Rating – 5.5/10

In what may be the most random collaborative rap album ever, the demographically randomized pair of the 34-year-old trap music influencer Future and the 19-year-old Post
Malone side-off Juice WRLD come together to talk about nothing other than well, drugs. Although 15 years apart, the two melodic rappers find common ground with lyrical content on
an album that is plagued by a lack of chemistry and subject inquisition. Future has always been a tastemaker for trap music and has no shortage of content to back up
his legacy as just that. Many would argue that his catalog is oversaturated, but for the vapid yet knocking tracks he makes, I personally don’t see the problem. He is what you would expect and
operates on a dime a dozen basis in 2018 where some albums will just hit harder than others, further prolonging my theory that his 2015 will never happen again in the slightest.

As for Juice WRLD, he has also established a unique niche in the hip-hop landscape. Not that his subject matter or emphasis on melody is any different than many of his contemporaries, but he
is a versatile artist that can offer a more solemn perspective on drug culture. Sonically, he can hold his own as an actual even though he typically opts for a melodic flow. There is something
exciting about know he has potential to expand on his range.

As for this latest collaboration project, the young Chicago native doesn’t try enough different from his debut solo album Goodbye & Good Riddance. In fact, he seemed to take a step back.
WRLD On Drugs is not bad necessarily, but it does not feature even close to the top potential of either artists, while also making top billed features such as Lil Wayne, Young Thug, and Nicki
Minaj very forgettable.

Future’s presence on the album is fine. Nothing more or less. He has his moments on tracks like “Jet lag” and his own “Afterlife”, but also has moments where he seems robotically predictable.
“Oxy” features the return of his infamous and “memed” falsetto that he brought on his “King’s Dead” feature. This time around it isn’t for a verse, but a whole chorus. This track also features
one of the weaker Lil Wayne verses in recent memory where he too uses the auto tuned flow that reeks of a “washed up Wayne” vibe. Maybe it is because Tha Carter V rose our
expectations for a Wayne feature, but it isn’t impressive regardless.

Sonically, Juice WRLD’s contributions garner a bit more interest from what I would chalk up to nothing more than being a fresher voice in the current hip-hop scene. His catchy hooks have
not worn tired at all up until this point on tracks like “Fine China” and “Hard Work Pays Off.” It does seem that Juice has to play down to Future a lot on this album though, which is ultimately
for the worst. Not saying his last album was a lyrical masterpiece by any means, but seeing a 19-year-old speak about drug use and love in a more reflective tone than most adults was a
strong appeal to his initial rise in popularity. This time around, they lyrics do not fit the title billing. It is nothing more than your average content that can, at times, even become
unbearable when it is exaggerated to metaphors or references that make you wonder “Could this have passed five years ago?”

The chemistry between the two is good enough. Not every collaboration album can be a perfect meshing like a Watch the Throne or a Kids See Ghosts, or even Future’s proven collaborative
success in a project like what a Time to be Alive. Unlike those albums, the combination of Future and Juice WRLD has never been exposed to the public, with no prior experiences
working together. What saves this album and makes it a solid listen for maybe a week after the release is that it is two capable artists coming together and providing a default yet serviceable
effort. Juice WRLD is young and compelling enough to warrant interest, just as Future’s grandfather role in drug trap music is an interesting dynamic to engage in between the two.

WRLD on Drugs is streaming everywhere now.

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