Here s the thing about Future: you either see the growth in his rhymes, albums, beat selection and concepts, or you don t.
On Purple Reign we heard his continued struggles with the love and allure of dirty money and fast women over beats from frequent collaborators Metro Boomin, Zaytoven and others. Evol is meant to be the full-length project followup to last year s DS2 and while we do see the evolution in Future s artistry, it s hard to outshine DS2. On the previous project, Future was reflective and introspective about success and the problems that come with fame. On Evol, he s indignant, raunchy and even more determined to do things his own way.
Related: Future spits familiar game on Purple Reign
He minces no words about his thoughts on the relationship with the mother of his child and an unnamed district attorney on In Her Mouth, which crass, uncomfortable and unfriendly to radio. That in itself is a marked change from Future s formula for making anthemic singles that take over the airwaves, like last year s Where Ya At with Drake. He still pledges allegiance to Metro Boomin, and tracks like Seven Rings show his love of sports metaphors.
Future s style is changing swiftly, with Evol being light years away from Purple Reign and even further away from DS2 in terms of the lyrical risk he s taking over these lean-drenched beats. It s impressive, but warrants the question of whether too much change is good for the future of the Hendrix imprint. Time will tell.
