St. Louis, Missouri-born producer Metro Boomin has had one of the biggest influences on the Atlanta rap scene, and in that regard, hip hop music as a whole.
As a teenager in high school, Metro was banging out five beats a day before he got the opportunity to work with Atlanta rappers like OJ Da Juiceman, Gucci Mane, and Future. Thanks to his mother’s dedication – she would regularly make the 8-hour drive from St. Louis to Atlanta – the producer was able to grind his way into the rap game.
After catching some early success with beats for Future and Young Thug, Metro caught a wave in 2014 when he produced the top 20 hit “Tuesday” for iLoveMakonnen. Then it was producing the majority of Future’s classic trap album, DS2 and quarterbacking What a Time to Be Alive before becoming a bonafide superstar with his tagline on Kanye’s “Father Stretch My Hands Pt. 1.”
From 21 Savage’s “Runnin” and Future’s “Stick Talk” to Travis Scott’s “Mamacita” and Young Thug’s “The Blanguage,” here are the top 25 best Metro Boomin beats of all time.
25. Drake ft. 21 Savage & Project Pat – “Knife Talk”
Released: September 3, 2021
Album: Certified Lover Boy
24. Post Malone ft. Quavo – “Congratulations”
Released: January 31, 2017
Album: Stoney
23. Future – “I Serve the Base”
Released: July 17, 2015
Album: DS2
22. Gucci Mane ft. Migos – “I Get the Bag”
Released: September 5, 2017
Album: Mr. Davis
21. Young Thug – “Hercules”
Released: February 5, 2016
Album: I’m Up
20. Future – “Honest”
Released: August 19, 2013
Album: Honest
19. Kodak Black – “Tunnel Vision”
Released: February 16, 2017
Album: Painting Pictures
18. 21 Savage – “Runnin”
Released: October 2, 2020
Album: Savage Mode II
17. Travis Scott ft. Future & 2 Chainz – “3500”
Released: June 8, 2015
Album: Rodeo
16. Future – “Stick Talk”
Released: July 17, 2015
Album: DS2
15. Future ft. The Weeknd – “Low Life”
Released: February 6, 2016
Album: Evol
14. 21 Savage – “No Heart”
Released: July 15, 2016
Album: Savage Mode
13. Travis Scott ft. Young Thug & Rich Homie Quan “Mamacita”
Released: August 18, 2014
Album: Days Before Rodeo
12. Future – “Mask Off”
Released: April 18, 2017
Album: Future
11. Schoolboy Q ft. E-40 – “Dope Dealer”
Released: July 8, 2016
Album: Blank Face LP
10. Kanye West ft. Kid Cudi & Kelly Price – “Father Stretch My Hands, Pt. 1”
Released: February 14, 2016
Album: The Life of Pablo
9. Drake & Future – “Jumpman”
Released: September 20, 2015
Album: What a Time to Be Alive
8. iLoveMakonnen – “Tuesday”
Released: September 1, 2014
Album: ILoveMakonnen
7. Pusha T – “Intro”
Released: December 18, 2015
Album: King Push – Darkest Before Dawn: The Prelude
6. The Weeknd – “Heartless”
Released: November 27, 2019
Album: After Hours
5. Young Thug & Metro Boomin – “The Blanguage”
Released: May 6, 2014
Album: N/A
A homage to Drake through and through, “The Blanguage” finds Thugga and Metro linking up at a time when the ATLien was in his peak experimental years, every song had four or five different flows and vocal inflections. The two of them have gone on to create great work together, but “The Blanguage” will always hold a special place for fans.
4. Travis Scott ft. Young Thug – “Skyfall”
Released: August 18, 2014
Album: Days Before Rodeo
Travis Scott is one of the best ever in being able to coax sublime performances from his collaborators. Whether it’s Future with his heart-on-the-sleeve verse on “3500,” or Drake’s vendetta mood on “Sicko Mode,” the Texas rapper knows what buttons to push to get the best out of his features. “Skyfall” is no different. With Metro Boomin cooking a nightmarish soundscape for the track, Young Thug goes off with one of the best verses of his career.
3. 21 Savage, Offset & Metro Boomin ft. Quavo – “Rap Saved Me”
Released: October 31, 2017
Album: Without Warning
There’s no reason for Without Warning to be as good as it is. For most rappers, collaboration albums are usually slapped together quickly to capitalise on their buzz. But in the right hands – in this case, Metro Boomin, 21 Savage and Offset – the project is one of the most exhilarating trap albums of recent history. On “Rap Saved Me,” the way the production builds up to Quavo’s verse is a prime example of why Metro Boomin is one of the greatest hip hop producers of all time.
2. Migos ft. Lil Uzi Vert – “Bad and Boujee”
Released: October 28, 2016
Album: Culture
As simple as it is catchy, Metro Boomin’s production on “Bad and Boujee” was the perfect platform to catapult the Atlanta trio from buzzing national rappers to international superstars. Featuring co-production by the Grammy-nominated G Koop, the beat is moody and banging all at the same time.
1. Future – “Thought It Was a Drought”
Released: March 2, 2015
Album: DS2
After Future’s career took a hit with the lacklustre reception of Honest, he along with DJ Esco and Metro Boomin got back into the lab to regroup. What emerged a few months later would become one of the most legendary rapper runs of all time. Starting with Monster at the end of 2014, to the Zaytoven-helmed Beast Mode to 56 Nights, Future capped it all off with the release of DS2. As soon as the menacing strings begin creeping and the beat drops on the song, along with Future uttering those infamous words “I just fucked your bitch in some Gucci flip flops,” we all knew we had a classic on our hands.
