It was only a matter of time before Gucci Mane and Future linked up again following Guwop’s prison release but little did fans know they would actually hammer out a six-track mixtape and drop it out of thin air. Continuing the traptastic momentum the duo had with the first Free Bricks project, Wop and Hendrix waste no time repping where they’re from on Free Bricks 2: Zone 6 Edition. The project serves as a short trap marathon that combines everything there is to love about Atlanta’s sound.

One beneficial commonality that Gucci and Future share other than being the unofficial mayors of ATL is their insane work habits. Both rappers are well-known for being extremely hard workers that churn out quality product overnight. The two rappers have combined catalogs of around 100 projects (80 percent being Guwop’s deep mixtape discography). This means that not only are we getting a fairly solid project from both artists but it was recorded and released almost simultaneously — giving it a satisfyingly contemporary feel. And that feeling is purely trap.

The first Free Bricks mixtape didn’t feature Future at his most confident and Gucci’s clarity was completely absent back then, so in turn, FB2 technically has both rappers in their respective creative primes. “RR Trucks” opens things up with “La Flare and Pluto” both leaving earth to deliver standout verses that exude their trap royalty. “I’m Gucci Mane, La Flare and to diss me is risky/Future pourin’ lean like it’s motherfuckin’ whisky/I’m the type of rich, they know I’m strapped but don’t frisk me,” Gucci spits. Future comes back with drug-riddled bars like “I got prescriptions sittin’ in my system/Percocets, Mollies, they stay in my system,” which strangely kicks off the EP’s dual perspective.

From one angle there’s Gucci Mane rapping about supreme drug dealing and from the other side, Future rhymes about taking those drugs. At various points throughout the six songs, it sounds like Gucci is selling Future the drugs he and his shooters digest. For example, on “Kind a Dope,” Gucci pompously raps “I’m from Bouldercrest road b, but you can call it blow street/Where junkies buy a 8 ball ‘fore they buy some groceries/When you was playin’ basketball man, I was playing Pimp C.” The very next song, “All Shooters,” features Future sounding like he just copped that very 8 ball with lines like “I know these drugs could be contagious/I fell in love like a new fragrance.” It’s an interesting back and forth that shines a light on both trap resumes.

“Selling Heroin” and “Die a Gangsta” are both too busy sonically with lots of off-tempo drums and odd twinkle keys that render the tracks tiresome at times. Perhaps the biggest issue with this mixtape is that it can quickly sound like the same song over and over. There are only so many ways a producer can revamp specific drum patterns. Luckily, Metro Boomin and Southside are on the cutting edge of trap rap and totally redeem themselves in a big way on “All Shooters.” The Future-driven track has a pitch perfect blend of Chinese bamboo flute and hardcore snapping drums, which the rapper indirectly introduces with his opening verse by growling out simply “Unorthodox.”

If there’s one song that stands out more than the rest on this tape it’s “Zone 6.” The East Atlanta anthem under no circumstances will get mainstream air time but is a guaranteed street heater. As if Atlanta doesn’t already have an ample amount of city limit slappers, this one will at least fire up those in the east end.

To enjoy Free Bricks 2: Zone 6 Edition, go in with an open mind. The trick to enjoying projects of this exuberant nature with a focus on drugs, selling those drugs, guns, shooting those guns and sex is to take it for what it’s worth. The turn up potential of this mixtape is clear and the influence they’ve had on the modern southern sound can’t be denied.

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