A rapper and record producer, Future first got involved with hip hop through the Dungeon Family collective in the 90’s. Adopting his current stage name, he later came out with a series of mix tapes in the early 2010’s. From there, the aspiring rapper eventually signed to Epic Records in the fall of 2011.
Born on November 20, 1983, in Atlanta, Georgia, Future (Real Name: Nayvadius DeMun Wilburn) was encouraged by his first cousin, Rico Wade to pursue a rapping career during his teens. As he worked to perfect his sound, he joined the Dungeon Family, which Wade was also a member of. Eventually going under the wing of Rocko, he released a number of mix tapes between 2010 and 2011 including 1000, Kno Mercy, Dirty Sprite, and True Story.
How Future Got Famous
Having said that, it wasn’t until 2012 with the release of his debut album, Pluto that he first started to garner more attention as a hip hop artist.
The rapper’s debut album titled, Pluto was released on April 13, 2012. Featuring guest appearances from T.I., R. Kelly, Snoop Dogg, it debuted on the Billboard Top 200 at number 8 with 41,000 first week sales. A solid release, it boasted fifteen tracks including Same Damn Time, Turn On the Lights, Neva End, Truth Gonna Hurt You, Astronaut Chick, and The Future is Now. A successful debut, the album later also reached number 2 on the Top Rap Albums and Top R&B Albums Charts.
Following that, Future released his second album, Honest on April 22, 2014. A mix of trap and hip hop, it garnered mostly positive reviews upon hitting stores. Supported by five singles, the album showcased twelve new tracks including My Momma (Feat. Wiz Khalifa), Look Ahead, Covered N Money, Special (Feat. Young Scooter), and I Be U.
More successful than his first, it entered the Billboard 200 at number 2, after selling 53,000 copies within the first week. Soon afterwards, the album also reached the top of the Top R&B and Hip Hop Albums chart, making it Future’s first number one title. A global hit, it also charted in Canada, Belgium, France, Switzerland, and the UK.
Then in July 2015, Future’s popularity spiked with the release of his third album, DS2. Hailed as one of the best albums of 2015 by several publications, it entered at the top of the US Billboard Top 200, having sold 151,000 units in the first week. His best selling album at the time, it also topped the R&B/Hip Hop Albums soon afterwards.
Praised by critics and fans alike, it boasted thirteen numbers including Fuck Up Some Commas, Stick Talk, and Where Ya At, all of which were later released as singles. As of May 2016, DS2 has attained platinum certification from the RIAA.
In February 2016, he dropped another chart topper- a studio album titled, EVOL. Executively produced by Future himself as usual, the 11-track project featured several new beats including that of Lil Haiti Baby, Xanny Family, In Her Mouth, Seven Rings, and Lie to Me. Number one on the Billboard Top 200, over 134,000 units were sold by the end of the first week with more than 25 million streams online.
Although not as popular as his previous album, it still managed to chart overseas in several countries including France, Denmark, Belgium, Australia, and the UK. To date, over 500,000 copies have been sold, making it Future’s third gold-certified album in the US.
More recently, Future released his self-titled album, FUTURE on February 17, 2017. Made available as a digital download, its production was handled by the likes of Zaytoven, Metro Boomin, and DJ Khaled. Met with praises online, it debuted at the top of the Billboard 200, much like his earlier releases; approximately 140,000 units were sold within the initial week of release.
Among its 17-track disc were the songs Draco, High Demand, I’m So Groovy, Might as Well, When I Was Broke, Massage in my Room, and Feds Did a Sweep. Later certified gold, it charted among the top 20 in a handful of countries including the UK, Norway, Denmark, Australia, and Canada.
Just a few days later, he dropped his latest album, HNDRXX, which also entered the Billboard 200 at number one. Featuring appearances from Nicki Minaj, Chris Brown, Rihanna, and The Weeknd, the album- named after Future’s alter-ego, Future Hendrix- eventually spawned five singles including You da Baddest, Selfish, Incredible, and Pie. As of July 2017, over 48,000 copies have been sold across the United States.
Future on Television
Although he hasn’t branched out to acting (as of yet), he has appeared on television on a few occasions over the past few years.
For instance, he has been invited onto several talk shows such as Late Night with Jimmy Fallon (2013), The Wendy Williams Show (2014), The Arsenio Hall Show (2014), The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon (2016), and Jimmy Kimmel Love! (2015).
At one point, he also hosted an episode of Revolt Live back in 2014.
Future’s Romantic Life
Despite his single status, Future has four children with four different women- Ciara, India J, Jessica Smith, and Brittni Mealy. Most recently, he was in a relationship with reality star Larsa Pippen; after a year of dating, they broke up earlier in 2017.
At one point in 2013, he was also engaged to singer Ciara. Due to his alleged infidelity however, she later broke off the engagement in August 2014.
Awards Received by Future
Throughout his rap career, Future has received sundry recognitions and industry awards. So far, he’s won a BET Award (e.g. Best Group), two BET Hip Hop Awards (e.g. Best Club Banger, Best Mixtape), a Much Music Video Awards (e.g. Best Hip Hop Video), among countless other nominations.
Altogether, he has garnered over 60 different nominations over the past years.
Future Snapchat Name – FBGBOSS
It was announced back in December 2015, that Future had joined one of the latest fads- Snapchat. If you want to add the rapper to your account, you can do so quickly and easily by clicking here.
Future’s Other Social Media Accounts
Future‘s Facebook Account
Want to follow the 33-year-old rap star on Facebook? You can do so by liking his official page at @FutureOfficial.
Future’s Twitter Account
Looking to stay connected with the rapper on the web? Why not follow him on Twitter at @1future? Over 4 million fans around the world have already done so!
Future’s Instagram Account
Like most celebrities, you can also find the rapper on Instagram. You can follow him on the app at @future. As of 2017, he has already massed close to 11 million followers.
Future’s Youtube Account
Want to listen to some of your favourite songs by the artist? Watch some official music videos? You can do all of that on his Vevo Youtube channel at @FutureVEVO. Since the account was first created in 2010, it has received over 1.8 billion views!
