Rappers commonly live a life of excess, but it’s usually signified by cars and jewels rather than music.
Future — real name Nayvadius Wilburn — has been profligate with his albums, sending five to number one in the US in under two years. That’s a hit rate to rival early Sixties Beatles and Beach Boys. He even went one better than them with an unheard-of two new albums in the top spot within a week of each other in February.
But despite his vast output, here he could only manage an hour-long set padded with reappearances from support acts including Stefflon Don and Wizkid. He raced through his own songs and a few covers, frequently tiring of them after a verse and a chorus.
While Future, pictured, toured the US on an equal billing with Drake last year, here he’s more of a cult concern who has so far spent one week in our top 10. Booking our largest arena was a grand gesture, but he couldn’t sell it out and the top tier sat in darkness.
His performance boasted arena-worthy lasers and fireballs, high-quality visuals on the big screen and four male dancers, all in white. Future’s silver trainers also added to the spectacle, bouncing vigorously during songs such as Stick Talk, delivered with far more aggression than on record.
His songs are pretty weird generally. On his albums he raps with an Auto-Tune effect that gives a strange preciseness to his slurred lines. Here thunderous bass overpowered any musical subtleties. This statistical success story will have had better nights.
