From the first moments of the album it’s clear that “We Don’t Trust You” is meant to reach a specifically targeted audience. By now, anyone keeping up with music or celebrity news has heard about the ongoing beef that was escalated by this album. It even prompted a response that came in the form of another project released by J. Cole titled “Might Delete Later,” addressing his side of the conflict. There is much to unpack about the feud going between rap superpowers like Metro Boomin, Future and Kendrick Lamar, with others like J. Cole and Drake on the opposing side. However, while it is hard to ignore the emotionally charged lyrics throughout the album, this review is solely going to focus on the artistic aspect of the piece.
It is important to note Metro Boomin’s famous producer tag, “If Young Metro don’t trust you, I’m gon’ shoot you,” which can be spotted on tons of Metro Boomin’s most acclaimed productions, was recorded by Future himself. Being titled “We Don’t Trust You,” the album immediately suggests a level of violence directed at the duo’s opponents. It is revealed later in the album, on songs such as “Like That” and “Ain’t No Love,” that Drake and J. Cole are the main recipients of the album’s attacks.
Overall, the album lacks lyrical substance. While some songs do hit hard, especially “Like That” and “Cinderella,” that can be attributed to Metro Boomin’s masterful production and fiery verses from featured artists including Kendrick Lamar and Travis Scott. Metro Boomin and Future have collaborated many times in the past to produce successful music, but “We Don’t Trust You” seems to have less musical quality in total and few outstanding moments. We have seen great results from the combination of Future’s laid back vocals and Metro Boomin’s skillful beats, but in this instance, the two do not blend in a way that works as well. Unfortunately, this makes for a long listen that can be monotonous at times. It is possible that the album’s negative intent and possibly rushed release are responsible for its shortcomings.
With a closer look at the tracklist of “We Don’t Trust You,” an interesting similarity with “For All The Dogs” (Scary Hours Edition) by Drake appears. Some songs on “We Don’t Trust You” seem to be given a title that have a clear connection to one of the songs on Drake’s most recent project. For example, “The Shoe Fits” by Drake and “Cinderella” by Metro Boomin and Future, as well as “Slime You Out” by Drake and SZA and “Slimed In” by Metro Boomin and Future. Some songs on the album connect to other songs by Drake that were not in “For All The Dogs.” Many of these comparisons represent an aggressive response to Drake and his allies and they act as a clear clue into the meaning of the album.
Musically, “We Don’t Trust You” progresses for the first five tracks, leading up to the height of animosity on the whole album: “Like That” featuring Kendrick Lamar. Having been leaked before the release of the album, the intro melody to the track had already built up excitement in fans. The beat includes piano and synth leading melodies along with a well-known sample from the opening to “Eazy-Duz-It” by Eazy E, featuring Dr. Dre and MC Ren. Future begins by delivering a verse and a catchy hook and then passes it off to Kendrick Lamar who steals the spotlight for the whole song. Kendrick’s verse simply goes bar for bar ridiculing Drake and J. Cole and mocking the song “First Person Shooter” which they made together. He complains about being compared to the two, making it clear that he sees himself way above them in the rap game. Kendrick goes on to finish his short but punchy diss with plenty more threatening metaphors and wordplay.
After “Like That” the album contains other notable tracks like “Cinderella” and “Everyday Hustle.” In “Cinderella,” the much more melodic beat involves elements of strings and even harp. Future raps a typical verse and then Travis Scott raps his own verse that actually lacks any hate towards Drake and J. Cole. This is not surprising, considering how much he has collaborated with both in the past, but Scott’s presence on this album may still signify a change in loyalty that would be offensive to them.
“Everyday Hustle” is built around a crafty sample, background horns and a satisfying drum sequence that slowly builds up. Rick Ross is featured on this song with his own verse in which he avoids conflict, much like Travis Scott. Instead, it’s a very regular Rick Ross feature that does the job and adds his unique twist to the song. Ross has also worked with Drake in numerous songs which probably explains his unproblematic lyrics.
“We Don’t Trust You” certainly stirred up tensions between the biggest names in rap, and it seems that was its main purpose. Of course, J. Cole has already snapped back with a diss of his own, but Drake remains silent. It will be interesting to see how he responds, if he does at all. “We Don’t Trust You” will be remembered as an instigation to the reignited rap beef that will follow it, but it will not be remembered for its musical content. To Metro Boomin and J. Cole, a slight point of weakness in their discography might have been worth it in order to deliver their message.
