Offset – “Haunted by Fame” review

New surprise-EP from Atlanta, Georgia rapper Offset. Starting out as 1/3 of the Migos with Unc & Phew, he released a fantastic collaborative project with 21 Savage & Metro Boomin’ exactly 8 years ago to the very day called Without Warning only to make his solo debut Father of 4 the best of the 3 compared to QUAVO HUNCHO & The Last Rocket. Set It Off wasn’t too bad either, coming off Kiari a couple months ago so he can take up the next 25 minutes or so confesing to being Haunted by Fame.

The soul sample on “Free Pick” was an attention-grabbing way to begin suggesting not to start anything with him & it won’t be any beef whereas the title track produced by Pooh Beatz talks about the cons that come with being a celebrity. “I Heard” featuring YoungBoy Never Broke Again isn’t that much better than “Pills” off Kiari earlier this summer until the Travis Scott vibes Coupe goes for during “No Sweat” makes up for it.

“Okay, Okay” easily has Haunted by Fame’s most annoying hook & the nondescript instrumental doesn’t really make it all that much better just before “Fashion Icon” reunites with DJ Durel that goes smoothly until the Labubu bar threw me off almost a minute in. “N.A.M.E.” featuring NoCap gives me a country trap vibe protecting their energy while “Another Problem” featuring Lil Dump mediocrely talks about getting to the bands in different ways.

The song “Ya Digg” starts the final leg of the EP with Offset jumping over a beat that reminds me a little of Future’s output boasting of him pulling up looking trim while “No Regrets” disses his ex-wife Cardi B, who was the hostess of the Endeavor-owned TKO Group Holdings division WWE’s SummerSlam XXXVIII almost 3 months earlier. “Headhunter” finishes with a moderate outro talking about only seeing money at the end of the tunnel.

Unfortunately as much as I was looking forward to this since hasn’t Offset dropped anything on Halloween since Without Warning almost a decade earlier, I came away from Haunted by Fame liking it less than the most introspective album of his career earlier this summer. I can appreciate the concept of him cautioning of the downsides that come with fame, but the production’s a lot weaker.

Score: 2.5/5

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Offset – “Kiari” review

Atlanta, Georgia rapper Offset returning after 22 months for his 3rd studio LP. Starting out as 1/3 of the Migos with Unc & Phew, he released a fantastic collaborative project with 21 Savage & Metro Boomin’ on Halloween 2017 called Without Warning only to make his solo debut Father of 4 the best of the 3 compared to QUAVO HUNCHO & The Last Rocket. Set It Off wasn’t too bad either, but Kiari has been shaping up to be his most personal since Father of 4 & had me anticipating it.

“Enemies” produced by Metro Boomin’ & Honorable C.N.O.T.E. begins by asking for God to protect him from his friends whereas “Pills” featuring YoungBoy Never Broke Again samples “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood” by Nina Simone to talk about drug usage “Professional” mildly boasts of him getting bitches like it’s a skill leading into the underwhelming “Back in That Mode” featuring YFN Lucci talking about them getting in their bags again.

Gunna joins Offset on “Different Species” bringing an acoustic guitar & some hi-hats together so they can discuss the baddies they stole livin’ the dream just before my favorite single “Bodies” featuring J.I.D paints poignant imagery of the gangsta lifestyle combining trap & chipmunk soul thanks to Vinylz, FNZ & BoogzDaBeast or trap metal if you include the remix from BNYX of Working on Dying. “Love You Down” by Ready for the World gets smoked during “Love You Down” courtesy of London on da Track telling his new chick that he’ll start trusting her while “Run It Up” featuring Key Glock talks about having money on their minds over.

“Set It Off” oddly enough ends Kiari’s first leg with a demo quality title track that didn’t make his previous album while “Folgers” references my 2nd favorite basketball player of all-time Kobe Bryant & refusing to trip since he’s been bettering himself. “All of My Hoes” incorporates these psychedelic guitar licks & hi-hats talking about his hoes stealing each other while “Calories” flexes that he made $20M from his sound this summer.

As for “Checkmate (Smooth)”, we have Offset talking about making it onto the news because he’s a fashion week killer & flooding his new bitch out in the pool while “Backends Fasho” boasts of him making finer materials out of the regular things. “Prada Myself” talks about how everything he has makes him the person he is now while “Never Let Go” pays homage to Takeoff.

