Released: 2024 • Features: Metro Boomin, Travis Scott
Future’s track, “Cinderella.” is where Metro Boomin and Travis Scott join forces to back Future. It’s a psychedelic trap tune that explores themes of wealth, decadence, and the relentless pursuit of better, often walking that blurred line between pain and pleasure, heaven and hell.
Verse one, Future hits us with a poignant paradox: “Sip red, talk to the devil”. The “red” represents codeine, a common staple in many hip-hop tracks and a symbol of hedonistic indulgence. Speaking to the devil signifies his flirtation with the darker side of life.
“Racks on, racks stuck together,” he’s talking about his amassed wealth, using ‘racks’ to mean stacks of money. The phrase “Rosetta stones forever” implies his jewellery, likening them to the famed archaeological artifact.
When you hear “Hot chocolate, Cinderella,” it’s a clever nod to a desirable woman, his ideal Cinderella not draped in glass slippers but the allure of wealth. “Trap off a tractor-trailer” implies his success in the drug trade, using ‘trap’ as a term for places where drugs are sold.
“Bad bitch gon’ fuck my bezel” is Future flaunting the influence that the success and material possessions he’s accumulated, especially his bezel-set watch, have over women.
Moving onto the next verses, he delves deeper into the life of luxury he leads. “AP, a presidential” is about his Audemars Piguet watch, a prestigious symbol of wealth. He states, “Never go against the ghetto,” reminding us of his roots and the loyalty he holds for his past.
And then you have “I piss Codeine on peasants,” showcasing a brazen display of wealth and an assertion of perceived superiority.
In the recurring chorus, Future again mentions “Rosetta stones forever,” stressing his opulent lifestyle. The phrase “Hot chocolate, Cinderella” reinforces the allure and influence that wealth and luxury have over women in his world, embodying them as his ultimate ‘Cinderella’.As we hit the final verses, Future dabbles with luxury brands like Cartier and references recreational drug use – “when I lean, when I lean” is a nod to ‘lean,’ a recreational drug often referenced in hip-hop. The lyrics “The gang like the Goodfellas” is a shout-out to the 1990 Martin Scorsese film, signifying the close bond within his group.
So, ladies and gentlemen, this journey we just took with Future’s “Cinderella” is an intoxicating mix of excess wealth, relentless ambition, and the rugged underbelly of his journey. A dark, yet somehow appealing fairy tale. Hip-hop style.
