Hip-Hop / RapPop

Drake & Future – What A Time To Be Alive [Hip-Hop Throwback]

26
Drake Future What A Time To Be Alive Album Cover

In September 2015, Drake and Future caught the music world off guard by dropping their joint mixtape What A Time To Be Alive with no prior promotion. The surprise release capitalized on both rappers being at the peaks of their commercial powers.

Despite no traditional rollout, the 11-track project debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart, moving over 375,000 units its first week. Powered by the duo’s combined star power, it quickly became one of the year’s biggest hip-hop releases.

Larger-Than-Life Anthems

What A Time established a cinematic, luxurious sound world filled with braggadocious raps about living lavishly and indulging in life’s excesses. Drake and Future’s trade swaggering verses celebrating their superstar lifestyles over huge looping trap beats and slick, atmospheric production.

Standout tracks like the Metro Boomin produced “Jumpman” and “Big Rings” with their slick quotable lines and infectious hooks became ubiquitous anthems. The pure chemistry between the two artists made their boastful back-and-forths sound natural and effortless.

Critical Reappraisal

While some critics dismissed What A Time as mindless and shallow upon its release, the project has aged into a highly respected cult classic over the years. Many now appreciate it as a perfectly captured time capsule of the melodic, hazy SoundCloud rap era.

Revisited listens reveal Drizzy and Future’s quotable one-liners and effortless cool to be surprisingly replayable, making the album an unlikely grower. Their unfiltered honesty about rap money, fame and vices connected in an authentic way.

Influential Mixtape Milestone

In hindsight, What A Time To Be Alive is considered an important and influential stylistic marker. The blockbuster’s crossover success exposed a wider audience to the rising “SoundCloud rap” aesthetic pioneered by Future and others.

Carrying an undeniable hit factor, the project demonstrated the commercial viability of moody, bass-heavy production and cadences that leaned heavily into infectious melody and vibe over lyrics.

https://open.spotify.com/album/1ozpmkWcCHwsQ4QTnxOOdT?si=LFSgnXOdS1u2RqxsYrRCVA

For Drake, What A Time offered an early glimpse into his impressive run of high-profile rap collaborations that expanded his sound in fresh directions each time. For Future, it marked his move into becoming a mainstream superstar beyond the underground.

While ultimately a non-traditional entry into both catalogs, the surprise What A Time To Be Alive remains a towering creative intersection between two of the 2010s’ biggest hitmakers. Its reverberating influence can still be heard today.

Written by
Sazid Kabir

I've loved music and writing all my life. That's why I started this blog. In my spare time, I make music and run this blog for fellow music fans.

Related Articles

Taylor Swift
Music NewsPop

Taylor Swift Reclaims Rights to First Six Albums After Years-Long Battle

Taylor Swift has officially regained ownership of her first six albums, years...

Pusha-T & Kanye West
Hip-Hop / RapMusic News

Kanye West Says He Misses Pusha T After New Clipse Song Mention

Kanye West has admitted he misses his friendship with Pusha T after...

KSI Caught In Two Minds EP
Hip-Hop / RapLyrics

KSI ― Catch Me If You Can Lyrics

Catch Me If You Can” by KSI, released on May 29, 2025,...

KSI Caught In Two Minds EP
PopLyrics

KSI ― So Far Away Lyrics (ft. S-X)

The song “So Far Away” is a collaboration between British rapper and...