“Favorite Girl” counts down the final minutes of Kiari with a dedication to the most special woman in his life & “Move On” ties it all up by reflecting on his marriage to Cardi B, explaining that she’s happy for her moving on & asking why she doesn’t feel the same way about him. He even touches base regarding their little back-&-forth convo on Twitter at the beginning of 2025, rightfully explaining that it made them look foolish.

Starting the deluxe run, “Athlete” cloudily talks about getting geeked up on ecstasy on a boat while “History” mixes some horns & hi-hats to give game for free. “How Did We Get Here?” takes full accountability for his divorce from Cardi B while “Swing My Way” links up with Turbo for a cloudy pop rap/trap hybrid. “Style Rare” featuring Gunna shows off their senses of fashion & the final bonus track “10” was a weaker pop rap attempt.

Putting his artistic persona aside, Offset or in this case Kiari looks at himself in the mirror to see how far he’s come & what he’s done whether it’s good or bad. Soul-searching without sacrificing the technical precision he’s been known for, the ex-husband of WWE’s SummerSlam XXXVIII hostess gearing up for her comeback next month peels the layers back & gives the audience a better look at himself as a person.

Score: 3.5/5

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Offset – “Set It Off” review

This is the sophomore full-length solo LP from Atlanta, Georgia rapper Offset. Starting out as 1/3 of the Migos with Unc & Phew, he released a fantastic collab album with 21 Savage & Metro Boomin’ on Halloween 2017 called Without Warning only to make his solo debut Father of 4 the best of the 3 compared to QUAVO HUNCHO & The Last Rocket. But with Quavo showing significant improvements a couple months ago by dedicating Rocket Power, we now have Offset returning after nearly 5 years to Set It Off.

“On the River” is a minimal trap opener produced by Southside showing off his pen-game & fast-paced flows whereas “Say My Grace” featuring Travis Scott talks about making room on his plate only for them to pray before eating over dramatic instrumental from Tom Levesque of Vanguard Music Group, Vinylz & FNZ. “Worth It” featuring Don Toliver has a smoother vibe to it thanks to CHASETHEMONEY hoping they happy with their bitches making them work that is until Future pops up for “Broad Day” to reference their hometown NBA team the Atlanta Hawks in light of it’s CEO Steve Koonin becoming a TKO Group Holdings board of directors member on top of a Detroit trap inspired beat from from Nick Papz.

“Fan” is a 2-parter crossing over elements of Memphis rap & pop rap essentially giving a middle finger to pretty much everybody just before “Freaky” featuring Cardi B sees the power couple over a ratchet Tay Keith instrumental talking about how they like it. “Hop Out the Van” has one of the most awkward hooks on the album paying homage to the late Lil Keed on top of a mediocre beat looking to let off the heat, but then “Don’t You Lie” hooks up a crooning sample & hi-hats talking about how this shit ain’t bankroll.

Boi-1da gives off a cloudier feeling to “I’m On” flexing that he can meet a bitch & take her home on the same night while “Big Dawg” mixes these violins & hi-hats together cautioning that he’ll stomp you out. “Night Vision” has to be my favorite on the LP from sumptuous Metro Boomin’ instrumental to the lyrics exposing the opps when they hide while “Skyami” featuring Mango Foo has one of the weaker guest performances despite the atmospheric beat & discussing the penthouse life.

“Dissolve” shoots for a nocturnal groove that Dez Wright cooked up wanting this chick to tell him who she gon’ call when them pills dissolve while the glossy trap-tinged “Fine as Can Be” featuring Latto talks about a baddie fucking with a rich guy. Wheezy’s production on “Buss My Watch” is just absolutely beautiful with Set showing off his Maison Margiela alongside his girl while “Dope Boy” featuring Young Nudy flexes their statuses from their days in the streets over an eerie backdrop & hi-hats.

Chlöe assists the father of 5 on the pop rap/R&B duet “Princess Cut” promising to be smashed sound asleep, but Cardi returns for the aggressive “Jealousy” tackling the themes of envy. The piano/trap infused “Blame It On Set” which was the original name of the album clarifying that they can’t be too upset while the emotionally vulnerable “Upside Down” talks about how Takeoff’s murder has made him feel. “Healthy” though closes out the LP with acoustics & hi-hats praying for God to give him a sign.

