What a Time to Be Alive is a collaborative commercial mixtape by Canadian rapper Drake and American rapper Future. It was released on September 20, 2015, by Young Money Entertainment, Cash Money Records, Republic Records, Epic Records, A1 Records and Freebandz. What a Time to Be Alive was supported by Drake and Future's previous collaboration on the single 'Where Ya At'. As friends, they originally planned to record a mixtape together earlier in the year; the project never fully materialized. However, during recording sessions for 'Where Ya At', the duo began working on the project, beginning in July. The mixtape was extensively produced by Metro Boomin, as well as also being produced by Southside, Boi-1da and 40, among others.^[2] It was released on the iTunes Store and Apple Music, and debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200.^[3]

Listen to Drake & Future Radio, free! Stream songs by Drake & Future & similar artists plus get the latest info on Drake & Future! As well as a 2015 mixtape, topped the album charts in his native Canada and in the U.S. Though he caroused with his most hedonistic con. Chat About Drake & Future. Hear all your favorite. Stream and download new Drake song called 'Grammys' featuring Future off his 'Views' album. The tracklist of 'Views' by Drake: 1. Keep The Family Close 2.

• 6Charts

Release, packaging and promotion[edit]

The mixtape was first teased by a range of sources; including DJ Skee, Angela Yee and Ernest Baker, and this project was officially announced on Drake's Instagram on September 19, 2015, when he revealed the mixtape's release date and cover art.^[4][5][6]

The artwork is a stock image that was purchased from Shutterstock.^[7]

Drake and Future premiered the album on Beats 1 on OVO Sound's 'OVO Sound Radio' show on September 20, 2015, and weeks after it was released on the iTunes Store and Apple Music.^[8][9]

The Summer Sixteen Tour by Drake was made to support this mixtape.^[10]

Critical reception[edit]

What a Time to Be Alive received generally positive reviews from music critics. The album received a normalized metascore of 70 out of 100 on the review aggregate website Metacritic based on 24 critics.^[11]Billboard described Drake and Future's chemistry as expected and said 'Future deals with personal demons that he tries, and fails, to drown in drugs; Drake is mostly about insecurities and lesser gravity'.^[13]Rolling Stone gave the album 3.5 out of 5 stars, attributing the 'fresh and spontaneous' feel to the quick production of the album, where 'both artists [are] playing off their louder-than-life personalities without overthinking the details.'^[19] However, Sheldon Pearce in a Pitchfork review suggests that this limited time-frame for making the album is the sonic downfall of the mixtape arguing that the album 'wasn't created with the care or the dutiful curation we've come to expect from both artists when solo.'^[17]

In a mixed review, Sheldon Pearce of Pitchfork criticizes the 'decided lack of chemistry between these two,' because 'they have difficulty sharing the same space' when on the same song.^[17] Pearce goes on to highlight how Future's presence, both in content and persona, is much more prevalent than Drake's, where the latter appears to be a 'bystander' and 'out of his element.'^[17] Yet, he highlights moments where the collaboration works most effectively. In 'Scholarships', Drake 'throws Future the perfect alley-oop,' 'Jumpman' is a banger, and 'Diamonds Dancing' is the first track between the two artists that 'clicks on all cylinders.'^[17] Additionally, Pearce lauds the production by Metro Boomin as 'glimmering' and hails both rappers when they are able to work on their own and make music in their respective comfort zones in songs like Future's 'Jersey' and Drake's '30 for 30 Freestyle'.^[17]

Complex said about Drake verses; 'despite a corny bar here or there, Drake sounds way more energized with much better flows.'^[22]Entertainment Weekly was disappointed with Drake on the album, quoting 'despite a beat by Drake whisperer Noah '40' Shebib, the album-closing '30 For 30 Freestyle' doesn't come near clearing the admittedly high bar Drake has set for himself in 2015.'^[14]

Commercial performance[edit]

What a Time to Be Alive debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200, with 375,000 album-equivalent units; it sold 334,000 copies in its first week, with the remainder of its unit count representing the album's streaming activity and track sales during the tracking week.^[3] It became both Drake and Future's second albums to chart at number one on the Billboard 200 in 2015 (If You're Reading This It's Too Late and DS2, respectively).^[3] In its second week it sold 65,000 copies.^[23] As of January 27, 2016, What a Time to Be Alive has sold 519,000 copies in the United States.^[24] On March 15, 2016, the album was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), for combined sales and album-equivalent units of over a million units.^[25]

Track listing[edit]

Credits adapted from the album's liner notes and Tidal.^[26][27]

