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What a Time to Be Alive

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What a Time to Be Alive is a collaborative commercial mixtape by Canadian rapper Drake and American rapper Future. It was released on September 20, 2015, by Young Money Entertainment, Cash Money Records, Republic Records, Epic Records, A1 Records and Freebandz. The mixtape was executive produced by Metro Boomin, who also produced or co-produced eight of its 11 songs. Additional producers include 40 (who also executive produced the mixtape), alongside Southside, Allen Ritter, Boi-1da, Frank Dukes, and others.[3] It was released on the iTunes Store and Apple Music, and debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200.[4]

What a Time to Be Alive
Mixtape by
Drake and Future
ReleasedSeptember 20, 2015
Recorded2015
Studio
  • Chalice, Los Angeles, California
  • Tree Sound, Atlanta, Georgia
Genre
Length40:30
Label
Producer
Drake chronology
If You're Reading This It's Too Late
(2015) 		What a Time to Be Alive
(2015) 		Views
(2016)
Future chronology
DS2
(2015) 		What a Time to Be Alive
(2015) 		Purple Reign
(2016)
Singles from What a Time to Be Alive
  1. "Jumpman"
    Released: November 10, 2015

Background

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Shortly prior to What a Time to Be Alive, Drake and Future collaborated on the latter's single "Where Ya At". The duo talked about recording a mixtape together earlier that year, and following the recording sessions for "Where Ya At", they began working on the project, beginning in July.[citation needed]

According to a 2016 interview with Zane Lowe, Drake spent 6 days in Atlanta working on the project with Future. "Digital Dash" was the first song they made for the project, originally being a Future's record that ended up being finished with Drake later. "Jumpman" was the last song the duo created for the project.[5]

Release, packaging and promotion

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The mixtape was first teased by a range of sources; including DJ Skee, Angela Yee and Ernest Baker, and this project was officially announced on Drake's Instagram on September 19, 2015, when he revealed the mixtape's release date and cover art.[6][7][8]

The artwork is a stock image that was purchased from Shutterstock.[9]

Drake and Future premiered the album on Beats 1 on OVO Sound's "OVO Sound Radio" show on September 20, 2015, and weeks after it was released on the iTunes Store and Apple Music.[10][11]

The Summer Sixteen Tour by Drake was made to support this mixtape.[12]

Critical reception

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Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic?6.9/10[13]
Metacritic70/100[14]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic     [15]
Billboard     [16]
Entertainment WeeklyC−[1]
NME4/5[17]
The Observer     [18]
Pitchfork7.0/10[19]
Q     [20]
Rolling Stone     [21]
Spin7/10[22]
XXL4/5[23]

What a Time to Be Alive received generally positive reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 70, based on 24 reviews.[14] Billboard described Drake and Future's chemistry as expected and said "Future deals with personal demons that he tries, and fails, to drown in drugs; Drake is mostly about insecurities and lesser gravity".[16] Rolling Stone gave the album 3.5 out of 5 stars, attributing the "fresh and spontaneous" feel to the quick production of the album, where "both artists [are] playing off their louder-than-life personalities without overthinking the details".[21] However, Sheldon Pearce in a Pitchfork review suggests that this limited time-frame for making the album is the sonic downfall of the mixtape arguing that the album "wasn't created with the care or the dutiful curation we've come to expect from both artists when solo."[19]

In a mixed review, Sheldon Pearce of Pitchfork criticizes the "decided lack of chemistry between these two", because "they have difficulty sharing the same space" when on the same song.[19] Pearce goes on to highlight how Future's presence, both in content and persona, is much more prevalent than Drake's, where the latter appears to be a "bystander" and "out of his element".[19] Yet, he highlights moments where the collaboration works most effectively. On "Scholarships", Drake "throws Future the perfect alley-oop", "Jumpman" is a banger, and "Diamonds Dancing" is the first track between the two artists that "clicks on all cylinders".[19] Additionally, Pearce lauds the production by Metro Boomin as "glimmering" and hails both rappers when they are able to work on their own and make music in their respective comfort zones in songs like Future's "Jersey" and Drake's "30 for 30 Freestyle".[19]

Complex said about Drake verses; "despite a corny bar here or there, Drake sounds way more energized with much better flows."[24] Entertainment Weekly was disappointed with Drake on the album, quoting "despite a beat by Drake whisperer Noah "40" Shebib, the album-closing "30 For 30 Freestyle" doesn't come near clearing the admittedly high bar Drake has set for himself in 2015."[1]

Rankings

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Select rankings of What a Time to Be Alive
Publication List Rank Ref.
Complex The Best Albums of 2015
50
[25]
Time Out Group The 50 best albums of 2015
26
[26]

