Earlier this week, a collaboration nobody really expected was released: WRLD ON DRUGS, the joint album by one of the decade’s biggest trappers in Future and the up-and-coming crooner Juice WRLD. While they’re similar in that they are two of the most popular names in rap, their differences are what made this album seem so questionable to me. Future’s music is highlighted by in-your-face trap bangers and heavy bars that parallel the rattling percussion. Juice WRLD, on the other hand, is much more laid back, introspective, and emotional in his lyrics, and this is present as well in his instrumental choices. For me at least, this was going to be a very unpredictable mix. Not to mention many recent collaboration efforts have been very hit or miss, with only a few notables (Without Warning by Offset and 21 Savage, for example) in the last year remaining relevant after a month or so. Without a doubt, it was definitely going to be interesting to see what Juice WRLD and Future could come up with.
Although I haven’t had time yet to listen to the entire project, there were a number of tracks that either jumped out at me or set a tone. The record starts off with one of the best beats of the year on “Jet Lag“. A dark plucked-string melody, sharp high hats, and stressed vocal melodies provide a great starting track to the set. Oh yeah, plus it has a pretty good guest verse from Young Scooter. Following this up is another one of my favorites, “Astronauts“. Aside from solid verses from both artists, that simple high register piano lead has something about it that is so enticing. Jumping in and out is a ghostly sounding vocal sample that’s absolutely chilling. Both of these production factors were great touches on their own, but when together they really add to the airy atmosphere. Next up is “Fine China“, a much more upbeat, fun, and a little bit weirder cut. The production is super bouncy on this one, and Juice WRLD’s vocal lines are catchy as well. Not much else to say other than it’s a carefree tune that’ll probably get a lot of radio play time. Lastly, and very appropriately, the final track “Hard Work Pays Off” has a really nice chord progression that reminds me (and some of my friends) a lot of a Post Malone song. This is only furthered by the fact that many people say Juice WRLD sounds a lot like Post, but that’s beside the point. The melodies, production, and ending verse from Future are all great contributions to the conclusion of this project.
Those are just a few of my highlights, though; I really only scratched the surface of this 16 track, 50 minute LP. If you have any interest in Juice WRLD or Future, I’d say this should definitely be in your queue to check out next. If you’ve already listened, how’d you think it was? Let me know in the comments.