“54321” not being on here is a bit disappointing on the other hand whether it be the plugg instrumental that Baby Keem & Mike Dean cook up or the reference to former 3-time WWE world champion, 5-time WWE Intercontinental Champion, WWE United States Champion, 3-time WWE Hardcore Champion, 3-time TNA World Champion, ΩCW Heavyweight Champion, 9-time WWE Tag Team Champion, ROH World Tag Team Champion, HoG Tag Team Champion, 2-time ΩCW Tag Team Champion & 2-time TNA World Tag Team Champion Jeff Hardy.

Given how much I enjoyed Rocket Power over the summer, I went into Set It Off wondering where he would take things next since his own solo debut came from such a personal place & I enjoyed it as much as that previous album. He challenges himself to evolve more respectfully instead of resting on his laurels, the features are mostly solid & the trap production is nearly as tight as it was 4 & a half years ago.

Score: 3.5/5

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Quavo – “Rocket Power” review

This is the sophomore full-length solo album from Atlanta, Georgia rapper, singer/songwriter & producer Quavo. Rising to prominence in 2013 as 1/3 of the Migos with his nephew Takeoff & Offset, he would also form the duo Huncho Jack in late 2016 with Travis Scott & drop their only album thus far Huncho Jack, Jack Huncho to mixed reception. However with the 5 year anniversary of him becoming the first Migo to branch out on his own with a solo debut in the form of Quavo Huncho, he’s dedicating Rocket Power to his fallen Unc & Phew cohort Takeoff following his tragic murder few weeks after the release of their only album Only Built for Infinity Links last fall.

“Fueled Up” is an atmospheric trap opener produced by Kenny Beats & Murda Beatz declaring that it’s all love as he goes back to his old ways whereas “Patty Cake” by Unc & Phew finds the duo over some horns & hi-hats provided by DJ Dureltalking about being heavyweights as opposed to lightweights. “Mama Told Me” follows this up in the form of a synth/string trap hybrid discussing everything his late mother Edna Parker told him throughout his life just before “Who wit Me” comes through with a more vigorous atmosphere thanks to BNYX of Working on Dying & his brother BEAUTIFULMVN wanting to know exactly who’s on his side here.

After the “Narkedo Speaks” interlude, “Hold Me” hooks up a solemn loop & hi-hats so Huncho can plead to everyone in his life who’s no longer here with him to keep him strong leading into “Where Can I Start?” gives off a more mystic trap groove talking about looking up & getting to the guap. “Wall to Wall” goes into more futuristic turf instrumentally discussing a lil bitch who think she can be bought, but then “Turn Yo Clic Up” featuring Future was a mediocre choice of a single largely due to the cut-rate beat.

Unc & Phew get back together 1 last time on “Back Where It Begins” with Future only handling the hook this time so Wheezy can shoot for a more atmospheric approach behind the boards taking everything back to where it all started for them both in the ATL while “11.11” reflects on the darker nights he’s been having throughout the past 9 months even though the instrumental here is just ok. Pooh Beatz gives “Galaxy” a more piano-driven vibe that I enjoy a bit discussing the feeling you get when you pull up & kill ’em while the cloudy “Disciples” talks about refusing to play with motherfuckers this year.

“Focused” featuring Young Thug finds the 2 jumping on top in these sweet organ harmonies & hi-hats from Buddah Bless refusing to keep their eyes off their bankrolls while “Stain” featuring BabyDrill & Hunxho aims for a more vibrant approach to the beat with one of if not the most repetitive hooks on the album comparing it to Modern Warfare when they hop out the Lambo although both guest verses punch under their weight unlike Huncho.

The song “Not Done Yet” speaks on living out the vision with no regrets & the end being nowhere in sight over a synth-woven trap instrumental while the 2-part title track produced by Murda, BNYX & Dez Wright reminisces on kickin’ doors bright & early thinking about his late nephew. “Greatness” though ends Quavo’s sophomore effort by mixing pop rap & trap with pop reggae interestingly enough explaining how legends are made.

Given everything that’s happened within the Migos camp throughout the last year & a half, I went into Rocket Power expecting it to come from a more genuine place than Quavo Huncho despite it’s share of highlights to this day like “Workin’ Me” & “Rerun”. In the end, that’s exactly what my personal favorite member of the trio delivers. The production’s as tight as it was when we last heard him 5 years ago & you can truly hear how devastated he still is over Takeoff’s untimely murder 9 months later.

