Erik Ritland
Table of Contents
Since breaking out in 2012, Atlanta hip-hop star Future has ridden an endless wave of Platinum records.
Future keeps up a prolific music output, but the hits keep coming thanks to well-chosen features and the tightest production teams.
Today we’re deep diving into the best Future songs, ranging from his old-school classics to the latest and greatest tracks.
15. “Comin’ Out Strong” feat. The Weeknd
“Comin’ Out Strong” is from Future’s sixth studio album Hndrxx. As in several Future songs, R&B superstar The Weeknd makes a memorable feature on the track.
The Weeknd sings a hooky melody over minimalist synth chords before the trap beats drop, adding some push to the song.
As for Future, he adds a low-key flow over the same arrangement in the song’s second half.
The song peaked at 48 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was certified Platinum in the US.
Related: 27 Facts About Weeknd
14. “Wicked”
“Wicked” is one of the best old Future songs, having been recorded in 2015 and released as the lead single for his Purple Reign mixtape the following year.
The track and mixtape dropped as Future was blowing up in a big way and came hot on the heels of the release of DS2, which was his first multiple Platinum studio album (x3).
The hard-hitting banger is based on an aggressive bass line, synth melodies, and a lithe hip-hop beat.
13. “Puffin On Zootiez”
“Puffin On Zootiez” is a relatively new single from Future, having been cut from his 2022 effort I Never Liked You.
The hit song is anchored by a huge bass drum and hi-hat groove, set to an eerie synth backing.
The lyrics address Future’s rise from the streets to rap royalty and call out rappers who rip his style.
The title, meanwhile, is a reference to Zootiez, a cannabis brand he collabed with to promote I Never Liked You.
Related: Bad Bunny’s Net Worth: The Artist’s Cars, Houses, and More
12. “Big Rings”
Canadian rapper Drake teamed up with Future for the What a Time to Be Alive mixtape in 2015, and “Big Rings” is one song that stood out from the huge collab.
Hearing the two masters work their songwriting magic on the mic is really something. The seamless production was provided by Metro Boomin and Southside, who worked on many of the tracks from the hit rap album.
What a Time to Be Alive was one of many chart successes for the duo, with the album going all the way to number one on the US Billboard 200 and gaining a x2 Platinum certification.
11. “Drankin N Smokin”
“Drankin N Smokin” is a collaboration between Future and Philly rapper Lil Uzi Vert from their 2020 album Pluto x Baby Pluto.
The party song has a suitably debaucherous film clip with the pair partying with quite a harem of girls in a palatial mansion.
DY Krazy, Hagan, and 12Hunna provided the production, which is led by a bare-bones guitar melody backed by a snaking trap beat and hard bass.
10. “Selfish” feat. Rihanna
The Caribbean Queen lends her unmistakable pipes to this ballad, which is one of the relatively few Future pop songs on this list.
It’s one of the best Future songs about love and was penned by the duo (along with several songwriters) and is led by a soulful R&B vocal by Rihanna.
Future adds an a cappella verse in the second half, but he mostly lets Riri lead the charge on the love song, and with such pop pedigree appearing, why not?
The lyrics address a couple on the brink of a breakup who keep being brought back together by the pleasures and comfort of their fleeting time together.
Related: The 21 Best Rap Songs of All Time
9. “Superhero (Heroes & Villains)”
“Superhero (Heroes & Villains)” is one of the best Future songs that has come from his extensive work with Metro Boomin, who is the lead artist on this track.
The music video begins with a chilling female opera vocal lead over a dark, muted horn instrumental, providing a fittingly cinematic vibe.
The lyrics address substance use, with Future providing the opening verses before Chris Brown takes to the mic to bring the song home.
8. “Where Ya At” (feat. Drake)
Like many of Future’s top tracks, Drizzy lends his mic skills to help make sure “Where Ya At” really pops.
The song hits hard straight out the gate with a busy verse from Future, while Drake keeps the pace up with a hectic flow in the second half of the track.
The song is one of the hit singles from Future’s third studio album DS2, while Metro Boomin returns to provide the production.
Related: 31 Interesting Facts About Drake
7. “F*ck Up Some Commas”
“F*ck Up Some Commas” is one of the Future songs from his 2014 mixtape Monster before he reached his commercial peak.
It was subsequently re-released as the first single from his DS2 album, becoming the top song on that release as far as numbers on streaming services go. By 2020, the single also reached x3 Platinum certification.
