What A Time To Be Alive [Mixtape]
by Drake & Future
Metascore
70

Generally favorable reviews - based on 24 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 17 out of 24
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 24
  3. Negative: 0 out of 24
  1. Q Magazine
    Oct 27, 2015
    60
    This feels like a flying visit through an impromptu victory party. [Dec 2015, p.107]
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  2. Exclaim
    Sep 25, 2015
    60
    While this project will likely infiltrate the Serato of many a nightclub DJ, there's little--outside the three or four cohesive, codeine-fuelled joints surprisingly carried mostly by Future--that reaches the potential of what What a Time to Be Alive could have been.
  3. Clash Music
    Sep 24, 2015
    60
    The whole set comes off like a collection of Future songs--with some Drake verses clumsily tacked on as an afterthought.
  5. NOW Magazine
    Sep 22, 2015
    60
    When Drake swoops in to pick up the thread, his clear, articulated voice is so much more animated than Future’s that the impact is jarring.... Occasionally the two conjure interesting spaces between underground murk and pop-star sheen (Live From The Gutter, Scholarships), and the tension, as they adapt to each other, is compelling.
  6. Billboard.com
    Sep 22, 2015
    60
    The chemistry works as expected, even if it never exceeds, or even reaches, the sum of its artists. There's no transcendent moment here, because the project is essentially a meeting of opposites who mostly stay in their lanes.
  7. The New York Times
    Sep 22, 2015
    50
    For the most part, What a Time to Be Alive is a layup from two of hip-hop’s most innovative rappers, not a hasty record, but not an intricate one either, more like a series of energetic first drafts, with choruses often little more than the same phrase repeated ad nauseam.
  8. Entertainment Weekly
    Sep 22, 2015
    42
    There’s very little evidence here that makes the case for either as the game-changing superstar he actually is. Future comes off particularly blasé, falling repeatedly into the cliché version of himself that is all mealy-mouthed strip-club crooning.... Drake sounds only slightly more engaged.

User Reviews

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User Score
6.4

Generally favorable reviews- based on 120 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 76 out of 120
  2. Mixed: 20 out of 120
  3. Negative: 24 out of 120
  1. TomFisher
    Sep 24, 2015
    8
    It's decent for what it is. A handful of club anthems, and songs for the fans. As I'm a fan of both Drake and Future, I enjoyed it. MetroIt's decent for what it is. A handful of club anthems, and songs for the fans. As I'm a fan of both Drake and Future, I enjoyed it. Metro Boomin does great production for the most part too. Definitely worth giving a listen… Full Review »
  2. DefeatSamsara
    Sep 26, 2015
    1
    This review contains spoilers, click full review link to view. If you're listening to this, it's too late...

    Before you waste your iTunes gift card, please consider the following.
    To open up I would like to say, the only thing keeping this "mixtape" from an absolute stone cold zero was the production. Although it is cringe worthy to give the producers (who obviously put more time and effort into the project than either of the two artists did) credit for only one tenth of the entire projects ratings, it's almost impossible to move past the fact that both "rappers" ( I use that term loosely) bring the entire project to a halt.

    Song by song ratings:

    Digital Dash - Opens up with the muffled sounds of Future attempting to string together some catchy verses that pertain almost entirely to (you guessed it) drugs, money and girls. Future sounds more like a nervous, mumbling middle schooler with his eyes to the ground reading his first oral presentation. Sorry Future but mumbling won't help people realize that you can't write or deliver. But then, just as we thought all hope was lost, Drake jumps in with an equally disappointing, repetitive verse. Unfortunately for the mixtape, the 6 God did not rectify the situation.

    Big Rings- It's obvious Wheelchair Jimmy has always been grateful for his team, in his eyes they all deserve big rings, and... that's about all we hear from the ex-Degrassi star. If you thought you were going to get away from the autotune this time... think again, leave it to Future to mask his voice (Once again) and deliver some less than impressive lines about murdering, kidnapping and carjacking.

    Live From the Gutter- An attempt for Future to illustrate his "Come Up", once again a typical concept painted with an autotuned brush, presented with no standout lines. Hello Drake, in 165 words, you managed to tell us what? How had you an illustrious dating history? We know you appreciate your boys and love to tell us about your female history. But seriously, Mia Khalifa obviously doesn't care that you're live from the gutter, she's still not into you.

    Diamonds Dancing- The common consensus is that this is the best song on the album. Which is understandable considering the audience it's appealing to. A repetitive song with a slow strip club-like beat. This song is perfect for getting a lap dance and sipping on some liquor.. but that really about it.

    Are you seeing a pattern here? Or is it just me... If you were hoping for some magical climax in this album, I'm sorry but you will be sorely disappointed. From Scholarships to Drakes 30 for 30 Freestyle, the rest of the album is about as bland and generic as the previous four songs. So instead of wasting your valuable time reading a song by song review for the next 7 tracks, I'll save you some time and hopefully money and tell you exactly why this album should not have sold 350,000 copies in the first week.

    Concept- 2015 has been a year filled with amazing, unprecedented classics that can only be described as timeless. Albums that represent what rap truly is. I understand that each album is attempting to appeal to a particular audience through the messages it conveys and the beats those meaning are carried over, but for an album to be successful in the minds of critics it needs a concept. After listening to this album many times over and digesting it for a week, I've come up short in my attempt to find a concept. All 11 tracks seem to be redundant and poorly pieced together from a lyrical point of view. No meaning past the face value of the words, both Drake and Future have not strayed from their comfort zone. For someone who is rumoured to not even write his own lyrics, Drake who is considered at the top of the game now by many mainstream rap fans is particularly disappointing. Each song carries the same message, and no track strays from it. We understand you have money, we understand you think you had a tough life, and most of all we understand you have girls in your give us something new.

    "Real Rap" is simply an opinion, therefore I am entitled to my own. Drake and Future are not rappers, they are entertainers. The lack of variety and absence of meaning to me just goes to show how much these two actually care about their craft. If the rumours are true, and this only took 6 days to create, I can't express in words how disappointed I am with Drake and Future. It seems that these rushed albums are more about financial gain, than actually producing a quality soundtrack.

    What A Time To Be Alive is nothing more than a representation of the apathy and lack of interests artist have towards rap. Lyrics and concepts are the foundations of any good musical creation, but this mixtape offers nothing but redundancies in both of those categories.

    1/10, I'm glad I did not support this mediocracy but actually purchasing the mixtape, and I hope you all follow suit. Give credit where credit is due, these two have done nothing special in their careers and this mixtape just reinforced that fact.    … Full Review »
  3. musikman91307
    Sep 22, 2015
    8
    It's a dope mixtape overall with a few stand out tracks. Nothing ground breaking or game changing, but Drake and Future have a nice chemistryIt's a dope mixtape overall with a few stand out tracks. Nothing ground breaking or game changing, but Drake and Future have a nice chemistry throughout and there's a proper balance of trap bangers and that ambient ovo sound.… Full Review »
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