SUPER SLIMEY caught us all off-guard, but mainly because of how safe it felt. Two of Atlanta’s greatest innovators ever had been teasing material for damn near a year now; people werecalling the project great back in December, 2016 and the snippets we’ve received since then have ranged from freestyled little gems to awe-inspiring anthems. To some super fans, SUPER SLIMEY is a great teaser - but even then, it’s just that. It’s more off-the-cuff and playful than it is daring and experimental. It’s sequenced purposefully, gaining momentum as it builds towards two of Future and Thug’s best songs of the year (“4 Da Gang” and “Killed Before” respectively), but suffers from an identity crisis. The duo didn’t know whether to fully embrace their commercial aspirations or stay true to their experimental roots. Hopefully a follow up - if there ever is one - sees them fully embrace one side and push those theoretical boundaries to their limits.
Without Warning didn’t have as steep of a hill to climb. There’s one mega-star producer at the helm (shoutout to Metro Boomin by the way, he really is a legend in the making) and two of the most talked-about rappers of the year, 21 Savage and Offset. It’s exciting, menacing, a perfect gift for Halloween. And where SUPER SLIMEY saw two highly skilled MCs go toe-for-toe each chance they got, 21’s deadpan style rarely gets in the way of Offset’s more dexterous rhyming. This repeatedly places Set in a position to dunk on his friend, flexing his lyrical prowess. But there is balance there, a spark of newly uncovered charisma.
Ultimately though, both tapes are a bit uneven and a bit of a disappointment. Without Warning has less of an identity crisis - it’s a streamlined 10 songs that fully embraces the 21 Savage x Metro Boomin slasher-flick aesthetic, with a loose cannon, Offset, along for the ride - but neither project is anything more than a triumphant victory lap to cap off another year of Atlantan domination. There is no trendsetting going on, no new waves being created for 2018 - everyone is comfortably in their respective pocket.
We've seen comparisons of SUPER SLIMEY to Jay-Z and Kanye West’s 2011 mega-event, Watch The Throne-- which isn't all that crazy. Future and Thug do deserve to be regarded in the same breath as legends. Unfortunately, SUPER SLIMEY isn’t the project that’s going to convince non-believers of that fact. Therefore, it probably makes more sense to compare these ATL veterans to the new cats strong-arming the game.
So, without further ado, here is a track by track comparison of SUPER SLIMEY and Without Warning.
1. “No Cap” vs. “Ghostface Killers (ft. Travis Scott)”
Where SUPER SLIMEY takes a few tracks to really get started, the shorter, more concise Without Warning kicks off with some of its strongest cuts. This is a case of filler vs. highlight, and the winner is obviously “Ghostface Killers,” despite how well Super Future rode that Southside beat (Thug was clearly just getting into his bag as well, rapping, “hop out the coupe and titty fuck her, ya free Bobby Shmurda, motherfuck the Rikers,” towards the end of his short 16).
SS: 0
WW: 1
2. “Three” vs. “Rap Saved Me (ft. Quavo)"
“Three” is like a high-octane rap battle between Thug and Future - kinda like Wayne and 2 Chainz on “Bounce,” but way more reckless. Future literally seems to grab the mic from Thug mid-bar halfway through the song. Both rappers drop vicious, technically impressive verses with Thug taunting Conor McGregor and Future feeding shrimp to all his shooters. However, as we just mentioned, “Rap Saved Me” is a sure highlight of Without Warning and cleanly takes the win from what boils down to another off-hand Future & Thug pairing throwaway. As much as we enjoy hearing those two in their bag, we might enjoy hearing Quavo hum for 8 bars straight even more.
SS: 0
WW: 2
3. "All Da Smoke” vs. “Ric Flair Drip”
The best song on SUPER SLIMEY so far vs. the newest edition to the long list of “best rap songs of the year.” It’s shame we have to chose one, but the win has got to go to Offset for this showstopper of a solo track. The beat mixes a west-coast bounce with Metro’s trademark grit, the hook is one long quotable and Offset’s verses are a mindfuck - pardon our language. “It's the Boominati way,” sounds like a premonition, a promise of the takeover about the come.
SS: 0
WW: 3
4. “200” vs. “My Choppa Hate N****s”
SUPER SLIMEY could have taken its first W here. “200” is a beautiful pairing of Thug’s melodies, Future’s nonchalance and Wheezy’s mesmerizing beat. However, 21 x Metro come through with one of 21's best solo records of the year, a top tier showcase of 21's elusive mystique, grim point of view and, of course, A Nightmare on Elm Street-fetish. “My Choppa Hate N****s” is a cinematic battle cry, featuring one of the best beats on Without Warning and deadly 2nd verse from Savage.