Notes

• '30 for 30 Freestyle' features background vocals by Kyle Machado

Personnel[edit]

Credits adapted from album's liner notes and Tidal.^[26][27]

Musicians

• Maneesh – piano, keyboards (tracks 3, 6)

Technical

• Eric Manco – recording (tracks 1–5, 7–9)
• Seth Firkins – recording (track 6)
• James Kang – recording (track 10)
• Miguel Scott – recording assistance (tracks 1–9, 11)
• Noel 'Gadget' Campbell – mixing (tracks 1–9, 11)
• Noah '40' Shebib – mixing (tracks 1–9, 11)
• Metro Boomin – mixing (track 10)
• Les Bateman – mixing assistance (tracks 1–9, 11)
• Greg Moffett – mixing assistance (tracks 1–9, 11)
• Harley Arsenault – mixing assistance (tracks 1–9, 11)
• Noel Cadastre – engineering (tracks 1–9, 11)
• Chris Athens – mastering (all tracks)
• Dave Huffman – mastering assistance (all tracks)

Charts[edit]

Certifications[edit]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

1. ^Ex, Kris (21 September 2015). 'Drake & Future's 'What A Time To Be Alive' Mixtape Is a Perfectly Timed Victory Lap: Album Review'. Billboard. Retrieved 1 July 2016.
2. ^'Metro Boomin Explains How 'What A Time To Be Alive' Came Together'. Complex.
3. ^ ^abc'Drake and Future's Surprise Album Debuts at No. 1 on Billboard 200 Chart'. Billboard.
4. ^HipHopDX (September 19, 2015). 'Drake Confirms 'What A Time To Be Alive' Project With Future & Sets Release Date'. HipHopDX.
5. ^'DJ Skee on Twitter'. Twitter.
6. ^'ernest baker on Twitter'. Twitter.
7. ^Karizza Sanchez. 'Drake And Future Used A Stock Image For Their 'It Never Happened' Album Cover'. Complex UK.
8. ^Brodsky, Rachel (September 20, 2015). 'Download Drake and Future's 'What a Time to Be Alive' Right Now'. Spin. Retrieved September 20, 2015.
9. ^'What a Time To Be Alive'. iTunes. September 20, 2015. Retrieved September 20, 2015.
10. ^'Drake and Future Announce Summer Sixteen Tour - Pitchfork'. pitchfork.com.
11. ^ ^ab'What a Time to Be Alive [Mixtape] by Drake & Future Reviews and Tracks'. Metacritic. Retrieved September 25, 2015.
12. ^Jeffries, David. 'What a Time to Be Alive – Drake / Future'. AllMusic. Retrieved September 25, 2015.
13. ^ ^abEx, Kris (September 21, 2015). 'Drake & Future's 'What a Time to Be Alive' Mixtape is a Perfectly Timed Victory Lap: Album Review'. Billboard. Retrieved September 24, 2015.
14. ^ ^abAnderson, Kyle (September 22, 2015). 'What a Time To Be Alive by Drake & Future: EW review'. Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved September 24, 2015.
15. ^Bassett, Jordan (September 22, 2015). 'Drake and Future – 'What A Time To Be Alive''. NME. Archived from the original on September 23, 2015. Retrieved December 18, 2016.
16. ^Thompson, Ben (October 11, 2015). 'Drake and Future: What a Time to Be Alive review – a dynamic pairing'. The Observer. Retrieved December 18, 2016.
17. ^ ^abcdefPearce, Sheldon (September 23, 2015). 'Drake / Future: What a Time to Be Alive'. Pitchfork. Retrieved September 24, 2015.
18. ^Yates, Steve (December 2015). 'Mix and Match'. Q (353): 107.
19. ^ ^abSheffield, Rob (September 24, 2015). 'What a Time to Be Alive'. Rolling Stone. Retrieved September 24, 2015.
20. ^Ramirez, Matthew (September 22, 2015). 'Review: Drake and Future Define 2015 Rap for Better and Worse on 'What a Time to Be Alive''. Spin. Retrieved September 24, 2015.
21. ^Rys, Dan (September 22, 2015). 'Drake and Future Shine Bright on 'What A Time To Be Alive''. XXL. Retrieved October 3, 2015.
22. ^Frazier Tharpe. 'Drake and Future 'What a Time to Be Alive' Review - Complex'. Complex.
