Write All Nite rarely covers soundtracks.

In terms of my ever-expanding ranking of 2018 albums (see below), I think it’s unfair to pit totally original work against collections of pre-existing music, especially since the latter often come with pre-ordained quality stamps of approval; why would a movie’s music supervisor choose bad songs?

Yet much like Kendrick Lamar’s Black Panther that accompanied the Marvel bonanza earlier this year, Future’s SUPERFLY, a companion piece to the new cinematic adaptation of the classic 1972 blaxploitation flick, also consists of completely original tracks.

And that’s where the similarities end.

Black Panther wrestles with a lot of the same themes as the movie. Even though it can easily stand apart from the film on its own merits, the two almost work in tandem with each other. Their tones are both related yet differentiated, reciprocally deepening each other when put in conversation. Most of the album’s achievements can be credited to Mr. Lamar. In a rare example of truth in advertising, it doesn’t feel so much like another Kendrick album as an album curated by the master; his fingerprints are detectable everywhere. Yet he still understood when to take a back seat, letting the styles of his illustrious guests determine the identity of their individual tracks, the primary separation point from his usual solo ventures.

SUPERFLY, on the other hand, wrestles with nothing except my eardrums. It’s merely a Future album, with his customary litany of all-star features trouncing his lyrical skills in comparison.  

As for its connections to the movie, why are the blaxploitation elements of Sleepy Brown’s opener entirely forsaken afterwards? These immediately-endearing and fabulously-stylish influences could’ve EASILY been incorporated into the producing! Even Khalid and H.E.R.’s contribution, the album’s pinnacle, could be interpreted as a modern version of the songs that usually bump in the background of the sultry sex scenes that are just as much a signature of the genre. 

In short: SUPERFLY is the same old Future, take that as you will. He’s not my bag, but I’m in the minority on that one (case in point: Future’s responsible for 10 of the album’s 13 tracks….yet he’s not on my three favorites. You do the math).

In the album’s defense, perhaps it’s not right to evaluate a piece of art intended to be heard in a certain context. And since I have’t experienced that context yet, i.e. I haven’t seen the movie, I shall report back if the songs are somehow elevated when played over the images they may have been created for.

But please: don’t get your hopes up that this Future post will be any more positive. If the past is bound to repeat itself, then my history of Future apathy will bear itself out once again in the near Future…

2018 Albums, Ranked

1. Black Panther — Kendrick Lamar
2. Dirty Computer — Janelle Monáe
3. DAYTONA — Kanye West & Pusha T
4. The Color of You — Alina Baraz
5. KIDS SEE GHOSTS — Kanye West & Kid Cudi
6. Light of Mine — KYLE
7. Man of the Woods — Justin Timberlake
8. beerbongs & bentleys — Post Malone
9. ye — Kanye West
10. My Dear Melancholy, — The Weeknd
11. Shawn Mendes — Shawn Mendes
12. DAY69 — 6ix9ine
13. SR3MM — Rae Sremmurd, Swae Lee & Slim Jxmmi
14. Testing — A$AP Rocky
15. ? — XXXTENTACION
16. Culture 2 — Migos
17. Bobby Tarantino II — Logic
18. Vacation in Hell — Flatbush Zombies
19. GANGIN — SOB X RBE
20. Sex & Cigarettes — Toni Braxton
21. Isolation — Kali Uchs
22. D6: Reloaded — Lil Wayne
23. KOD — J. Cole
24. Little Dark Age — MGMT
25. Blue Madonna — BØRNS
26. 44/876 — Sting & Shaggy
27. Common Ground — Above & Beyond
28. Amen — Rich Brian
29. Five Five — Pouya
    
30. For My Fans — Fetty Wap
31. It’s Complicated — Wale
32. California — Diplo
    
33. Punken — Maxo Kream
34. When We (Remix) — Tank
35. 2.23 — Blac Youngsta
36. Invasion of Privacy — Cardi B
37. Trapholizay — Zaytoven
38. Cosmic — Bazzi
39. As She Pleases — Madison Beer
40. Life of a Dark Rose — Lil Skies
41. Love Yourself Tear — BTS
42. Lost & Found — Jorja Smith
43. Ready — Ella Mai
44. BEWARE THE BOOK OF ELI — Ski Mask the Slump God
45. Activated — Tee Grizzley
46. God’s Favorite Customer — Father John Misty
47. Vibras — J Balvin
    
48. By the Way, I Forgive You — Brandi Carlile
    
49. The Big Pescado — Berner
50. P2 — Dave East
51. Camila — Camila Cabello
52. I Like It Loud — Tiesto
53. M A N I A — Fall Out Boy
54. Victory Lap — Nipsey Hussle
    
55. MEMORIES DON’T DIE — Tory Lanez
56. Bless Yo Trap — Smokepurpp & Murda Beatz
57. Reckless — NAV
58. The Longshot — The Longshot
59. Fate — Tammy Rivera
60. The World is Yours — Rich the Kid
61. Kolorblind — DJ ESCO
62. Edgewood — Trouble & Mike WiLL Made-It
63. Hurtin’ Me — Stefflon Don
64. F.A.M.E. — Maluma
65. Voicenotes — Charlie Puth
66. Rearview Town — Jason Aldean
67. This One’s For You Too — Luke Combs
68. Obsessed: Hedwig and the Angry Inch — Lena Hall
    
69. November — SiR
70. The Chocolate Box — Jeremih
71. Goodbye & Good Riddance — Juice WRLD
72. The Vault — G-Eazy
73. Heart Break Kodak — Kodak Black
74. Die Lit — Playboi Carti
75. Ottopsy — Chief Keef
76. Lil Boat 2 — Lil Yachty
    
77. Glock Bond — Key Glock
78. Drip Season 3 — Gunna
79. Spiritual Conversations — Mozzy
80. SUPERFLY — Future & Co.
81. The Play Don’t Care Who Makes It — 2 Chainz
    
82. Humble Beast (Deluxe) — G Herbo
    
83. Rich As In Spirit — Rich Homie Quan
84. Pain and Pleasure — Tink
85. Golden Hour — Kacey Musgraves
86. Ray Ray from Summerhill — YFN Lucci
    
87. Freda’s Son — YFN Lucci 
88. We Beefin? — at Wendys
89. Dex Meets Dexter — Famous Dex
90. Harder Than Ever — Lil Baby
91. Age Of — Oneohtrix Point Never
92. Just Cause Y’all Waited — Lil Durk
93. Apart — Pete Yorn & Scarlett Johansson
94. The Marina — Curren$y & Harry Fraud
95. Sick Boy…Everybody Hates Me — The Chainsmokers 
96. Hear No Evil — Young Thug
97. Chained to the City — Kevin Gates
98. Until Death Call My Name — YoungBoy Never Broke Again
99. 2 Heartless — Moneybagg Yo
    
100. Grow God — Money Man
     
101. Don Talk — Don Q
102. N****S Get Shot — Young Dolph
     
103. Rich Hood — HoodRich Pablo Juan
104. The Leek 4 — Chief Keef