Commercial performance

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What a Time to Be Alive debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200, with 375,000 album-equivalent units; it sold 334,000 copies in its first week, with the remainder of its unit count representing the album's streaming activity and track sales during the tracking week.[4] It became both Drake and Future's second albums to chart at number one on the Billboard 200 in 2015 (If You're Reading This It's Too Late and DS2, respectively).[4] In its second week it sold 65,000 copies.[27] As of January 27, 2016, What a Time to Be Alive has sold 519,000 copies in the United States.[28] On December 8, 2022, the album was certified 2x Multi-Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), for combined sales and album-equivalent units of over two million units.[29]

Track listing

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What a Time to Be Alive track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Digital Dash"
3:51
2."Big Rings"
  • Graham
  • Wilburn
  • Wayne
Metro Boomin3:37
3."Live from the Gutter"
3:31
4."Diamonds Dancing"
5:14
5."Scholarships"
  • Graham
  • Wilburn
  • Wayne
Metro Boomin3:29
6."Plastic Bag"
Neenyo3:22
7."I'm the Plug"
  • Graham
  • Wilburn
  • Wayne
  • Luellen
  • Metro Boomin
  • Southside
3:00
8."Change Locations"
  • Graham
  • Wilburn
  • Noel Cadastre
Cadastre3:40
9."Jumpman"
  • Wilburn
  • Wayne
  • Graham
Metro Boomin3:25
10."Jersey" (performed by Future)
  • Wilburn
  • Wayne
  • Luellen
  • Metro Boomin
  • Southside
3:08
11."30 for 30 Freestyle" (performed by Drake)
404:13
Total length:40:30

Notes

  • "30 for 30 Freestyle" features background vocals by Kyle Machado

Personnel

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Musicians

  • Maneesh – piano, keyboards (tracks 3, 6)

Technical

  • Eric Manco – recording (tracks 1–5, 7–9)
  • Seth Firkins – recording (track 6)
  • James Kang – recording (track 10)
  • Miguel Scott – recording assistance (tracks 1–9, 11)
  • Noel "Gadget" Campbell – mixing (tracks 1–9, 11)
  • Noah "40" Shebib – mixing (tracks 1–9, 11)
  • Metro Boomin – mixing (track 10)
  • Les Bateman – mixing assistance (tracks 1–9, 11)
  • Greg Moffett – mixing assistance (tracks 1–9, 11)
  • Harley Arsenault – mixing assistance (tracks 1–9, 11)
  • Noel Cadastre – engineering (tracks 1–9, 11)
  • Chris Athens – mastering (all tracks)
  • Dave Huffman – mastering assistance (all tracks)