The song opens with Future’s signature rhythmic flow, while hard-edged production is handled by DJ Spinz and Southside.
Related: The 14 Best Rappers of All Time
6. “Fine China”
“Fine China” is one of the most hype Future songs, and the anthem owes a lot of that to the appearance of Juice WRLD, whose talent is plain to see all over his verses.
It was the lead single of the duo’s collab mixtape Wrld on Drugs. Several of the song titles have drug references, and The Source linked the mixtape’s title to the then-recent death of rapper Mac Miller following a drug overdose.
The release date of the mixtape was in 2018, just a year before Juice WRLD’s untimely death, also due to a drug overdose, during a police sting at the Chicago international airport.
Related: How did Juice WRLD Die? A Tragic Story of Overdose on Codeine and Percocet
5. “Wait for U” feat. Drake and Tems
What is Future #1 Billboard song? Future’s 2021 feature on Drake’s “Way 2 Sexy” got him his first Billboard Hot 100 number-one single, but Future’s first number-one debut on the singles chart as a lead artist was “Wait for U,” which dropped the following year.
The latter song fittingly featured Drake as a feature, as well as Nigerian R&B singer Tems.
Some of Future’s best music comes from well-chosen features, and this track is no exception.
Tems’ feature comes in the form of a sample of her soulful vocals on her track “Higher,” and her input adds a lot of emotional depth to the song.
4. “Low Life” feat. The Weeknd
Like several of the best Future songs, The Weeknd returns on “Low Life” to add his Midas touch.
The cut was one of Future’s best songs on his 2016 studio album Evol, leading the other tracks in streaming numbers by quite a margin, as well as picking up an x8 Platinum certification.
Metro Boomin led the production, alongside contributions from The Weeknd, Ben Billions, and DaHeala, who also each contributed to the songwriting.
The Weeknd’s golden voice leads the verses in “Low Life,” while reverb-drenched synth melodies provide an eerie backing to the minimalist hip-hop beats.
Future brings up the intensity when his verse comes in, but the song retains its stark, crime-scene atmosphere throughout.
3. “Mask Off”
What songs is Future known for? Chart hit “Mask Off” is certainly one of the bigger contenders, as well as being one of the best Future songs.
Future discusses substance use throughout, as well as exploring his past and rise to fame.
The lyrics are set to a minor chord progression, while a lone sampled flute from Carlton Williams’ musical soundtrack number “Prison Song” offers an unsettling counterpoint.
The Metro Boomin produced number was Future’s highest charting single at the time, peaking at number 5 in the US, and is from one of his best albums, his 2017 self-titled effort.
“Mask Off” was not originally scheduled as a single, but after charting as an album track from Future’s 2017 self-titled album and drawing more listeners than the lead single “Draco,” it was eventually pressed as the second single.
2. “Jumpman”
“Jumpman” is one of numerous popular songs from the Future and Drake mixtape What a Time to Be Alive.
The song marked Future’s first entry into the top 20 back when it was released in 2015, and a kick-heavy beat keeps the song pushing forward, along with the oddball inclusion of a screeching raven sample repeatedly playing off the vocal hook.
The song references the iconic Jumpman logo, which is a silhouette of Michael Jordan in full flight, taken in 1984 and used by Nike to promote Air Jordans.
True to form, the cover features an image of Future and Drizzy in the 1992′ Dream Team’ uniforms, complete with Olympic gold medals.
The cover is an edit of a real photo of Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan from ’92, with Future edited into Johnson’s place and Drake in Jordan’s shoes.
1. “Life is Good” feat. Drake
“Life is Good” is without a doubt one of the best Future songs and is a fan favorite, being one of the most streamed Future songs as well as being certified Diamond in the US.
The track was the third single from Future’s 2020 effort High Off Life. “Life is Good” was originally going to be the album title, but it was changed due to the original title being deemed inappropriate for a Covid-19-era album release.
The upbeat track features rap superstars slumming it in ordinary jobs, such as Apple store employees, fast food workers, mechanics, and chefs.
The public was tipped off to this plotline as the pair were seen filming in a McDonald’s drive-through in December 2019.
The song wasn’t the only thing that went viral, as a clip from the music video where Drake helps a befuddled Lil Yachty work out how to operate a laptop became a ubiquitous meme as well.
The song is cut into two sections, with Drake rapping over dreamy synth chords in the first half, while the beat completely flips in the second half, where Future (naturally) flows over a heavier beat pushed by a massive bass drum and hi-hat groove.
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