Metro Boomin wants some more. Leland Wayne, more commonly known by the trendy moniker Metro Boomin, has had an incredibly successful year. The St. Louis native has worked relatively behind the scenes since 2013 producing songs for some of the hottest rappers. However, in 2017, Wayne has pushed his name into the minds of hip-hop fans everywhere. Wayne’s popular producer tags “Metro Boomin want some more” and “If Young Metro don’t trust you I’m gon’ shoot you” have appeared on some of the best rap tracks of the year. To memorialize the great year that Young Metro has had, I’ve decided to take a look back at his best music from 2017.
The first Metro Boomin-produced song that ascended the charts in 2017 was “Congratulations” by Post Malone. This catchy single ensured that Post Malone would not be a one-hit wonder when it rose to the number eight spot on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart. The song skillfully blended Malone’s soulful singing with the hard rapping of Quavo from the Atlanta-based rap trio Migos. The song went viral when a video emerged of Malone and internet star turned rapper Rich Chigga singing along to a mariachi band cover of the single. It’s likely that Wayne and Malone will have another song together on Malone’s highly anticipated sophomore album “Beerbongs & Bentleys.”
In February, Wayne teamed up with his long time collaborator Future to drop the song “Mask Off.” The pair had worked well together before; Wayne produced Future’s popular hits “Low Life” and “Wicked.” Metro Boomin took a unique and catchy flute sample from “Prison Song” by Tommy Butler and combined it with Future’s cryptic voice to create a stellar track.
In July, Wayne produced a full 15-song album with the Canadian hip-hop singer NAV. The album, titled “Perfect Timing,” was far from Wayne’s best work in 2017. The two had worked well together on the single “Up” from NAV’s self-titled debut album “NAV,” however this chemistry was not present on “Perfect Timing.” The album’s tracks blended together, leaving no stand out bangers or hits.
There were two Metro Boomin-produced singles that flew under radar in 2017. The first was “Hammer Time” by Lecrae and featuring 1K Phew. The single combines heavy bass with Lecrae’s fast paced rapping style to create an underrated gem. The second Young Metro song to go unnoticed was “Blue Pill” by Travis Scott. The Texas rapper’s auto-tune heavy singing style fused excellently with Wayne’s heavy beat.
The most recent Metro Boomin project might be his best work of the year. Wayne released “Without Warning,” a collaborative mixtape with 21 Savage and Offset, literally without warning. The 10-song project came completely out of the blue when it was released on Halloween night. “Without Warning” is the ultimate combination of the horrors of Halloween and the horrors of a dangerous thug lifestyle. Spooky howling winds, eerie church bells, the cracks of gunfire and references to horror classics like “Nightmare on Elm Street” and “Friday the 13th” are sprinkled throughout the mixtape. 21 Savage’s relaxed and almost removed rapping style complements Offset’s high-energy verses. Wayne’s sound design is dark and heavy, carried by hard-hitting 808 drums that reinforce the Halloween vibe. The mixtape is simply fun, containing a strong mix of creative lyrics and bumping beats, the perfect Halloween treat for any rap fan.