Charts

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Certifications

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Certifications for What a Time to Be Alive
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[56] 2× Platinum 160,000‡
Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[57] Gold 10,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI)[58] Gold 100,000‡
United States (RIAA)[59] 2× Platinum 2,000,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c Anderson, Kyle (September 22, 2015). "What a Time To Be Alive by Drake & Future: EW review". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved September 24, 2015.
  2. ^ Ex, Kris (21 September 2015). "Drake & Future's 'What A Time To Be Alive' Mixtape Is a Perfectly Timed Victory Lap: Album Review". Billboard. Retrieved 1 July 2016.
  3. ^ "Metro Boomin Explains How 'What A Time To Be Alive' Came Together". Complex.
  4. ^ a b c "Drake and Future's Surprise Album Debuts at No. 1 on Billboard 200 Chart". Billboard.
  5. ^ "Drake Reveals Kanye West Joint Project Almost Happened & Everything You Need to Know From His Beats 1 Interview with Zane Lowe - Billboard". billboard.com.
  6. ^ HipHopDX (September 19, 2015). "Drake Confirms "What A Time To Be Alive" Project With Future & Sets Release Date". HipHopDX.
  7. ^ "DJ Skee on Twitter". Twitter.
  8. ^ "ernest baker on Twitter". Twitter.
  9. ^ Sanchez, Karizza. "Drake And Future Used A Stock Image For Their 'It Never Happened' Album Cover". Complex UK.
  10. ^ Brodsky, Rachel (September 20, 2015). "Download Drake and Future's 'What a Time to Be Alive' Right Now". Spin. Retrieved September 20, 2015.
  11. ^ "What a Time To Be Alive". iTunes. September 20, 2015. Retrieved September 20, 2015.
  12. ^ "Drake and Future Announce Summer Sixteen Tour - Pitchfork". pitchfork.com. 25 April 2016.
  13. ^ "What A Time To Be Alive by Drake / Future reviews". AnyDecentMusic?. Retrieved October 19, 2019.
  14. ^ a b "Reviews for What a Time to Be Alive [Mixtape] by Drake & Future". Metacritic. Retrieved September 25, 2015.
  15. ^ Jeffries, David. "What a Time to Be Alive – Drake / Future". AllMusic. Retrieved September 25, 2015.
  16. ^ a b Ex, Kris (September 21, 2015). "Drake & Future's 'What a Time to Be Alive' Mixtape is a Perfectly Timed Victory Lap: Album Review". Billboard. Retrieved September 24, 2015.
  17. ^ Bassett, Jordan (September 22, 2015). "Drake and Future – 'What A Time To Be Alive'". NME. Archived from the original on September 23, 2015. Retrieved December 18, 2016.
  18. ^ Thompson, Ben (October 11, 2015). "Drake and Future: What a Time to Be Alive review – a dynamic pairing". The Observer. Retrieved December 18, 2016.
  19. ^ a b c d e f Pearce, Sheldon (September 23, 2015). "Drake / Future: What a Time to Be Alive". Pitchfork. Retrieved September 24, 2015.
  20. ^ Yates, Steve (December 2015). "Mix and Match". Q (353): 107.
  21. ^ a b Sheffield, Rob (September 24, 2015). "What a Time to Be Alive". Rolling Stone. Retrieved September 24, 2015.
  22. ^ Ramirez, Matthew (September 22, 2015). "Review: Drake and Future Define 2015 Rap for Better and Worse on 'What a Time to Be Alive'". Spin. Retrieved September 24, 2015.
  23. ^ Rys, Dan (September 22, 2015). "Drake and Future Shine Bright on 'What A Time To Be Alive'". XXL. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved October 3, 2015.
  24. ^ Tharpe, Frazier. "Drake and Future 'What a Time to Be Alive' Review - Complex". Complex.
  25. ^ "The Best Albums of 2015". Complex. December 1, 2015. Archived from the original on June 2, 2023. Retrieved August 12, 2024.
  26. ^ "The 50 best albums of 2015". Time Out Group. December 17, 2015. Archived from the original on November 4, 2023. Retrieved August 12, 2024.
  27. ^ Kyles, Yohance (October 5, 2015). "Drake & Future's 'WATTBA' Suffers One Of The Worst Sales Drops In Hip Hop History". AllHipHop. Retrieved November 4, 2015.
  28. ^ Smith, Trevor (January 27, 2016). "Charts Don't Lie: January 27". hotnewhiphop. Retrieved April 5, 2016.
  29. ^ "Gold & Platinum". Recording Industry Association of America.
  30. ^ "Australiancharts.com – Drake & Future – What a Time to Be Alive". Hung Medien. Retrieved September 29, 2015.
  31. ^ "Ultratop.be – Drake & Future – What a Time to Be Alive" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved September 25, 2015.
  32. ^ "Ultratop.be – Drake & Future – What a Time to Be Alive" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved September 25, 2015.
  33. ^ "Drake Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved September 29, 2015.
  34. ^ "Danishcharts.dk – Drake & Future – What a Time to Be Alive". Hung Medien. Retrieved October 8, 2015.
  35. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Drake & Future – What a Time to Be Alive" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved September 26, 2015.
  36. ^ "Lescharts.com – Drake & Future – What a Time to Be Alive". Hung Medien. Retrieved October 1, 2015.
  37. ^ "GFK Chart-Track Albums: Week 39, 2015". Chart-Track. IRMA. Retrieved September 25, 2015.
  38. ^ "Charts.nz – Drake & Future – What a Time to Be Alive". Hung Medien. Retrieved September 29, 2015.
  39. ^ "VG-lista - Drake / What A Time To Be Alive". Archived from the original on 7 February 2016. Retrieved 1 July 2016.
  40. ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 9, 2023.
  41. ^ "Spanishcharts.com – Drake & Future – What a Time to Be Alive". Hung Medien. Retrieved October 5, 2015.
  42. ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Drake & Future – What a Time to Be Alive". Hung Medien. Retrieved October 10, 2015.
  43. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 26, 2015.
  44. ^ "Official R&B Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 29, 2015.
  45. ^ "Drake Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved September 29, 2015.
  46. ^ "Drake Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved September 29, 2015.
  47. ^ "Billboard Top Canadian Albums – Year-end Chart". Billboard. Retrieved December 9, 2015.
  48. ^ "Billboard 200 – Year-end Chart". Billboard. Retrieved December 9, 2015.
  49. ^ "Billboard Digital Albums- Year-end Chart". Billboard. Retrieved December 9, 2015.
  50. ^ "Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums- Year-end Chart". Billboard. Retrieved December 9, 2015.
  51. ^ "Billboard Rap Albums- Year-end Chart". Billboard. Retrieved December 9, 2015.
  52. ^ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2016". Billboard. Retrieved December 9, 2016.
  53. ^ "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 2016". Billboard. Retrieved July 3, 2020.
  54. ^ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2017". Billboard. Retrieved July 3, 2021.
  55. ^ "Decade-End Charts: Billboard 200". Billboard. Retrieved November 15, 2019.
  56. ^ "Canadian album certifications – Drake & Future – What a Time to Be Alive". Music Canada.
  57. ^ "Danish album certifications – Drake & Future – What a Time to Be Alive". IFPI Danmark. Scroll through the page-list below until year 2018 to obtain certification.
  58. ^ "British album certifications – Drake & Future – What a Time to Be Alive". British Phonographic Industry.
  59. ^ "American album certifications – Drake – What a Time to Be Alive". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved December 6, 2022.
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