Score: 3.5/5

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Unc & Phew – “Only Built for Infinity Links” review

Unc & Phew are a trap duo from Atlanta, Georgia consisting of Quavo & Takeoff. Both of whom came up as 2/3 of the Migos with their cousin Offset & would see huge success during the early/mid 2010s, most notably when Y.R.N. (Young Rich N****s) & C U L T U R E both dropped. But as Offset prepares for a follow-up to the best Migos solo effort to date Father of 4 next month, the other 2 members have seen fit to form a duo of their own & put out a full-length debut.

“2 Infinity Links” opens up the album with a horn-laced trap beat from Buddah Bless describing the strongest links in the world bonded by blood whereas “Tony Starks” takes a more cavernous route thanks to Murda Beatz talking about putting holes in your chest kin to that of Iron Man. “Hotel Lobby” has a more twangier vibe to it dropping some braggadocio just before “Bars into Captions” samples “So Fresh, So Clean” by OutKast welcoming y’all to the ATL.

Meanwhile on “See ‘Bout It”, we have Unc & Phew bragging about stealing hoes over a hyphy instrumental from DJ Mustard leading into YoungBoy Never Broke Again tagging along for the slick “To the Bone” describing how bad their bitches are. “Not Out” shoots for a cloudier sound provided by DJ Durel talking about popping out, but then Gunna & Young Thug both come into the picture for the acoustic/trap-laced “Chocolate” getting in their hustler bags.

“2.30” has a wavier sound to it even though the Percocet-heavy lyricism just doesn’t do it for me personally while “Look @ This” fuses trap with orchestral talking about all the shit they got. “Mixy” with Summer Walker is a moody little trap/R&B fusion with the trio of course tackling the themes of love while “Messy” talks about the main reason why not to let a bitch in their crib over a glitchy trap beat with Quavo apparently airing out Offset for fucking his ex Saweetie along with a reference to Tesla CEO, SpaceX founder, Neuralink founder & Twitter owner Elon Musk.

Continuing from there, “Nothing Changed” was clearly made for Huncho Jack down to the psychedelic instrumental even though I don’t mind the subject matter addressing that ain’t shit change but the ice while the mellow “Integration” brags about having white everything. “Big Stunna” is a fun little boastful trap banger as Birdman comes through with a decent verse while the song “Us vs. Them” with Gucci Mane finds the trio aggressively talking about how it’s them against the world. The penultimate track “Hell Yeah” shoots got a more stripped back aesthetic as Unc & Phew chase a bag together with “Tools” though is a shimmering finisher encouraging you to spread the cash.

For as much shit that C U L T U R E III got last summer, I still think it was a more enjoyable listen than C U L T U R E II & that it would’ve been more well received if you got rid of 4-5 cuts. As for Only Built for Infinity Links, it’s a solid debut from Unc & Phew. Both Quavo & Takeoff manage to take it back to the basics are some more interesting ideas with the production this time around. Here’s to Blame It on Set next month!

Score: 3.5/5

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Migos – “C U L T U R E III” review

The Migos are a trio from Atlanta, Georgia consisting of blood relatives Quavo, Offset & Takeoff. They’ve proved themselves as one of the biggest trap acts in recent memory ever since their 2013 smash hit “Versace” & this was exemplified with their 2017 sophomore album C U L T U R E, which is undoubtedly one of the best trap projects of the previous decade whether you like them or not. However, the sequel C U L T U R E II was a bloated rushjob & their solo debuts weren’t all that well received either other than Offset’s Father of 4. But after this 3 year gap, the Migos are reuniting to finish out the C U L T U R E trilogy.

“Avalanche” starts things out with DJ Durel & Quavo sampling “Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone” by The Temptations as the Migos look back on their early days but then there’s “Havin’ Our Way” with Drake, which has an symphonic instrumental from Kane Beatz as the quartet talk about getting theirs. The official WWE Day 1 theme song “Straightenin’” has an eerie instrumental with the lyrics detailing how “you don’t get shit straight if you don’t straighten it” while the Murda Beatz-produced “Type Shit” with Cardi B is a vigorous anthem about how this song might make you feel.

