Hip-hop star Future—born Nayvadius DeMun Wilburn—was given his unique stage name years ago when he began performing in the Atlanta-based musical collective the Dungeon Family (associated with acts such as Outkast and Goodie Mob). With a name so monumental, Future sought to be just what the name entailed: the future of hip-hop, an industry forever changing its style and sound. With the help of his cousin Rico Wade, a record producer and a member of the Dungeon Family, and a few other influencers in the industry, Future pursued a solo music career.
In 2011, Future helped pen rapper YC’s hit single “Racks,” on which he made a guest appearance. Later that year, he stepped into the spotlight with the single “Tony Montana” with Canadian rapper Drake on the track. This was the first time the two had linked up on a song, which led to a long-lasting relationship as frequent collaborators. “Tony Montana,” off his debut album Pluto in 2012, was a hit and set Future’s musical style apart in the hip-hop game with his use of the auto-tune effect. Not too many people can pull off having a sophomore album surpass their first, but Future did with Honest in 2014—the certified-gold album included guest names like Drake, Kanye West, Wiz Khalifa, Pharrell Williams, Pusha T, Lil Wayne and fellow Dungeon Family member Andre 3000 of Outkast.
After releasing multiple mixtapes within a year after Honest, the “F*ck Up Some Commas” rapper came back with a full-length album, DS2, ranked as one of the top albums of 2015. When Drake collaborated with Future on “Where Ya At” from DS2, little did the world know that it would be the start of something bigger than them. That record paved the way for their highly successful platinum mixtape What a Time to Be Alive, which debuted at No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart in late 2015. This was just a teaser for what was to come, as the “Jumpman” rappers co-headlined the Summer Sixteen Tour in 2016, as well as not one, but two releases from Future: his fourth album Evol and mixtape Purple Reign, in the same year.
This year, Future became the first artist to release two Billboard 200 chart-topping albums (Future and HNDRXX) in consecutive weeks. If that’s not enough, he’s currently headlining the Nobody Safe Tour, which kicked off on May 4, with supporting acts such as Migos, A$AP Ferg and Zoey Dollaz, and stops in Vegas on June 30. Recently, Future tweeted “U can’t deny the fans hearts...I’m thankful & I want u guys to always remember..we in this together #NOBODYSAFETOUR.” It looks like 2017 is his year—and he’s taking it by storm.
T-Mobile Arena, 7 p.m. June 30, starting at $29.50 plus tax and fee. 888.929.7849
