Future’s brand is invariably connected to drinking lean, so it’s not surprising to learn he wanted to keep his lack of use under wraps. In a new interview with Genius, the Freebandz leader said he was hesitant to admit he stopped drinking the purple stuff because he didn’t know how fans would react.
The revelation occurred when Genius’ Rob Markman asked Future about what drives him as an artist after years of success. The hitmaker spoke about the pressure to live up to the expectations of his fans.
“That’s why I said what drives me is me from living every word and being that same way. And just being this person, being that rock star,” he stated around the 12-minute mark. “So it drives you, you know what I’m saying, to keep continuing to make the music and continue to be in the music. The fans, what they love you for. And it’s hard, because it just be like, ‘Damn, I don’t want to stop it and the fans stop loving me.'”
Future explained how quitting lean tied into this pressure of maintaining his established persona. The platinum-selling artist worried about how this new reality would affect the perception of the man behind songs like “Codeine Crazy.”
“It’s like me taking chance on when I was… I didn’t want to tell nobody I stopped drinking lean,” he continued. “I didn’t want to tell because I felt then they gonna be like, ‘Oh, his music changed because he ain’t drinking lean no more. Oh, I can hear when he changed.’ And people are like, ‘Damn, you won’t even say it.’ It’d just be hard and your fans so used to you a certain kind of way with a certain persona, you be afraid to change. You’re afraid if they would not even accept me no more.”
Check out the entire interview with Future below. The rap superstar’s new album, The WIZRD, is scheduled to drop this Friday (January 18).
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Man that was the best fucking decision you’ve ever made! Better than deciding to rap! Salute
He finna d2
yet here he is about to drop an album telling everyone.. shit suspect and promotion at it’s best
He’s almost as great of a role-model as he is a musician lol
So he rather promote bs for a bag basically
He wants to make sure his fans still think he’s cool and not a loser because he ain’t sipping lean. Lololol who gives a fuck.
You mean to tell me that it’s easier to quit lean than being honest? Fame is a hella of a drug.
Instead of saying it to at least get one individual to change. You’ll rather stick to it for money and followers. And you rappers claim “ I don’t give a fuck” when you really do. Hypocrites.
No, chronic is a leaf. Lean is poison
So rap is basically like wrestling today.
What?! Let me tell you something!!! (Macho Man Randy Savage voice).
He made some hits but he shoulda been real from the start, that was never who you were. You did it for the bandz and you never had a backbone! You done, enjoy your money
Shows you how stupid these rappers and their fans are. What kind of fool teaches kids to take lean
PROFIT OVER YOUNG LIVES. GREAT BUSINESSMAN.
what a douchebag…Da Commanda would approve if Future OD’d on lean…
“Da commanda’s” opinion is irrelevant as fuck, believe it or not.
Um…I totally understand his thought process. I respect him for saying something about it. Alot of rappers drink it until they die. So he made money making songs about it then that changed for him personally and now professionally. It’s always harder to kill a negative message because people will always say “you used to…” Now that he has a loyal fan base maybe he can be an influence for them to stop using. They don’t want to hear preachy rappers from the 90’s they what to here their current favs. He’s got credibility “I used to do it and promote it..now I’ve stopped and here’s why.
You’re a piece of shit if you can’t tell an audience you stopped drinking lean, while the youth continues and many have died from it.
SMH…king of junkie rap. He was afraid his money would slow up after telling everyone it was cool to drink “dirty sprite” and pop pills and etc. So sad, he put a generation on to that nonsense.
How about you grow up and set an example for children who for some reason like your Trash music