Meanwhile on “Malibu”, we have Polo G accompanying the Migos on top of a synth-horn loop detailing their adventures in the titular California city & I almost wanna say that the beat OG Parker whips up for “Birthday” has a west coast trap feel to it, backing the trio calling out a bitch lying to them about it being her birthday. “Modern Day” is a mystical banger that tells listeners to put respect on the trio’s name whereas the victorious “Vaccine” details them making money during the pandemic referencing WWE Hall of Famer Mike Tyson.

Future tags along for the guitar-driven “Picasso” comparing themselves to the iconic painter of the same name leading up to them getting on some drug dealer shit for “Roadrunner”, in which the Zaytoven instrumental is tension-building as Hell. Following this, we have Danny Wolf taking the Migos into acoustic territory on the sensual “What You See”, but then “Jane” details the titular character working it for a Birkin bag with stellar Latin trap production from both Tay Keith & Gordo.

I thought the late Juice WRLD’s hook on the cavernous “Antisocial” is perfect given the lyrical concept of the track while “Why Not” finds the trio talking about getting money for fuck’s sake & the beat kinda has that cloud rap quality to it. The instrumental on “Mahomes” is incredibly dramatic as the Migos express their gratitude while OZ works in some synths & keys for them to “Handle My Business”.

The song “Time for Me” is an atmospheric cut about their bando days while the penultimate track “Light It Up” with the late Pop Smoke feels like a leftover from Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon given that it’s in Pop’s signature drill sound down to 808 Melo’s production. To finish it off, “Need It” with YoungBoy Never Broke Again touches down on self-defense & the way Buddah Bless absolutely killed it flipping “Get In My Car” by 50 Cent.

Although I had my doubts going into this album, I’ll argue that it’s what C U L T U R E II should’ve been because the Migos are back in full form on here. It’s only a half hour shorter than their last album was, you can tell the thing actually feels complete rather than spending 15 minutes to make each song & a good portion of them were fun to listen to.

Score: 3.5/5

Offset – “FATHER OF 4” review

Offset is a 27 year old rapper who came up at the beginning of the decade as 1/3 of the Migos. He released a fantastic collab album with 21 Savage & Metro Boomin’ on Halloween 2017 called Without Warning but now just a few months after his cousins Quavo & Takeoff made their solo debuts with QUAVO HUNCHO & The Last Rocket respectively, Offset is the final Migo at bat.

The album kicks off with the title track, which is a heartwarming dedication to his children over a somber beat from Metro. The next track “How Did I Get Here?” with J. Cole sees the 2 talking about fame over an atmospheric beat while the song “Lick” talks about his rags to riches over a bland woodwind-infused beat with some rubbery bass. The track “Tats on My Face” gets boastful over a nocturnal trap beat from the So Icey Boyz while the song “Made Men” talks about how he’s made referencing WWE Hall of Famer Arnold Schwarzenegger over a grimy trap beat from Southside. The track “Wild Wild West” with Gunna gets back on the boastful tip over an eerie Metro beat while the song “North Star” talks about the stresses of fame over a beautifully stripped back beat.

The track “After Dark” is pays tribute to Paris Brown over a luscious trap beat while the song “Don’t Lose Me” addresses his split-up with Cardi B over a spacious beat. The track “Underrated” talks about how he feels just that over another nocturnal trap beat from the So Icey Boyz while the song “Legacy” with Travis Scott & 21 Savage talks about their success over a dreary beat. The track “Clout” with Cardi B attack people who‘ll do anything to be famous over a keyboard-inflicted trap beat while the song “On Fleek” with Quavo is a sex tune with an moody beat. The track “Quarter Milli” with Gucci Mane sees the 2 bragging about their wealth over a bass-heavy from Metro & Pyrex Whippa while the song “Red Room” talks about how crazy his life has been over a pretty trap beat. The album then finishes with “Came a Long Way”, where Offset pulls a pretty heart wrenching performance over a gloomy trap beat.

We all know the Migos’ material since C U L T U R E II has been very lackluster, but this is easily the best of the 3 solo debuts & it actually gives me hope for C U L T U R E III. The lyrics are a lot more personal surprisingly, it’s more well-produced & it seems like they actually focused more on quality over quantity.

Score: 3.5/5

Takeoff – “The Last Rocket” review

Takeoff is a 24 year old rapper from Atlanta, Georgia who rose to prominence in 2013 as 1/3 of the Migos with his nephew quavo & his cousin Offset. The first of whom Quavo is arguably the most notable member & he actually happened to drop his solo debut QUAVO HUNCHO just 3 weeks prior. Now if that wasn’t enough for you, Takeoff here is now next at bat.

