Future Future took up the offer and performed at the grand opening. There, he also met Ward for the first time, and he was impressed by her determination right away. Future says that she had “a different kind of drive.” Shortly thereafter, he hired her to be his assistant. “[She] just had a will to do everything the right way at all times. She always sees ahead of the curve.”
Ward, who began managing Future alongside Anthony Saleh, Future’s longtime manager, in 2017, asserts, “I think he is the most talented individual on the planet.” “When you see somebody who’s so passionate, diligent and hardworking, it just ignites something inside of you that you don’t even understand that you possess. You meet somebody who’s constantly able to help you evolve on every level of your life, just with his level of dedication. It’s really a beautiful thing.” His and Ward’s playful rapport is on full display during the Billboard cover shoot for Future. When Ward directs her team as they assist in selecting the outfits for her star player and advises him on how to perfect his next pose, she exudes the authority of a sports coach. “She don’t just manage my music; she manages me,” says Future, as Ward nods alongside him. I might call her to talk about the smallest, biggest, or most bizarre things. My whole life is in her hands. So it’s different, but I really trust her. I’m like, ‘Damn. I have somebody in my life I could trust [and] I feel safe with. I always wanted that.” One of the most in-demand superstars in music is the source of Ward’s passion and dedication. However, mainstream success for Future wasn’t always certain. Future went back to his roots in the underground after his second album, Honest, in 2014, received mixed reviews. He put out three mixtapes in five months, Monster (2014), Beast Mode (2015), and 56 Nights (2015), with the intention of disproving his doubters. This resulted in one of the most storied runs in hip-hop history, one that resurrected his career and prepared him for the release of his masterpiece, DS2, in July 2015.