23. ^Kyles, Yohance (October 5, 2015). 'Drake & Future's 'WATTBA' Suffers One Of The Worst Sales Drops In Hip Hop History'. AllHipHop. Retrieved November 4, 2015.
24. ^Smith, Trevor (January 27, 2016). 'Charts Don't Lie: January 27'. hotnewhiphop. Retrieved April 5, 2016.
25. ^[1]
26. ^ ^abWhat a Time to Be Alive (CD liner notes). Drake and Future. Epic Records, A1, Young Money Entertainment, Cash Money Records, Republic Records. 2015. 97347-4.CS1 maint: others (link)
27. ^ ^ab'What A Time To Be Alive / Drake'. Tidal. Retrieved July 23, 2018.
28. ^'Australiancharts.com – Drake & Future – What a Time to Be Alive'. Hung Medien. Retrieved September 29, 2015.
29. ^'Ultratop.be – Drake & Future – What a Time to Be Alive' (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved September 25, 2015.
30. ^'Ultratop.be – Drake & Future – What a Time to Be Alive' (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved September 25, 2015.
31. ^'Drake Chart History (Canadian Albums)'. Billboard. Retrieved September 29, 2015.
32. ^'Danishcharts.dk – Drake & Future – What a Time to Be Alive'. Hung Medien. Retrieved October 8, 2015.
33. ^'Dutchcharts.nl – Drake & Future – What a Time to Be Alive' (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved September 26, 2015.
34. ^'Lescharts.com – Drake & Future – What a Time to Be Alive'. Hung Medien. Retrieved October 1, 2015.
35. ^'GFK Chart-Track Albums: Week 39, 2015'. Chart-Track. IRMA. Retrieved September 25, 2015.
36. ^'Charts.org.nz – Drake & Future – What a Time to Be Alive'. Hung Medien. Retrieved September 29, 2015.
37. ^'VG-lista - Drake / What A Time To Be Alive'. Retrieved 1 July 2016.
38. ^'Spanishcharts.com – Drake & Future – What a Time to Be Alive'. Hung Medien. Retrieved October 5, 2015.
39. ^'Swedishcharts.com – Drake & Future – What a Time to Be Alive'. Hung Medien. Retrieved October 10, 2015.
40. ^'Official Albums Chart Top 100'. Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 26, 2015.
41. ^'Official R&B Albums Chart Top 40'. Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 29, 2015.
42. ^'Drake Chart History (Billboard 200)'. Billboard. Retrieved September 29, 2015.
43. ^'Drake Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)'. Billboard. Retrieved September 29, 2015.
44. ^'Billboard Top Canadian Albums – Year-end Chart'. Retrieved December 9, 2015.
45. ^'Billboard 200 – Year-end Chart'. Billboard. Retrieved December 9, 2015.
46. ^'Billboard Digital Albums- Year-end Chart'. Billboard. Retrieved December 9, 2015.
47. ^'Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums- Year-end Chart'. Billboard. Retrieved December 9, 2015.
48. ^'Billboard Rap Albums- Year-end Chart'. Billboard. Retrieved December 9, 2015.
49. ^'Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2016'. Billboard. Retrieved December 9, 2016.
50. ^'Canadian album certifications – Drake & Future – What a Time to Be Alive'. Music Canada.
51. ^'Danish album certifications – Drake & Future – What a Time to Be Alive'. IFPI Denmark. Scroll through the page-list below until year 2018 to obtain certification.
52. ^'British album certifications – Drake & Future – What a Time to Be Alive'. British Phonographic Industry.Select albums in the Format field.Select Silver in the Certification field.Type What a Time to Be Alive in the 'Search BPI Awards' field and then press Enter.
53. ^'American album certifications – Drake & Future – What a Time to Be Alive'. Recording Industry Association of America.If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH.

