Future teams up with 1800 Tequila to bring aspiring artists to the forefront
For many hoping to make a splash in the entertainment industry, the notion of having the right connections or knowing the right people to help bring you up and through has become paramount.
With raw, exceptional talent exploding across every social platform, from the tried-and-true YouTube and Instagram singers to new variations like TikTok entertainers, the number of aspiring artists and producers has seemingly skyrocketed in a pool that can feel discouragingly oversaturated.
This is especially apparent in the hip-hop industry, where a seemingly infinite number of people possessing musical talents (from rapping to writing to producing) enter the scene just as quickly as they fade out to the bass bump.
For Grammy-award winning rapper and producer Future, staying a few beats ahead of the curve on what’s influential in the hip-hop sphere is imperative to making it, which is why he teamed up with 1800 Tequila to help showcase and shape the talent of seven aspiring artists on the 1800 Seconds Vol. 2project.
1800 Seconds offers the selected up-and-coming talent the opportunity to write and record their own track while under the guidance and expertise of Future himself.
“The most gratifying part [of being a mentor] was knowing my words could potentially make a difference in someone’s life,” the music icon told AOL. “The thing I learned about myself was that I love new artists’ energy even more as I get older.”
Take an inside look at the full 1800 Seconds project in action below:
“Getting involved with 1800 Seconds felt like a great way to connect with young artists and get a feel for new stories and inspiration. The most challenging part of the process was how fast we had to work, but at the same time, it gave us a chance to connect quickly," Future said.
No newcomer to the came, Future has no doubt been one of the most influential hip-hop artists of the past decade, producing and collaborating on mega-hits with artists like Post Malone and Miley Cyrus as well as climbing the charts with his own albums like 2016's 'EVOL' and his self-titled 2017 release.
The rapper's most recent collaboration with Drake, 'Life is Good', hit #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 in January of this year.
But for Future, it’s not a legacy of his own portfolio of work that he hopes to leave behind, but rather one of mentorship to pay it forward to those who have paved the way for him as an artist:
“I think helping develop new acts is more important than your own music to your legacy. And I want my legacy to be defined by how much I did for music and who I helped. My cousin Rico from Dungeon Family [did this for me]. He taught me that being me was the only way I was going to make it no matter how hard it was. He also taught me about work ethic and never leaving the studio.”
It's the lessons Future learned through Rico and beyond that have shaped his mentality for what he hopes his seven proteges take from this experience:
"Be smart with your business from day one. Have the right team around you — I don’t really have regrets. I appreciate the lessons I’ve learned."
And as for what we can expect in Future's future? He's keeping it short and sweet:
"We shall see."
