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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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

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