revel in the pleasures of drugs while also exposing their dark side. The hook begins by listing off names of artists who've died from promethazine-related causes (Pimp C, DJ Screw) and ends with the line "My bitch remind me all the time 'That drink will kill you.'" As Future still sings about lean all the time, it's weird to hear him sing about its harmful effects so early on in his career. Hopefully he gets off the stuff soon.
"Splashin'" (feat. F.L.Y.) (prod. by Nard & B)
From Dirty Sprite.
Paving the way for Young Thug's more celebratory-sounding cuts like "Clap Your Hands" and "4 Eva Bloody," "Splashin'" merges older ATL horn sounds with trap bombast, with Nard & B crafting a style that's now pretty prevalent. It's a pity that the trio F.L.Y didn't see much success after this, because their verses are very entertaining.
"Magic" (prod. by KE On The Track)
From 2011's True Story.
One of a handful of already-popping street anthems that were remixed and given a high-profile guest verse for Future's debut album, Pluto, "Magic" first appeared in T.I.-less form on True Story. This track shows Future's ability to flip a simple phrase into a cultural phenomenon-- for a while there, you couldn't say "magic" in a crowded room without someone responding "voila."
"Tony Montana" (prod. by Will-A-Fool)
From True Story.
Later blessed with the ever-important Drake feature, "Tony Montana" is great mainly because it has Mr. Hendrix adopting Scarface's accent for its majority. People might criticize him for his simplistic hooks and seeming lack of lyrical heft, but name another hitmaker who's rhyming "banana boat" with "cantaloupe" and "maneuver" with "Jerusalem."
Gucci Mane & Future "Lamborghini" (prod. by Zaytoven)
From 2011's Free Bricks.
Before he woke up in a Bugatti, Future was swerving in a Lambo. The first of several bangers on Free Bricks, this one's bolstered by Zaytoven's screwed-up drums and some dope chemistry between Future and GuWop. For those of us who always wanted more Future/Zay collabs, Beast Mode was certainly a welcome surprise.
Gucci Mane & Future "Can't Turn Me Down" (prod. by Mike WiLL Made It)
This one's just plain fun. A music box-style melody and playfully ignorant Gucci verse kick this one off before Future comes through and rhymes "Actavis" with "athlete" in his verse. This one's not only one of Future's best tracks, but also one of GuWop's (which is saying a lot considering how much music he releases).
"Same Damn Time" (prod. by Sonny Digital)
From 2011's Streetz Calling.
Another hook that became almost immediately ingrained in popular culture, "Same Damn Time" found Future and Sonny Digital going two-for-two on the hits. Unlike "Racks" though, this one's all Hendrix, proving that auto-tune could be used for hard-edged street tracks as well as R&B. An essential ode to multitasking, "Same Damn Time" seems like it'll never fully go away, and thank god for that.
"Ball Forever" (prod. by Will-A-Fool)
From Streetz Calling.
Similar to "Splashin'," "Ball Forever" just sounds like a celebration of making it. Singing the praises of his "ice in the Mediterranean sea," "Michael Kors gold piece" and his "MPA money" (shouts to Peewee Longway), Future balls with no budget on this one.
"Birds In The Bath" (feat. Jeezy & Young Scooter) (prod. by Will-A-Fool)
From 2012's Astronaut Status.
Adding some street legitimacy to his repertoire by getting that Jeezy co-sign, Future turns out one of his hardest songs on "Birds In The Bath." Will-A-Fool does trap bombast just as well as any of his better-known contemporaries, outfitting this one with church bells and skittering hi-hats.
"Deeper Than The Ocean" (prod. by Will-A-Fool)
From Astronaut Status.
Released as a prelude to Pluto, Astronaut Status was important for Future for a number of reasons. In addition to being his best and most consistent tape at that time, it also contained the first examples of "sad Future," a flipside to the braggadocious drug dealer that's proven important to Future's career as its progressed. In a drug-induced depression, Future often comes up with his deepest tracks, and this is no exception. SHouts to the Spanish-style guitar too.
"Itchin'" (prod. by Mike WiLL Made It)
From Astronaut Status.
Both bonus tracks on Astronaut Status slay. The Mike WiLL-produced "Itchin'" is the first of these, and it finds Future using the term "woes" long before Drake got a hold of it.
"No Matter What" (prod. by KE On The Track)
From Astronaut Status.
The other bonus track, "No Matter What" unveiled yet another new fold of Future's sound, contrasting "sad Future" with "loverboy Future," which ended up accounting for a lot of Pluto & Honest.
"Fo Real" (feat. Drake) (prod. by Mike WiLL Made It)
From 2013's F.B.G: The Movie.
