Dammit, Juice WRLD and Future, could we have at least gotten a two-week notice before ya’ll hit us with this new project? Anyway, fans of both Juice and Future should be very excited about this collaborative effort, mainly because I feel like each are unique enough to push the other to step outside of the box a little. With that being said, I expect “Wrld on Drugs” to be fun, high-octane, and as unique as it gets.

TOP 5

5. ASTRONAUTS

“Astronauts” is one of the tracks on this album in which I think Future was completely let loose. Throughout his contributions on it, he gets a chance to catch the listener’s attention with reckless lyrics revolving around buying expensive s**t, fiending for drugs, and aiming weapons ops. He also shows a few different sides musically — one that gets lost in the heavy-hitting/glimmering trap beat he’s presented with, another that’s simply down to the trap beat he’s presented with, and lastly, one that has lost his damn mind.

Juice WRLD definitely kills “Astronauts,” too, as, on it, he shows the world this ruthless side to him that is far from heartbroken. Juice also raps very hard on the song, utilizing a flow that alternates between fast and slow throughout. You really don’t get anything super experimental from the Chicago rapper here.

The chemistry on this song is fantastic.

4. HARD WORK PAYS OFF

Call me crazy, but I like when Juice WRLD makes quirky joints like “Hard Work Pays Off.” His unique personality fits the song’s sound perfectly. Besides that, on this joint, Juice talks about all the money and b*tches he has in his arsenal, (disrespectfully, might I add), using this very drowsy delivery. Interestingly, his aggressive/violent lyrics don’t match his laid-back approach at all.

Future plays second fiddle to everything else on this song, but that doesn’t mean his part doesn’t go hard! On his verse, he talks about his rise to the top, while also learning how the people around him move now that he’s living out his dreams. Unlike Juice, Future makes the song sound a lot more like a feel-good track; a direction I thought the duo should’ve taken from start to finish.

3. AIN’T LIVIN’ RIGHT

I think Juice WRLD shines bright in “Ain’t Livin’ Right.” First and foremost, He drops an infectious hook for us that has him explaining to the world why his reckless way of living is ill-advised, while also doing some serious crooning throughout. I love how he sorta lets go of his sanity on this joint, caring less if you’re feeling his disturbing content and daring vocals.

Gunna is featured on “Ain’t Livin’ Right,” and he provides it with this real ass verse that has him bigging up his homies and talking about using the same drugs as Pookie. As usual, his lyrics are hard to comprehend, but I did hear him say he had PJ’s, was sippin’ on codeine, and was in need of a kidney on his part (I think).

How is this song called “Ain’t Livin’ Right,” but they failed to talk about any solutions to fixing their lives? N***as love complaining without bringing any solutions to the table.

2. TRANSFORMER

“Transformer” features this high-octane instrumental that aims to f**k up speaker systems and get your old ass neighbors to call the cops on you. It also has a very quick tempo attached to it — something that is perfect for Future’s style. So does Future actually kill his contributions on the track? Of course! I love how he rides the beat that powers the track, dishing out exciting lyrics about his watches, waking guns up, and automatic d**ks (OK, his lyrical content isn’t the best). I also love Future’s energy on the track, and definitely f**k with his willingness to resort back to his DS2 style of rapping.

Nicki Minaj is featured on “Transformer,” and she also rides the explosive beat that powers the song very well. On her lyrics, she equates the way she’s living to being a Transformer, while also reminding the world that she’s the boss b*tch of the industry for the 11,000th time. In my opinion, she has the best verse on this album, mainly due to its competitive nature and the pretty unflappable flow she uses on it. (Ps. There is subtle shots at Cardi on this joint. Pay close attention!)

Nicki and Future usually make hits when they collaborate.

1. FINE CHINA

The song that has been stuck in my head for the last two days takes the crown here.

“Fine China” features an explosive instrumental by Wheezy that does a great job of gassing our heroes up. Juice WRLD and Future get lost in this instrumental, each singing passionately about a chick they are literally crazy about. The melody that both of our heroes use on their contributions to this song is too infectious to pass up, and the vocals they deliver are mighty brave.

You know what I like about this song? You get versions of both rappers that we’ve come to love throughout the years on it: I’m talking paranoid suckas for love that are suicidal, suicidal (In my Sean Kingston voice) at the thought of losing their women.

Both of these n***as sound ID channel crazy on this joint.

SONG BY SONG BREAKDOWN

1. JET LAG (3.5/5)

2. ASTRONAUTS (4.5/5)

3. FINE CHINA (5/5)

4. RED BENTLEY (4/5)

5. MAKE IT BACK (3/5)

6. OXY (3/5)

7. 7AM FREESTYLE (4/5)

8. DIFFERENT (4/5)

9. SHORTY (3.5/5)

10. REALER N REALER (4.5/5)

11. NO ISSUES (4/5)

12. WORLD ON DRUGS (2.5/5)

13. AFTERLIFE (3/5)

14. AIN’T LIVIN RIGHT (4/5)

15. TRANSFORMER (4.5/5)

16. HARD WORK PAYS OFF (4/5)

OVERALL RATING

(C)

On an album called “Wrld on Drugs” (Which is an outrageous title, BTW), both Future & Juice WRLD do everything from croon fearlessly to rap tough, spilling their guts about touchy topics and bragging about s**t both worth and not worth bragging about in the process.  I love that they each do these aspects differently — with Juice bringing this youthful approach to the table, and Future coming across like your erratic/drugged out uncle that always comes to family reunions with a stripper on his side.

Let’s talk about that drugged-out uncle for a bit on this paragraph.  Future is the veteran presence on this album, but if you didn’t know he was the older one, you will think he was the reckless child out of the two. Future’s contributions are bizarre (just listen to Oxy), troubling, violent, and downright stupid (Just listen to Oxy). You can tell he wants to introduce new sounds into the world, but most of them aren’t working (at least to me). Nonetheless, Future brings energy and grunginess to “WRLD on Drugs” — two aspects that I was counting on him to bring.

Juice WRLD is a cold ass n***a on this album. A good chunk of his raps center around f**king b*tches, taking b*tches, wanting all the smoke with the ops, and taking drugs on a consistent basis. While this side to Juice might surprise some that heard “Goodbye and Good Riddance,” In my opinion, it’s a side that significantly limits his potential. Nonetheless, It’s always good hearing fairly new blood spit hard.

It takes some time to truly understand this album, but once you do, I believe it’s quite a listen. No, the content isn’t the best thing since sliced bread, but I think the trends that both rappers and their producers are able to create on it is different than anything you heard this year. I f**k with the album, but definitely won’t be playing it around my girl, daddy or pharmacist anytime soon…

Quincy

Quincy is the creator of Ratings Game Music. He loves writing about music, taking long walks on beaches, and spaghetti that fights him back.