Future’s “Codeine Crazy” Took His Artistry To The Next Level

Moving into the second coming of the “roaring twenties,” it’s easy to name Future as one of hip-hop’s most impactful players of the past ten years. Prolific, influential, mysterious, and versatile, the Atlanta based Dungeon Family veteran has amassed no shortage of fans and haters during his tenure in the game. For those within the latter camp, Future stands as a representative of everything “wrong” with rap music, the man who revived autotune after Jay-Z hit it with the DNR label. But for those willing to spend the time and explore his catalog, it’s impossible to deny the brilliance of Future Hndrxx, known in some circles as The WIZRD. 

In 2014, Future surprised the masses by dropping the most emotionally vulnerable and arguably most well-written song of his career, “Codeine Crazy.” Pairing his keen ear for muddy melodies with a slew of unexpectedly clear-headed verses, Future’s hallucinogenic reflection of self-made for a compelling glimpse behind the curtain. His pain enhanced by the melancholic soundtrack of TM88, HNDRXX actively invited his listeners to pick his brain, a burst of emotional honesty that sparked a late-decade artistic movement. Is “Codeine Crazy” one of the best songs of the decade?

Quotable Lyrics

Don’t tell me you celibate to the moola
I just went Rick the Ruler with the jeweler
I just went St. Tropez-in’ like a goonie
Abu Dhabi, n*** straight out the sewer
Like a loaded chopper, I’m ’bout to shoot it
I’m so fucking sick and tired of these rumors