After taking some time off after Pluto, Future returned triumphant on F.B.G. "Fo Real" was the tape's most noteworthy song, thanks to a Drake verse, and Future and Mike WiLL step up their respective games accordingly.
"Karate Chop" (feat. Casino) (prod. by Metro Boomin)
From F.B.G: The Movie.
Enter Metro Boomin into Future's life. Teaming up for "Karate Chop" (which also saw Future debuting the stop-and-go flow that he'd later use on "Sh!t"), the duo proved to be a winning combination, later linking for a bunch of tracks on Monster. This one later got remixed with Lil Wayne added.
"Mark McGwire" (prod. by Mike WiLL Made It)
From F.B.G: The Movie.
Another one of Future's hardest-hitting street anthems, this one also makes great use of the metaphor of Mark McGwire for a "trap on steroids." Props are also due for Future's Jeezy impression in verse one.
"Hands On You" (prod. by DJ Spinz)
From 2013's Black Woodstock.
For the most part, this tape acts to showcase Freebandz's more unsung heroes, but this one is a definite Future highlight. Spinz gives him a lush beat for this romantic jam, and Hendrix just goes off in the booth about lusting after a girl.
"How Can I Not?" (feat. Young Scooter) (prod. by Metro Boomin)
From 2013's No Sleep.
No Sleep is another compilation helmed by DJ Esco, but this time, bangers abound. "How Can I Not?" is certainly one, with Metro bringing "Stoner"-style synths to an anthem about the difficulty of ignoring the trappings of fame. File this one alongside Future's other most tortured tracks.
"Maison Margiela" (prod. by Metro Boomin)
From No Sleep.
Many rappers have shouted out the brand Maison Margiela in their music, but how many have done so while wearing an all-red sweatsuit on a private jet? Just another reason why Future's one of the best in the game.
"Sh!t" (prod. by Mike WiLL Made It)
From No Sleep.
With a flow so infectious that even Taylor Swift had to jack it on her recent album, "Sh!t" was an anthem for the better part of 2014. Despite the relatively straightforward nature of the trap track, Mike WiLL doesn't skimp on the beat, adding his usual doses of subtle weirdness to set this one apart from its competition.
"Fuck Up Some Commas"(prod. by DJ Spinz & Southside)
From 2014's Monster.
Just now taking off as a radio single, "Fuck Up Some Commas" might prove to be Future's most successful song since "Move That Dope." Like "Magic" and "Same Damn Time" before it, "Commas" should inspire plenty of Instagram captions in the coming months.
"My Savages" (prod. by Will-A-Fool)
From Monster.
No hook better represents Future's conflicted feelings about fame and his street beginnings than "the one on "My Savages":
"My savages, my savages, my savages
I’m always dressing fresher than a mannequin
I grew up in a ruthless ass environment
I’m on the phone with yo, I ask him how the trial went"
"Hardly" (prod. by Southside)
From Monster.
The second half of this tape has some of the most depressing music of Future's career, and in the wake of his divorce from Ciara, it's easy to see why he went down a drug-induced rabbit hole. Despite the hardships apparent in his lyrics, the music remains amazing, if even more so because of the emotional range he's displaying.
"Codeine Crazy" (prod. by TM88)
From Monster.
If any Future track could be called "epic," it's this one. Lasting six minutes, "Codeine Crazy" has him recounting all of the things he's done while under the influence of lean in the past few months. Capped off by a verse that features some of the best falsetto he's ever used, Future's performance on this on is Grammy-worthy.
"Ooooh" (feat. Young Scooter) (prod. by Zaytoven)
From 2015's Beast Mode.
The first track on the fresh-as-fuck Beast Mode, "Ooooh" gives us hints at how piano-heavy and baroque Zaytoven's production will be on the whole tape. Scooter turns in one of his most charming verses on this one, and Future's just in the zone throughout.
"Just Like Bruddas" (prod. by Zaytoven)
From Beast Mode.
On a tape full of dope piano playing, "Just Like Bruddas" has the best, with Zay going full Elton John on this shit. Future's unhurriedly cast-off delivery is a revelatio too. We'd love to hear more stuff that sounds like this from this duo.
"Diamonds From Africa" (prod. by Southside)
From 2015's 56 Nights.
With some of the craziest, most haunting backing vocals in recent memory, Southside's production on this matches the global nature of Future's lyrics. As he does on most of the tape, Future pretty much just sings about being on tour and taking drugs, but he's probably better at that than anyone else in the game right now.
"Trap Niggas" (prod. by Southside)
From 56 Nights.
In keeping with the slightly foreign, subtly creepy vibe of this whole tape, the instrumental on "Trap Niggas" is muted and eerie. That's contrasted by a propulsive beat and Future's most hyperactive delivery on the project, making for a cool effect.