Nayvadius Wilburn’s made a life and oeuvre of a mirror; as Future, he effortlessly shapeshifts into our wildest desires, our most toxic insecurities, and our most vulnerable selves. His trauma becomes the vessel for our pain, his spoils become the source of our envy. On Honest, Future fashions his survival for popstar ambitions, favoring a new gloss of opulence in an id far bigger than himself. Despite its initial lukewarm critical impressions—and a slew of charting singles—hindsight’s proven Honest as an underrated first step toward the engrossing emotional range Future’s displayed in his later work. After sharpening his hitmaking ability, Honest symbolizes Future’s first big swing towards another echelon of mainstream appeal. He never abandons the street music ...
