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For my entire conscious lifetime , power couples have been an integral part of the pop culture universe. The likes of Jay-Z and Beyoncé, Will Smith and Jada Pinkett and John Legend and Chrissy Tiegen have garnered constant media attention and inspired enough #relationshipgoals pieces on Buzzfeed to fill the entire state of Idaho. In the world of Atlanta's hip-hop, that (musical) power couple is Future and Young Thug. While their styles and images couldn't be any more different, they've managed to establish themselves as the most distinct, influential and celebrated artists in hip-hop's current mecca. Thanks to the power of friendship, capitalism and Actavis, these two heavyweights blessed the world with a surprise collab mixtape entitled Super Slimey that's jam-packed with the brand of car stereo-destroying trap you'd expect from this beautiful union.
Super Slimey essentially operates as a 42-minute showcase of why Future and Young Thug have become juggernauts in the trap scene. The vibe is playful, the hooks are plentiful and just about every song is begging to be bumped at maximum volume. While the surprises are few and far between, it's hard not to be impressed by the strength of the rapport that these two have. On the 9 tracks where they appear together (each of them also have a pair of solo tracks), Future and Thug play off each other in a very organic fashion without burying any of their vivid, unique personalities. Good relationships are always fueled by chemistry and the pure electricity that exists between this pair of ATL titans helps this record work as an exercise in pure, energetic fun.
As much as there is to like here, Super Slimey also manages to have the odd distinction of being a record that I was satisfied with yet somewhat disappointed by. While "All da Smoke" is the only serious dud in the lot, the album's abundance of good-but-not-great tracks ("Drip on Me", "Feed Me Dope", "Cruise Ship", "Mink Flow", "200") prevent it from reaching its sky-high ceiling. This surplus of solid yet not overly memorable material becomes especially disheartening when you compare them to the excellence of the prime cuts. "Killed Before", "No Cap", "Three" and "Patek Water", which features yet another show-stopping feature from 2017's Most Valuable Migo Offset, are some of the most infectious, vibrant and punchy trap anthems I've heard all year and if Super Slimey maintained that level of quality throughout, there's no doubt it would've ended up being a standout release in both of their impressive catalogs. Future, Thug and the collection of gifted producers they worked with (Southside, Mike Will Made It, TM88, Tre Pounds, Fuse) failed to consistently flash the peak of their abilities here and the nagging feeling of what could've been if every party was at the top of their game throughout somewhat diminishes from Super Silmey's breezy likability.
In spite of its flawed, inconsistent execution, Super Slimey manages to be an entertaining, effortlessly listenable release that I'll definitely be revisiting anytime I'm looking to jam out to some high-energy trap. Hendrix and Thugga have a winning dynamic and I would love to see them team-up on another project in the future. Now excuse me while I pray to the hip-hop gods to drop the Quavo/Travi$ Scott by the end of the year.
3.5/5 Stars
Standout Tracks
1.Killed Before (Young Thug solo)
2.Patek Water (feat. Offset)
3.No Cap
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