SS: 0
WW: 4
5. “Cruise Ship” vs. “Nightmare”
The hardest match up so far. “Cruise Ship” is a twinkling, endlessly fun Young Thug joint, whereas “Nightmare” keeps building the set pieces for Offset’s gradually growing solo universe. “Nightmare” has the better beat and a great 2nd verse from Offset, but Thug has the better hook and an equally impressive singular verse. If we had to pick one, it would be “Cruise Ship” simply because Thug manages to tap into a something special about halfway through the track where everything just clicks (“She got some water on, she my Cancun ting (she my Cancun ting), I got some black diamonds, my wrist is on Bigen (my wrist is on Bigen)” - Google it).
SS: 1
WW: 4
6. “Patek Water (ft. Offset)” vs. “Mad Stalkers”
This should be an easy one. “Patek Water” - coincidentally featuring Offset (he’s been everywhere this year, hasn’t he?) - is a clear highlight of SUPER SLIMEY. DY, Rex Kudo and Southside snapped on the beat, Future snapped on the hook and Thug snapped on his first verse. But it’s all a build up for Offset to come in and RKO the track. So, maybe, in some way it’s still a win for the Without Warning crew - BUT, on paper, it’s another point to SUPER SLIMEY, tieing up the score.
SS: 2
WW: 4
7. “Feed Me Dope” vs. “Disrespectful”
This is a tough one. Both are relentless, almost evil bangers. However, even though “Feed Me Dope” sees Future rap soon-to-be iconic lines like, “skipping court, skip to my Lou,” 21 opens “Disrespectful” by kicking his best verse on Without Warning. And as icing on top, Offset slides in with bars about The Isley Brothers and Elvis. We gotta edge it to “Disrespectful.”
SS: 2
WW: 5
8. “Drip On Me” vs. “Run Up the Racks”
A subtle, Wheezy produced banger, “Drip On Me” is a grower. The hook isn’t too impressive but both Future and Thug deliver great verses. Thug was channeling classic Jeffery when he growls, “I’m whippin’ the Rover out, I got a plastic FN, a lil’ under four pounds.” “Run Up the Racks” on the other hand, plays like the by-the-numbers leftover from Metro x 21’s 2016 offering, Savage Mode.
SS: 3
WW: 5
9. “Real Love” vs. “Still Serving”
“Still Serving” will creep up on you, the more you listen. Offset delivers one of his best verses on the tape, although 21 doesn't shine as much. They still showcase chemistry, but does it pale in comparison to the melodic centerpiece of SUPER SLIMEY? We're leaning that way, as tough as it is. Basically, “Real Love” might be one of the best songs on its respective project. “Still Serving” isn't as much of an instant stand-out on Without Warning, but if you ask us this exact same question next week, we might change our minds.
SS: 4
WW: 5
10. “4 Da Gang” vs. “Darth Vader”
“4 Da Gang” is one of Future’ strongest offerings of 2017. It’s a grim and poignant tribute to his longtime engineer, Seth Firkins, who unfortunately passed away right before the release of SUPER SLIMEY. “Darth Vader” sees Offset back in the driver’s seat after a run of 21 Savage-helmed songs, and is a great way to close out a great project. As opposed to “4 Da Gang” and its gravitas, “Darth Vader” exudes a more triumphant aura, but it’s not enough to outweigh Future’s poignancy.
SS: 5
WW: 5
Final Score
SS: 5
WW: 5
THE WINNER: ...IT's A TIE....
Well - that was pretty anti-climactic, huh? Both albums have their fair share of highlights, yet both albums are somewhat disappointing in terms of showcasing genuine chemistry. At the end of the day, both groups put up a great fight and these two projects are definitely closer in quality than either fan base may be willing to admit.
Without Warning came out the gate swinging, as you can tell by the swift 4-0 lead it took. SUPER SLIMEY was all about the long-game. It's a slow-burn, winding up to explosive moments like "Patek Water" or "4 Da Gang." Since we weren't even able to get to three of the best tracks on SUPER SLIMEY (the Young Thug and London On Da Track’s ballad, “Killed Before,” the Mike WiLL Made It produced banger, “Mink Flow,” and the moving album closer, “Group Home,”), the Future x Thug project may look more consistent on paper. But, Without Warning could prove to the better front-to-back listen, especially with how well Metro's production ties the project together conceptually.
Now that we got all this out of the way, it’s time to spam Travis Scott & Quavo until those two teases finally drop AstroWorld.