Future (stylized on digital releases as FUTURE) is the eponymous fifth studio album by American rapper Future. It was released on February 17, 2017, by A1 Recordings, Freebandz and Epic Records.^[1][2] The album features production by Metro Boomin, Zaytoven, DJ Khaled, The Beat Bully, Southside, alongside production from other members of 808 Mafia such as DY, Fuse, Tarentino and Tre Pounds. The album was supported by three singles: 'Draco', 'Mask Off' and 'Extra Luv'.

• 7Charts

Background[edit]

The eponymously titled album was announced through social media on February 14, 2017. Future then followed up by posting on social media moments after.^[3]

Singles[edit]

'Draco' was released as the first single from the album on February 21, 2017.^[4] The song debuted and peaked at number 46 on the Billboard Hot 100.^[5]

'Mask Off' was released as the second single on April 18, 2017.^[6] The song peaked at number five on the Billboard Hot 100.^[5]

'Extra Luv' was released as the third single on June 30, 2017 after being included as a streaming bonus track on the deluxe edition of the album. The single features a guest appearance from rapper YG.

The song 'Used to This' featuring Drake, which was previously released as a single on November 4, 2016, was also included on the deluxe edition.

Critical reception[edit]

Future received positive reviews from critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 67, based on 15 reviews.^[8] Riley Wallace of Exclaim! wrote, 'With exciting production that features his usual cast of ATL tastemakers who are (in some cases) paired with surprising co-producers like Jake One and !llmind, Future has crafted an opus full of bangers. So, while he doesn't break much new creative ground, there's a lot to love about Future.'^[11] Jordan Sargent of Spin dubbed it 'a clear return to form'.^[19] Colin Groundwater for Pretty Much Amazing stated that 'Future is too persistent. In striving for consistency, he sacrifices discretion and intention. One wishes he would take a break—God knows he's earned it. Some time might allow for a stronger sense of intention.'^[20]

Writing for The Observer, Alex Macpherson concluded, '...[and] as a body of work, this album is neither an elevation over nor an advancement of his stream of recent material. At this point, merely shoring up his personal brand with scattered highlights means that Future is stuck in a holding pattern.'^[13] Chase McMullen, an author for The 405, said, 'In a genre that's hard on longevity, and an era with an even shorter attention span, Future has refused to lose, time and again. He certainly doesn't end here. Yet, after a year of baited breathing, we seem to have arrived at an in-between. There's still plenty of fun to be had in the waiting room, but let's hope he has more in store for the next appointment.'^[21] Sheldon Pearce of Pitchfork, noted the album for being '...an ambitious Future exhibition' with 'a pretty interesting array of textures, sonically.'^[14]

Commercial performance[edit]

Future debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 with 140,000 album-equivalent units, of which 60,000 were pure album sales.^[22] It is Future's fourth number-one album following DS2, What a Time to Be Alive with Drake, and Evol.^[22] As of September 27, 2017, the album has moved 902,000 album-equivalent units.^[23] On July 14, 2017, the album was certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for combined sales album-equivalent units of over a million units in the United States.

Track listing[edit]

Credits adapted from The Fader^[24] and Tidal.^[25]

Notes

• ^{^[a]} signifies a co-producer
• ^{^[b]} signifies an additional producer

Sample credits

• 'Mask Off' contains samples of the song 'Prison Song' by Tommy Butler.
• 'Might As Well' contains sampled elements of the song 'Owl', written by Edwin Butler, William Butler, Régine Chassagne, Jeremy Gara, Tim Kingsbury, Richard Parry and Owen Pallett, and performed by Arcade Fire.

Personnel[edit]

Credits adapted from The Fader^[24] and Tidal.^[25]

Technical

Download Drake And Future Album Cover

• Joshua Sellers – recording (tracks 1, 2)
• Noah Shebib – recording (track 18)
• Noel Cadastre – recording (track 18)
• Eric Manco – mixing (tracks 1–12, 14–16, 17, 19), recording (tracks 5, 13–15)
• DJ Esco – mixing (tracks 1–12, 14–17, 19)
• Seth Firkins – mixing (tracks 1–19), recording (tracks 2–4, 6–12, 15–18, 19)
• Jaycen Joshua – mixing (track 20)
• Mike Symphony – mixing assistance (tracks 1–12, 14–17, 19)
• Phillip 'Big Dockz' Cromwell – mixing assistance (tracks 1–12, 14–17, 19)
• David Nakaji – mixing assistance (track 20)
• Ivan Jimenez – mixing assistance (track 20)
• Glenn Schick – mastering (all tracks)

Charts[edit]

Certifications[edit]

Download Drake And Future Album Release

Release history[edit]

References[edit]

