"The best thing I ever did was fall out of love," Future opines on "Kno the Meaning," a bonus track in the late stages of DS2. It's a hard claim to argue from the Atlanta emcee, whose recent hot streak on the mixtape circuit began only a few months after his highly publicized split from songstress Ciara. In the aftermath of his romantic relationship falling apart, the tales of addiction, depravity and self-destruction that Monster, Beast Mode, and 56 Nights depicted only strengthened the relationship with his art. In reaching the summit of the most successful period of Future's career, DS2 is a satisfying climax to the three-peat of tapes that took the rap world by storm in a span of six months.
Much like its trio of predecessors, the record has been hailed as a sonic return to the streets for Future Hendrix, tellingly so when he raps, "Tryin' to make a pop star / And they made a monster." Largely absent is the pop-oriented, R&B-flavoured production that was present on 2014's Honest, favouring instead the two extremes of explosiveness and elegance that made up his recent outings. An all-star production crew dominated by the work of regular collaborators Sonny Digital, Zaytoven, Metro Boomin and Southside pull no punches in serving up the heavy-hitting grind of "I Serve the Base" while toning things down with the delicate nature of "Colossal" and "Blood on the Money."
The majority of these beats hit to hurt, and though the emotional Future that listeners have come to know through past cuts "Throw Away" and "My Savages" has been dialled back, the honesty and vulnerability come through when it counts. The aforementioned "Kno the Meaning" is loaded with personal anecdotes of leaving his newborn son to go on tour and the arrest of his touring partner DJ Esco, while the luxurious "Rich $ex" speaks to something more meaningful than outright turn-up jams "Groupies" and "Freak Hoes." DS2 is in no short supply of those, as one could easily discern from the record's opening line, "I just fucked your bitch in some Gucci flip flops."
In a final striking moment of sequencing, the anthemic "Fuck Up Some Commas" now plays the role of a triumphant, motivational parting shot as DS2's last track, readying the faithful for whatever moves Future makes next.
(Epic)Much like its trio of predecessors, the record has been hailed as a sonic return to the streets for Future Hendrix, tellingly so when he raps, "Tryin' to make a pop star / And they made a monster." Largely absent is the pop-oriented, R&B-flavoured production that was present on 2014's Honest, favouring instead the two extremes of explosiveness and elegance that made up his recent outings. An all-star production crew dominated by the work of regular collaborators Sonny Digital, Zaytoven, Metro Boomin and Southside pull no punches in serving up the heavy-hitting grind of "I Serve the Base" while toning things down with the delicate nature of "Colossal" and "Blood on the Money."
The majority of these beats hit to hurt, and though the emotional Future that listeners have come to know through past cuts "Throw Away" and "My Savages" has been dialled back, the honesty and vulnerability come through when it counts. The aforementioned "Kno the Meaning" is loaded with personal anecdotes of leaving his newborn son to go on tour and the arrest of his touring partner DJ Esco, while the luxurious "Rich $ex" speaks to something more meaningful than outright turn-up jams "Groupies" and "Freak Hoes." DS2 is in no short supply of those, as one could easily discern from the record's opening line, "I just fucked your bitch in some Gucci flip flops."
In a final striking moment of sequencing, the anthemic "Fuck Up Some Commas" now plays the role of a triumphant, motivational parting shot as DS2's last track, readying the faithful for whatever moves Future makes next.