The album kicks off with “Martian”, where Takeoff talks about his success throughout the years over some prominent hi-hats from DJ Durel. The next track “She Gon’ Wink” by Unc & Phew sees the 2 getting boastful over a spacey trap instrumental while the song “None to Me” introspectively talks about the famous life over a gloomy beat from 808 Mafia members DY, Gezin & TM88. The track “Vacation” pretty much speaks for itself over a trap beat from Murda Beatz & Cubeatz with some faint keyboards while the song “Last Memory” is a painfully bland braggadocious tune. The track “I Remember” vividly recalls drug dealing days over an eerie Murda Beatz instrumental while the song “Lead the Wave” talks about being a leader over a vibrant trap beat from DJ Durel.

The track “Casper” talks about him & his girl cruising down in a wraith over a somber Nonstop da Hitman instrumental while the song “Insomnia” is a boring freestyle over the beat from the latest Juicy J & Travis Scott song “Neighbor”. The track “Infatuation” is an awkwardly buttery love story while the song “Soul Plane” marks a returns to the braggadocious lyrics over a bass-heavy trap beat. The album then ends with “Bruce Wayne”, where Takeoff tells the audience to picture him rolling over an atmospheric beat from Cassius Jay & Wheezy.

This was better than I had anticipated, but it’s still decent. I can appreciate Takeoff for handling a good chunk of it on his own, but it really weighs it down because it tends to get monotonous after a while.

Score: 2.5/5

Quavo – “QUAVO HUNCHO” review

Quavo is a 27 year old rapper, singer/songwriter & producer from Atlanta, Georgia who rose to prominence in 2013 as 1/3 of the Migos with his nephew Takeoff & his cousin Offset. He also formed the duo Huncho Jack in late 2016 with one of the most creative minds in hip hop today: Travis Scott, dropping their debut album Huncho Jack, Jack Huncho at the very end of last year. He then got back with Takeoff & Offset at the beginning of THIS year to drop the Migos’ 3rd full length album C U L T U R E II, which is easily one of the most disappointing hip hop albums of 2018. However, they aren’t stopping there as Quavo is now the very 1st member of the trio to put out a full-length solo effort.

The album kicks off triumphantly with “BIGGEST ALLEY OOP”, where Quavo talks about his place in hip hop over a 30 Roc instrumental with a chilling flute & some female background vocals. The next track “PASS OUT” with 21 Savage sees the 2 getting boastful over a druggy instrumental, but the post-chorus where Quavo repeats his “skrr” ad-lib constantly is very tedious. The song “HUNCHO DREAMS” is a pretty solid response to “Barbie Dreams” off of Nicki Minaj’s latest album Queen backed with an atmospheric Murda Beatz instrumental while the track “FLIP THE SWITCH” with Drake sees the 2 talking about a bad bitch over a vibrant trap beat from Wheezy. The song “GIVE IT TO ‘EM” gets cold blooded over an eerie piano lead while the track “SHINE” is a club anthem with a spacey Tay Keith instrumental.

The song “WORKIN’ ME” talks about his relationship with his girlfriend Saweetie over an airy instrumental from Murda Beatz while the track “HOW ‘BOUT THAT?” talks about how the Migos are running the trap scene over a nondescript OG Parker instrumental. The song “CHAMPAGNE ROSÉ” with Cardi B is an alcohol anthem over a relaxing woodwind instrumental from Murda Beatz & the Madonna hook was a nice surprise as well. The track “KEEP THAT SHIT” by Unc & Phew is about how they’re rich & your broke over a murky Dun Deal instrumental while the song “FUCK 12” with Offset disses corrupt cops over a gloomy instrumental.

The track “LOSE IT” with Lil Baby is a mediocre tune about how hot this woman is & the song “RERUN” is an obvious & unfortunately structureless Huncho Jack, Jack Huncho leftover with a beautifully spacious WondaGurl instrumental. The track “GO ALL THE WAY” is very repetitive lyrically, but the electronic instrumental that Pharrell brings to the table kinda reminds me of some of the better cuts that he & his Neptunes cohort Chad Hugo produced together on Common’s Universal Mind Control a decade prior. The song “LAMB TALK” is of course Quavo bragging about his lifestyle over an airy beat while the track “BIG BRO” is a more mature cut as he talks about taking this person under his wing over a cloudy beat. However, that one line at the very beginning about Lil Peep was in horribly bad taste. The song “SWING” is an awkward attempt at going dancehall while the penultimate track “BUBBLE GUM” talks about how this chick has it over a generic instrumental. The album ends with “LOST”, where Quavo & KiD CuDi talk about rising above over a settle beat.