1. ^ ^abc'Future by Future'. iTunes Store. Apple. February 14, 2017. Retrieved February 14, 2017.
2. ^'Future New Self-Titled Album Is Dropping This Week'. XXL. February 14, 2017. Retrieved February 14, 2017.
3. ^'Future Dropping New Album Ahead Of Tour With Migos & Kodak Black'. HipHopDX. February 14, 2017. Retrieved February 14, 2017.
4. ^'future add dates'. FMQB. Archived from the original on February 24, 2017.
5. ^ ^ab'Future – Chart history'. Billboard. Retrieved May 2, 2017.
6. ^'Top 40/Future Releases'. All Access. Archived from the original on April 17, 2017. Retrieved April 17, 2017.
7. ^'Future by Future reviews'. AnyDecentMusic?. Retrieved March 7, 2017.
8. ^ ^ab'Reviews for FUTURE by Future'. Metacritic. Retrieved February 21, 2017.
9. ^Yeung, Neil Z. 'Future – Future'. AllMusic. Retrieved March 7, 2017.
10. ^Weiss, Dan (February 22, 2017). 'Future – Future'. Consequence of Sound. Retrieved March 3, 2017.
11. ^ ^abWallace, Riley (February 21, 2017). 'Future: FUTURE'. Exclaim!. Retrieved February 21, 2017.
12. ^Lamarre, Carl (February 24, 2017). 'Future Self-Titled Album Review'. HipHopDX. Retrieved March 7, 2017.
13. ^ ^abMacpherson, Alex (February 19, 2017). 'Future: Future review – too much filler, not enough killer'. The Observer. Retrieved February 21, 2017.
14. ^ ^abPearce, Sheldon (February 23, 2017). 'Future: FUTURE'. Pitchfork. Retrieved February 23, 2017.
15. ^Mason, Matt (May 2017). 'Future: Future / HNDRXX'. Q (371): 104.
16. ^Reeves, Mosi (February 22, 2017). 'Review: Future's 'Future''. Rolling Stone. Retrieved March 3, 2017.
17. ^Bromfield, Daniel (February 26, 2017). 'Future: HNDRXX'. Spectrum Culture. Retrieved June 14, 2018.
18. ^Glaysher, Scott (February 23, 2017). 'Future Takes the Trap to New Heights on Self-Titled Album'. XXL. Retrieved March 7, 2017.
19. ^Sargent, Jordan (February 22, 2017). 'Review: Future Suddenly Comes Alive On Surprise Album FUTURE'. Spin. Retrieved March 7, 2017.
20. ^Groundwater, Colin (February 21, 2017). 'Review: Future, FUTURE'. Pretty Much Amazing. Retrieved February 21, 2017.
21. ^Chase McMullen (February 21, 2017). 'Future FUTURE Album Review'. Retrieved February 21, 2017.
22. ^ ^abCaulfield, Keith (February 26, 2017). 'Future Earns Fourth No. 1 Album on Billboard 200 Chart'. Billboard. Retrieved February 27, 2017.
23. ^'Rumor Mill – TOP 50 STREAMED SONGS, SPS ALBUMS THIS YEAR'. Hits Daily Double. September 27, 2017. Retrieved September 28, 2017.
24. ^ ^ab'Here are the Full Album Credits for Future's Self-Titled Album'. The Fader. Retrieved February 18, 2017.
25. ^ ^ab'FUTURE / Future'. Tidal. Retrieved April 28, 2018.
26. ^'FUTURE'. iTunes. Retrieved June 30, 2017.
27. ^'Australiancharts.com – Future – Future'. Hung Medien. Retrieved February 25, 2017.
28. ^'ARIA Australian Top 40 Urban Albums'. Australian Recording Industry Association. February 25, 2017. Retrieved February 25, 2017.
29. ^'Ultratop.be – Future – Future' (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved February 25, 2017.
30. ^'Ultratop.be – Future – Future' (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved February 25, 2017.
31. ^'On The Charts...This Week'. FYIMusicNews. Retrieved February 28, 2017.
32. ^'Danishcharts.dk – Future – Future'. Hung Medien. Retrieved April 19, 2017.
33. ^'Dutchcharts.nl – Future – Future' (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved February 25, 2017.
34. ^'Future: Future' (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved March 19, 2017.
35. ^'Le Top de la semaine : Top Albums - SNEP (Week 8, 2017)' (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Retrieved February 28, 2017.
36. ^'Offiziellecharts.de – Future – Future' (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved February 24, 2017.
37. ^'Charts.org.nz – Future – Future'. Hung Medien. Retrieved February 24, 2017.
38. ^'Norwegiancharts.com – Future – Future'. Hung Medien. Retrieved February 25, 2017.
39. ^'Swedishcharts.com – Future – Future'. Hung Medien. Retrieved February 25, 2017.
40. ^'Swisscharts.com – Future – Future'. Hung Medien. Retrieved March 1, 2017.
41. ^'Official Albums Chart Top 100'. Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 25, 2017.
42. ^'Future Earns Fourth No. 1 Album on Billboard 200 Chart'. Billboard. Retrieved February 27, 2017.
43. ^'Top Canadian Albums – Year-End 2017'. Billboard. Retrieved December 15, 2017.
44. ^'Album Top-100 2017'. Hitlisten. Retrieved January 11, 2018.
45. ^'Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2017'. Billboard. Retrieved December 12, 2017.
46. ^'Future 'Future''. IFPI Denmark. Retrieved January 23, 2018.
47. ^'American album certifications – Future – Future'. Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved August 1, 2017.If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH.