Drake and Future, “What a Time to Be Alive” mixtape

What’s more, the rappers had a fight in 2013 and Future tried to sue Drake. For an artist as adaptable and paranoid of failure as Drake, a collaborative album seems like an assured path to being stress-free. Not only has 2015 been the most astounding year in rap music this decade, but Future and Drake have both spoiled their fandoms with well-received, still relevant deliveries just months apart.

What A Time To Be Alive doesn’t sound like an equal collaboration, but that isn’t to rob it of any of its appeal. It all comes to a head on the hook, where “diamonds on me dancing” sounds less like the figure of speech it was on previous tracks by Gucci Mane and Riff Raff, and more like the disoriented observation of an inebriated clubgoer. The album has been exclusively available through Apple Music and the iTunes Store and was only announced one day before its release by the two rappers on Drake’s fave, Instagram. “It’s tough to see someone do four, five songs in one night and not try to match it”.

Man, Drake does not need anymore rumors about him “using” another artist’s work. But on What A Time To Be Alive, Drake may have miscalculated Future’s abilities: He was outmaneuvered and outperformed on every song they appeared on together, suggesting that maybe Drake was not the dominant force he claimed to be.

They’re not OutKast, but Drake and Future certainly make a believable duo and one that is entertaining and backed by some of the hottest production in hip-hop.

And with WATTBA, a 6-day project, set to sell 500,000 copies in the first week – I’m sure Drake and Future couldn’t care less about who cares less about their newest musical project. On the other side of the spectrum, Future continues to mush-mouth his way through lyrics in a way that feels purposefully inaccessible. If it only consisted of the piano loop and beat, “Live From The Gutter” would fit on IYRTITL, but there’s weird tones popping up everywhere, from the sustained note that opens the track to those clamorous horns that sound like semi trucks whirring past you on the highway.

No one is about to starve Drake or Future – they’re charged up.

“I do not chase girls, but they run a mile for me”, Drake boasts. At times, Drake influences the music a little too much with forgettable R&B, but this is infrequent enough that it doesn’t detract from the album too much. Drake knows how to share feelings, but Future’s has the benefit of being able to pull from an emotional register that Drake doesn’t have access to. These tracks like “Plastic Bag” and “30 for 30 Freestyle” slam the brakes on the album and make for skippable songs. The result? If You’re Reading This is the only album in 2015 to have gone platinum and build all the more anticipation for Drake’s next studio effort, Views From the 6.