Cyrus Langhorne
Atlanta rapper Future isn't picking favorites anymore. The hip-hop veteran has finally released his now-legendary Beast Mode mixtape to all digital streaming platforms.
Big Facts
Just in time for everyone’s T.G.I.F. goals, Future Hendrix has hit the green light on his unforgettable underground effort hitting every online giant. The nine-track Zaytoven-produced project is finally streaming everywhere.
Beast Mode was the second of three mixtapes (following Monster, preceding 56 Nights) that Future would release for free between October 2014 and March 2015, a run of cathartic projects aimed at shedding the glitzy pop ambiance surrounding him due to his early-decade chart successes. Where Monster excelled in reestablishing Future as the preeminent trap star of his time, Beast Mode swapped Metro Boomin and Southside’s rugged basslines for bouncier chords and viscous melodies across a much tighter tracklist. The approach was welcomed with open arms, as BM has since been streamed nearly 20 million times across free digital platforms, including Soundcloud and LiveMixtapes.
High-Key Details
The 2015 project’s massive success inspired Future to take things up a notch. The Georgia native eventually put out its follow-up as a full-fledged studio effort.
Future himself would have this to say about this key period in his career, when asked about it in his subsequent Like I Never Left mini-doc. “I can’t be out [in Los Angeles], I gotta go home [to Atlanta], I gotta record, I gotta get back comfortable…” The original Beast Mode was appreciated so widely that it spawned the release of BEASTMODE 2, a sequel to Beast Mode released as a commercial mixtape in 2018. It would debut at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 albums chart, setting a record as the highest-charting stream-only album ever.
Wait, There’s More
Last month, the Atlanta rap star surprised fans with an unexpected “Tycoon” premiere. Future released his third record of 2020 after putting out a Drake-featured “Life Is Good” anthem.
“Tycoon” is produced by DY Krazy and Wheezy, and it arrives with a video by Elf Rivera. The rapper’s last full-length project was 2019’s Future Hndrxx Presents: The Wizrd, which he followed up later that year with the Save Me EP. In between those, he won his first Grammy for his contribution to the Black Panthersoundtrack song “King’s Dead.” (Stereogum)
Before You Go
Back in January 2020, Future came through in a big way with new music. The hip-hop heavyweight linked up with longtime pal Drake for their “Life Is Good” and “Desires” bangers.
