Future review – an amoral blend of drugs and drone bombers

O2 Arena, London
Tracks build, drop and disappear during a rollercoaster show from the Atlantan rapper that astonishes, flags – and finally offends

Snoop has his weed and Pusha T has his crack, but Future seems to prop up an entire pharmaceutical industry. The Atlantan rapper started his career on uppers, full of peppy, poppy tracks set in outer space, but, following a failed relationship with R&B star Ciara, seemed to get ever more earthbound, lacing his lyrics with downers such as Xanax, Percocet and codeine alongside the coke and ecstasy.

This arena show mirrors the mood swings and energy spikes associated with such improvisational drug use. Building up smoothly with a run of tracks from his recent self-titled album, there is a tremendous body high as he segues from Bugatti into Same Damn Time, circle pits of Off-White-wearing fans moshing with their phone torches on.

A rollercoaster rhythm sets in, where tracks build, drop and disappear, often even before reaching the second verse. A quartet of male backing dancers emerges, and whereas support artist Stefflon Don’s female dancers embrace the vogue for thickness, by contrast Future’s have rap’s fashionable rake-thin teenage silhouette. Their mime artistry during Move That Dope – cooking, packing and shifting drugs across the stage, dressed appropriately in all white – is impressively vivid, and any suggestion of boyband cheesiness is further diminished by simulations of lean drinking and the spasms of an overdose. There are further pleasures, not least the funny absurdity of thousands of people shouting, “I just fucked your bitch in some Gucci flip-flops,” a line that sums up Future’s amoral, distracted attitude to sex.

The energy falters during tepid guest spots from Rich the Kid and Wizkid, though they do give a flagging Future a chance to recharge. On record, he is often Auto-Tuned into pretty psychedelia, and rarely visits the gravelly end of his register; it gets an urgent, explosive airing on Fuck Up Some Commas. But fewer and fewer bars get finished thereafter, and you sense that even the moshpits are longing for a bit of longer-form lyricism. Mask Off may be one of the tracks of the year, but mostly because of its torpor, which doesn’t play so well on stage. And the comedown truly kicks in on the closing March Madness, which offensively uses real drone-bomber footage of exploding buildings to signify how lit everything is.

The last image the screens show is of a traumatised child soldier, while the dancers pop the last of their moves. As a symbol of the dissociative power of drugs, money and fame, it is truly potent.

Contributor

Ben Beaumont-Thomas

The GuardianTramp

Related Content

Article image
De La Soul review – storming hip-hop past, present and future
The Long Island crew stage a joyful party with fresh tunes that defy any temptation to box them as a ‘heritage’ act

Stevie Chick

12, Mar, 2017 @12:28 PM

Odd Future - review

There is far more to Odd Future than easy thrills – the music is hulking, baroque, and awesomely accomplished, writes Paul Lester

Paul Lester

01, May, 2011 @9:55 PM

Article image
Odd Future … – review
Patented Odd Future chaos made up for the muddying of their individual talents on stage, writes Mark Beaumont

Mark Beaumont

30, Mar, 2012 @12:00 PM

Article image
Drake review – the boy's got everything
The Canadian star crams an impressive number of hits into his Boy Meets World show, which undulates and shimmers like a spectacular art installation

Alexis Petridis

31, Jan, 2017 @1:38 PM

Article image
Travis Scott review – hip-hop renegade soars on eagle's wings
Parading his perfect abs, the ripped rapper mashes melody with skull-crushing intensity in an electrifying display of passion and control

Ben Beaumont-Thomas

03, Jul, 2017 @12:21 PM

Article image
Run the Jewels review – a political awakening beneath the jokes
Killer Mike and El-P are US hip-hop’s clown princes, but their serious message gets the last laugh

Mark Beaumont

03, Apr, 2017 @12:10 PM

Article image
Macklemore and Ryan Lewis review – broiling agitprop and goofball braggadocio
Worthy political numbers hold centre-stage, but a sprint of escalating goofiness finally takes this two-hour set over the top

Graeme Virtue

14, Apr, 2016 @12:12 PM

Article image
Afropunk review – afrofuturism gets anthemic at festival of booming black creativity
Printworks, London
JME, Nadia Rose, Nao, Lianne La Havas, Willow Smith and Corinne Bailey Rae all came together at a diverse celebration of black culture

Charlie Brinkhurst-Cuff

24, Jul, 2017 @3:37 PM

Article image
Gorillaz review – Damon Albarn refuses to be pigeonholed in hip-hop jamboree
The Blur frontman brings his animated band’s world tour to the UK, and it’s the house vocalists – such as Peven Everett and Jamie Principle – that really shine

Alexis Petridis

28, Nov, 2017 @1:04 PM

Article image
Plan B review – limp comeback for would-be bard of modern soul
Ben Drew’s surefooted rap flow and melodic falsetto is used in conservative material that rings hollow in a venue unsuited to furious guitars

Ben Beaumont-Thomas

25, Jul, 2017 @1:10 PM