I’ve been waiting on a Quavo solo album & overall, it’s pretty solid. There are a small handful of boring & run of the mill joints but outside of that, the production is more consistent than C U L T U R E II‘s & Quavo himself sounds a lot more focused than he did on that album with his charisma shining brighter even on his own.

Score: 3.5/5

Migos – “C U L T U R E II” review

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Atlanta, Georgia trap trio Migos celebrates the 1 year anniversary of their sophomore album C U L T U R E a day early by putting out the long-awaited sequel. The album starts off pretty well with “Higher We Go”, which sees the trio talking about their staying power over a wavy trap beat from Metro Boomin’. The next song The next song “Supastars” talks about their lives now over a futuristic trap beat from Honorable C.N.O.T.E. & while the track “Narcos” does reflect on their drug dealing days, the production is so mediocre. The song “B.B.O. (Bad Bitches Only)” pretty much speaks for itself & the jazzy horns on here were a pretty nice touch.

The track “Auto Pilot (Huncho on the Beat)” brags about the lavish life over a video gamey trap beat from the trio’s standout member Quavo & while the song “Walk It Talk It” with Drake sends a message to all of their haters, the hook is super lazy. The track “Emoji a Chain” talks about being all decked out over a decent Metro Boomin’ beat & while the song “CC” with Gucci Mane is a futuristic sex tune, it deadass sounds like an unreleased Travi$ Scott song down to Quavo’s auto-tuned delivery. The song “Stir Fry” touch down on about their success over an infectious funk/trap fused instrumental from Pharrell & despite “Too Much Jewelry” having a nice verse from Takeoff & the Zaytoven production is pretty atmospheric, it’s not structured all that well. We should’ve gotten verses from Offset & Quavo right after because when Takeoff’s sole verse ends, we’re then lead into the hook alongside a robotic bridge from Quavo that’s hilariously bad & then a short interlude before going back to the hook to end the track.

The song “Gang Gang” is an ode to themselves with a settle trap beat from Murda Beatz while the track “White Sand” with Big Sean & Ty$ talks about the celebrity life over a mediocre video gamey beat from Wheezy. The song “Crown the Kings” talks about how they’re living the dream, but the only distinct characteristics about the instrumental is the faint “ Get Up, Stand Up” sample that’s buried in the mix along with piano that comes in around the second half. The track “Flooded” sounds like a murkier, better structured version of “Too Much Jewelry” & the song “Beast” is pretty much a better version of “CC”.

The Cardo produced “Open It Up” is a sinister-sounding banger about their drug dealing past & despite “Motor Sport” being a pretty decent tune to cruise around to from all 3 members’ flows to the laidback beat from Murda Beatz & Cubeatz, the guest verses from Cardi B & Nicki Minaj ruin it for me. The track “Movin’ Too Fast” talks about their drug dealing lives over a gloomy Quavo instrumental isn’t too bad & the song “Work Hard” talks about their work ethics over a moody beat.

The track “Notice Me” talks about their new lives yet again over a laidback beat & the song “Too Playa” with 2 Chainz is a boastful look into the celebrity lifestyle over a somewhat jazzy trap beat. The song “Made Men” talks about their success over a mellow instrumental & the penultimate track “Top Down on da NAWF” reflects on their younger days in Northside Atlanta over an atmospheric beat. The album then closes with “Culture National Anthem”, which surprisingly gets conscious over a piano-trap beat.

To be quite honest, I’m pretty disappointed in this. There are definitely highlights on here but the final product here is so bloated, that the album becomes an inconsistent listen from start to finish. It’s definitely more listenable than the new Chris Brown album Heartbreak on a Full Moon or even the Control the Streets compilation that Quality Control Music (to which Migos are signed to) dropped last month but if they kept 12 tracks for the album & saved the other 12 in the vault, then I’d enjoy it a lot more than what we really got

Score: 2/5