Why Future trusts Metro Boomin

Only a few months into Metro Boomin's first year at Morehouse, the full-time student and part-time producer found himself at a crossroads. He had migrated to the trap capital from St. Louis, his stage name an amalgamation of his hometown's bus line and Brick Squad rapper OJ da Juiceman's emphatic description of his beats, and enrolled in fall 2012. Now, he was caught between his mother's wishes and his hip-hop ambitions: A collaboration with the buzzing Atlanta rapper Future, "Karate Chop," had become a cult hit, and was threatening to change the balance of his freshman life. Every day he would venture out of class and into studio sessions with either Future or Gucci Mane, and every day it grew more difficult to balance both. Eventually, he chose to invest in the beats he was making, in part spurred by Future's work ethic. "He'll always push me," Metro told Complex. "Like I'll always think I'm working hard, he'll be like, 'Metro, you're not working hard enough. You need this many beats.'"

The push paid off big for both artists. Metro Boomin has become a key architect of modern rap, and his decade-long partnership with Future has dramatically shaped both careers., his Drake team-up and the crossover hit "." In 2016, the nature of their working relationship was spelled out explicitly to many when debuted songs from his album to thousands at Madison Square Garden and many more streaming at home. Just before the drop on "Father Stretch My Hands, Pt. 1" was a Future exclamation: "." In the subsequent years, they have continued their hitmaking streak working mostly apart. Future has tallied five No. 1 albums since 2017, as well as four Top 5 collaborations with Young Thug, Lil Uzi Vert, Zaytoven and the late Juice WRLD. Metro Boomin has earned top billing on two albums with 21 Savage (one with Offset) and another with Big Sean, helmed the soundtrack for last year's and released two solo No. 1 albums.