Purple Reign

For other uses, see Purple Reign (disambiguation).
Purple Reign
Mixtape by
Future
ReleasedJanuary 17, 2016 (January 17, 2016)
Recorded2015
GenreTrap
Length40:15
LabelFreebandz
Producer
Future chronology
What a Time to Be Alive
(2015) 		Purple Reign
(2016) 		Evol
(2016)
Singles from Purple Reign
  1. "Wicked"
    Released: April 13, 2016

Purple Reign is the sixteenth mixtape by American rapper Future, hosted and executive-produced by DJ Esco and Metro Boomin. It was released on January 17, 2016 with an 11-hour notice via LiveMixtapes and DatPiff.[1][2][3][4] It is Future's first non-commercial mixtape since the mixtape trilogy Monster (2014), Beast Mode, and 56 Nights (2015).[5][6] Purple Reign follows the commercial collaborative mixtape What a Time to Be Alive with Canadian rapper Drake. The mixtape features production from frequent collaborators Metro Boomin, Southside, Zaytoven, DJ Spinz, and Nard & B, among others.[7] The title and cover font is a tribute to Prince's landmark 1984 album Purple Rain, which is stylized in the same fashion.

The mixtape was re-released for streaming platforms on April 16, 2020, removing the single "Wicked" and including the song "News or Something".[8][9]

Background and composition

2015 was a significant year in rapper Future's career. He worked on mixtapes Monster (2014), Beast Mode (2015), 56 Nights (2015), a collaboration mixtape with Drake, What a Time to Be Alive (2015), and his studio album DS2 (2015) shifted from introspective ballads to macabre rap numbers about drugs and sex.[10] Analyzed Matthew Ramirez of Spin, Purple Reign continues this antagonist style, but with more restraint to the point where Future sounds stoic and the instrumentals "muted" and "monochrome".[10] A few moments involve Future delivering the style of sad, straightforward lines prominent on Streetz Calling (2011) and Astronaut Status (2012). As he laments on "Never Forget", "I ain’t make my auntie’s funeral I ain’t never forget it / I know she know I love her and I hope she forgive me."[10]

Release and promotion

The mixtape was released without prior announcement on January 17, 2016, available for download on free mixtape hosting platforms such as DatPiff and LiveMixtapes.[11][12]

In 2020, Future began re-releasing popular mixtapes that were unavailable on digital streaming platforms, such as Beast Mode and 56 Nights. On April 16, 2020, Purple Reign was released for digital purchase and streaming. The tracklist was altered to remove the single "Wicked" due to its inclusion on the album Evol, combining the "Intro" with "All Right" and extending the track "Salute". The song "News or Something" was included as the final song, originally released in 2015 via Future's SoundCloud as part of the "#MonsterMondays" series.[13][14]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic71/100[15]
Review scores
SourceRating
Consequence of SoundB-[16]
HipHopDX[17]
Pitchfork7.2/10[18]
PopMatters[19]
Spectrum Culture[20]
Spin7/10[10]
Tiny Mix Tapes[21]

At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the mixtape received an average score of 71, based on 6 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[15]

Jayson Greene of Pitchfork wrote that Purple Reign is "a fine tape, but considered in the run of the most vital rapper working, relatively minor."[18]

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Intro"  0:55
2."All Right"
2:16
3."Wicked"
2:53
4."Never Forget"WilburnJon Boii3:20
5."Drippin' (How U Luv That)"
  • Wilburn
  • Wayne
Metro Boomin3:10
6."Inside the Mattress"
3:30
7."Hater Shit"
  • Wilburn
  • Wayne
Metro Boomin3:04
8."Salute"
2:47
9."Bye Bye"
Zaytoven2:55
10."No Charge"
  • Wilburn
  • Luellen
Southside2:42
11."Run Up"
  • Wilburn
  • Hill
DJ Spinz3:17
12."Perkys Calling"
  • Wilburn
  • Luellen
  • Michael Holmes
  • Southside
  • DZL[a]
4:06
13."Purple Reign"
  • Wilburn
  • Wayne
Metro Boomin4:06
Total length:40:15
Bonus track
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
14."News or Something"
  • Wilburn
  • Rackley
  • Rosser
  • Nard & B
3:34
Total length:43:48
Streaming version
No.TitleLength
1."All Right"2:25
2."Never Forget"3:19
3."Inside the Mattress"3:30
4."Drippin' (How U Luv That)"3:10
5."Hater Shit"3:04
6."Salute"3:45
7."Bye Bye"2:55
8."No Charge"2:42
9."Run Up"3:17
10."Perkys Calling"4:06
11."Purple Reign"4:01
12."News or Something"3:33
Total length:39:52

Notes

  • ^[a] signifies a co-producer

Sample credits

References

  1. ^ "11:56pm LiveMixtapes.com". Twitter. January 16, 2016.
  2. ^ "#PurpleReign". Twitter. January 17, 2016.
  3. ^ "Future - Purple Reign - Freebandz". LiveMixtapes.com. January 17, 2016.
  4. ^ "Future - Purple Reign - Hosted by DJ Esco & Metro Boomin - Mixtape". DatPiff. January 17, 2016.
  5. ^ "Future: Dirty Sprite 2". Pitchfork. Retrieved July 22, 2015.
  6. ^ "#FutureHive, Assemble: Future Announces Monster vs. Beast Mode Tour". The Fader. Retrieved July 22, 2015.
  7. ^ "Future Drops Purple Reign". Pitchfork. January 17, 2016.
  8. ^ "Future's 'Purple Reign' Is Now on Streaming Services". Billboard. April 16, 2020. Retrieved April 16, 2020.
  9. ^ "Future's 'Purple Reign' Mixtape Is Now Available on All Streaming Services". Complex. April 16, 2020. Retrieved April 16, 2020.
  10. ^ a b c d Ramirez, Matthew (January 25, 2016). "Review: Future Sings the Computer Blues on 'Purple Reign'". Spin. SpinMedia. Retrieved February 6, 2016.
  11. ^ "Future's Fans Sound Off On Purple Reign, His First Mixtape Of 2016". MTV. January 17, 2020. Archived from the original on January 21, 2016. Retrieved April 16, 2020.
  12. ^ "Future Delivers First 2016 Offering with 'Purple Reign' Mixtape". Billboard. January 17, 2020. Retrieved April 16, 2020.
  13. ^ ""News or Somthn" by Future Review". Pitchfork. June 25, 2015. Retrieved April 16, 2020.
  14. ^ "Future Releases 'News Or Something'". Vibe. June 22, 2015. Retrieved April 16, 2020.
  15. ^ a b "Purple Reign [Mixtape] by Future". Retrieved 1 July 2016.
  16. ^ Levy, Pat (January 22, 2016). "Future – Purple Reign". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved February 6, 2016.
  17. ^ Dowling, Marcus (January 19, 2016). "Future - Purple Reign". HipHopDX. Retrieved February 6, 2016.
  18. ^ a b Greene, Jayson (January 21, 2016). "Future: Purple Reign". Pitchfork. Retrieved February 6, 2016.
  19. ^ Duricy, Brian (January 20, 2016). "Future: Purple Reign". PopMatters. Retrieved February 6, 2016.
  20. ^ Bromfield, Daniel (January 4, 2016). "Future: Purple Reign". Spectrum Culture. Retrieved February 6, 2016.
  21. ^ Russell, Brooklyn. "Future - Purple Reign". Tiny Mix Tapes. Retrieved February 6, 2016.
  22. ^ Rayan. WhoSampled.com.