BEASTMODE 2
Future delivered *BEASTMODE 2*, the sequel to his 2015 mixtape, to Apple Music with a short, sweet message: “Luv, Pluto.” The greeting-card sign-off harks back to his 2012 debut album, *Pluto*, and while the prolific rapper has since released five solo albums and many collaborations, *BEASTMODE 2* indeed feels like a reward to those who’ve been following along since the start. Like its predecessor, the melodic, piano-filled, nine-track mixtape is entirely produced by fellow Atlantan Zaytoven. But while both mixtapes celebrate his successes, they also share an underlying darkness, detailing addiction and despondency. “Damn, I hate the real me,” he sings on the solemn final track.
The newly vulnerable Future and the hyper-expressive Zaytoven offer up a sequel that doesn’t just reprise the original’s magic but improves on it.
The Atlanta rapper's latest reminds us why he's a master of sing-rap blues even as that style begins to move beyond his massive influence