Mask Off
"Mask Off" is a song by American rapper Future from his eponymous fifth studio album, released on February 17, 2017, by Epic Records, A1 Recordings, and Freebandz.[1] Produced by Metro Boomin, the track features a prominent flute loop sampled from "Prison Song," a composition from Tommy Butler's 1976 musical Selma.[2] It was later issued as the album's second single on April 18, 2017.[3] The song details Future's transition from street hustling to luxury and excess, highlighted by its repetitive hook referencing drugs: "Percocets, molly, Percocets."[4] "Mask Off" marked Future's commercial breakthrough as a lead artist, debuting at number 49 on the Billboard Hot 100 on March 11, 2017, and peaking at number five on May 6, 2017.[5] As of 2025, it has been certified nine-times platinum by the RIAA, denoting nine million units in combined sales and streaming in the United States.[6] Its success spawned a remix featuring Kendrick Lamar, released on May 23, 2017, which added a verse critiquing the music industry's excesses.[7] The original track also inspired the viral #MaskOffChallenge, where users mimicked its flute hook and lyrics in videos across social media, contributing to its cultural impact.[8] "Mask Off" has since been ranked among the best songs of the 2010s for its hypnotic production and Future's auto-tuned delivery.[4]Background
Development
"Mask Off" was developed during collaborative sessions between Future and producer Metro Boomin for Future's self-titled fifth studio album in late 2016.[9] These sessions took place in structured blocks, often spanning a week or two with daily work, allowing the duo to produce 13 tracks for the project.[9] A key element of the track's inception was the decision to sample the flute melody from Tommy Butler's "Prison Song," originally written and performed in 1976 as part of the musical Selma.[10] Metro Boomin, who typically avoids heavy sampling, selected this obscure flute loop for its hypnotic and mournful quality, which complemented the minimalist trap aesthetic and added emotional depth to Future's themes of vulnerability and excess.[2] The song was initially recorded at 11th Street Recording Studios in Atlanta, Georgia.[11] The track was released without clearing the sample, which Future later discussed as part of its production story.[12] Metro Boomin constructed the beat by centering the sampled flute as the core loop, then layering it with booming 808 bass lines and crisp hi-hat patterns to create a sparse yet infectious trap foundation that drove the song's hypnotic rhythm.[2] This production approach drew on cyclical hip-hop trends, incorporating flute elements from earlier rap influences while maintaining a modern, hard-edged sound.[9]Release
"Mask Off" appears as the seventh track on Future's self-titled fifth studio album, released on February 17, 2017, by Epic Records, A1 Recordings, and Freebandz Entertainment.[13] The album was available in digital download formats, with physical editions including CD and vinyl later in 2017. It was issued as the album's second single on April 18, 2017. Leading up to the single's launch, Future and Metro Boomin promoted the track through social media teasers in early April 2017, including snippet posts on Twitter that highlighted the song's distinctive flute melody and trap production.[14] These efforts contributed to the track's growing viral appeal, driven in part by its hypnotic composition.[15]Music and lyrics
Composition
"Mask Off" is composed in the key of D minor, with a tempo of 150 beats per minute and a duration of 3:24.[16][17][18] The song's instrumentation centers on a prominent flute melody sampled from Tommy Butler's "Prison Song," which is looped continuously throughout the track, creating a hypnotic foundation. This is layered over characteristic trap elements, including rapid hi-hats, a deep 808 bass line, and sparse, minimalistic percussion that emphasizes the rhythm without overwhelming the sample.[19][20] Structurally, "Mask Off" opens with an instrumental intro featuring the signature flute hook, followed by two verses delivered by Future in his signature auto-tuned style. The chorus repeats the phrase "mask off" as a central hook, building intensity through layered vocals, and the track concludes with an outro dominated by ad-libs and fading echoes of the flute and bass.[19] The production was handled primarily by Metro Boomin, who crafted the beat around the flute sample and trap framework, with recording engineered by Seth Firkins.[21][22]Lyrics and themes
The lyrics of "Mask Off" center on the hypnotic chorus, where Future repeatedly chants "Percocets, molly, Percocets / Rep it, my nigga, rep it, my nigga," underscoring his entanglement with prescription opioids and ecstasy while emphasizing loyalty and representation of his origins in Atlanta's street culture.[19][23] This refrain captures the duality of indulgence and survival, portraying drugs not just as escapism but as intertwined with personal identity and social bonds.[24] In the verses, Future reflects on his ascent from poverty—"From the bottom, watch your pockets, we came from nothin' to somethin'"—to a life of opulence, marked by pursuits like "chase a check" and boasts of luxury, yet he reveals a deep reliance on substances such as codeine and Percocet to cope with the pressures of fame.[19][25] The recurring "mask off" motif serves as a metaphor for shedding pretense and embracing raw authenticity, contrasting the facades required in the music industry with unfiltered confessions of inner turmoil.[26][27] These elements juxtapose material success—references to rubber bands for cash stacks and avoiding romantic entanglements—with vulnerable admissions of addiction's grip, highlighting the song's exploration of self-destructive cycles amid triumph.[24] The original track features no guest verses, allowing Future's voice to dominate its introspective narrative, though the remix incorporates Kendrick Lamar, who extends the themes by delving into the burdens of wealth, moral contradictions, and communal violence, adding layers of introspection on shared struggles within hip-hop's landscape.[28][29] The flute sample from Tommy Butler's "Prison Song," with its looping, trance-like quality, subtly amplifies this hypnotic delivery, mirroring the cyclical nature of the lyrical confessions.[24]Commercial performance
Chart performance
"Mask Off" debuted at number 49 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart for the week of March 11, 2017.[30] The song climbed steadily, reaching its peak position of number 5 the week of May 6, 2017. It remained on the Hot 100 for a total of 31 weeks.[31] On genre-specific charts, "Mask Off" topped the US Hot Rap Songs chart at number 1. It also achieved a peak of number 2 on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.[32] The track performed strongly internationally, entering the top ten in several markets. Key peak positions include:| Country/Region | Peak Position | Chart |
|---|---|---|
| Canada | 5 | Billboard Canadian Hot 100 |
| New Zealand | 6 | Recorded Music NZ |
| Australia | 13 | ARIA Singles Chart |
| United Kingdom | 22 | Official Singles Chart |
| France | 2 | SNEP |
Certifications
In the United States, "Mask Off" has been certified 9× Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on July 27, 2022, denoting over 9 million units sold or streamed.[34]| Region | Certification | Units/sales | Certified date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canada | Diamond (Music Canada) | 800,000 | 2018 |
| United Kingdom | 2× Platinum (BPI) | 1,200,000 | 2020 |
| Australia | 3× Platinum (ARIA) | 210,000 | 2018 |
| France | Diamond (SNEP) | 333,333 | July 14, 2017 |