Future Scores Heap Of New RIAA Certifications Amid "The Real Me's" Success

BY Gabriel Bras Nevares
Link Copied to Clipboard!
Future RIAA Certifications The Real Me Success
Jan 14, 2017; Atlanta, GA, USA; Recording artist Future in attendance prior to the NFC Divisional playoff between the Atlanta Falcons and the Seattle Seahawks at Georgia Dome. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
We will soon learn Future's first week sales for "The Real Me," but new RIAA certifications provided a big commercial week regardless.

Future may still be causing a lot of debate around his new album The Real Me, but folks clearly have less criticism for its predecessors. That's because the Recording Industry Association of America just gave him a whopping 53 fresh certifications for his tracks, making him one of the artists with the most RIAA-certified songs ever and one of the most highest-certified artists overall.

A lot of these certifications are for the Atlanta icon's biggest hits, which have already gone platinum multiple times. These include "Life Is Good" with Drake, "Mask Off," "Low Life" with The Weeknd, and "WAIT FOR U" with Drizzy and Tems. All of these are in the double-digit platinum numbers.

Elsewhere, some of his multi-platinum hits include "Like That" with Metro Boomin and Kendrick Lamar, "Stick Talk," "PUFFIN ON ZOOTIEZ," "The Percocet & Stripper Joint," "Honest," and "Thought It Was A Drought." As for first-time platinum records, we have classics like "Codeine Crazy," "Throw Away," "News Or Something," and "Perkys Calling" that already feel platinum by cultural standards alone, along with newer cuts like various Metro collabs from their WE DON'T TRUST YOU album.

Future's The Real Me Sales

This is all due cause for celebration, and it's great to see this amazing catalog of hits get some RIAA recognition. But what about the most recent entry in the albums catalog. If first week sales projections are accurate, Future's The Real Me will be another win.

Previous reports suggested the new LP would move 135K units in its first week. The most recent update, caught by Kurrco on Instagram, suggests that number will be closer to 131K. It's a small dip and an overall downgrade from previous first week sales numbers, although it will likely best the last full-length, MIXTAPE PLUTO. In any case, even if comparison is the thief of joy, these numbers show he still commands a lot of attention and engagement.

Future is also dealing with beef these days, but that won't distract him from celebrating his achievements. Depending on how The Real Me ages, various highlights could land on this RIAA list one day.

About The Author
Gabriel Bras Nevares is a staff writer for HotNewHipHop. He joined HNHH while completing his B.A. in Journalism & Mass Communication at The George Washington University in the summer of 2022. Born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Gabriel treasures the crossover between his native reggaetón and hip-hop news coverage, such as his review for Bad Bunny’s hometown concert in 2024. But more specifically, he digs for the deeper side of hip-hop conversations, whether that’s the “death” of the genre in 2023, the lyrical and parasocial intricacies of the Kendrick Lamar and Drake battle, or the many moving parts of the Young Thug and YSL RICO case. Beyond engaging and breaking news coverage, Gabriel makes the most out of his concert obsessions, reviewing and recapping festivals like Rolling Loud Miami and Camp Flog Gnaw. He’s also developed a strong editorial voice through album reviews, think-pieces, and interviews with some of the genre’s brightest upstarts and most enduring obscured gems like Homeboy Sandman, Bktherula, Bas, and Devin Malik.

Comments 0