Metro Boomin Revives Classic Atlanta Swag-Rap Sound On New Album A Futuristic Summa

Metro Boomin didn’t invent the foggy, ominous trap sound that has defined Atlanta rap for at least the last 15 years, but he has definitely emerged as its most famous producer, and arguably its best. Even as that sound has become numb and repetitive, Metro has found ways to make it feel exciting. Last year, for instance. Metro and longtime collaborator Future released two albums, We Don’t Trust You and We Still Don’t Trust You, that reset the balance of power at rap’s highest levels. Metro and Future’s “Like That” kicked off the Drake/Kendrick Lamar beef, and then Metro got in on it further when his “BBL Drizzy” beat went mega-viral. But on a new project, Metro has forsaken his signature sound to make something much fizzier and more lightweight, something that explicitly calls back to the Atlanta swag-rap style of the late ’00s and early ’10s.