Album art courtesy of Atlanta Records
Story by Breshaun Oglesby / Contributing Writer
Migos — the Atlanta trio made up of Quavo, Offset and Takeoff — released their second studio album, “Culture,” on Friday. “Culture” consists of 13 tracks with features from DJ Khaled, Uzi Vert, Gucci Mane, 2 Chainz and Travis Scott.
Expectations were set at an all-time high when rapper and award-winning actor Childish Gambino gave the Migos shoutout at the Golden Globes earlier this month. During his acceptance speech, the Georgia native compared the group to one of rock ‘n’ roll’s all-time greatest groups, saying:
“They’re the Beatles of this generation. (And) I think that they do not receive the recognition that they should outside of Atlanta.” The statement drove the social media world into a frenzy, with fans circulating the speech on Twitter, and catapulted the group into the mainstream.
The album title is a direct reflection of the Migos and their current stance in the music world. With their unique production and abstract ab-libs, the group has changed the way in which Hip-Hop is traditionally viewed. Originally rooted in Atlanta, the group’s “trap-rap” style has not only captivated the country but has spread worldwide.
“Culture” is led by Billboard #1 single, “Bad and Boujee.” However, there are a bundle of other songs on the album that deserve their fair share of recognition. “T Shirt,” “Slippery” ft. Gucci Mane, “What’s The Price” and “Kelly Price” ft. Travis Scott offer a more serious and melodic approach that was not present on previous projects, such as “YRN” and “No Label 2.” Meanwhile, “Big on Big” and “Call Casting” are a bit more typical Migos style as they are filled with the onomatopoeia-based rhymes that fans are more accustomed to. Nonetheless, the album is still sub-par at best in regards to its content as it is centered around drugs, guns, getting money and entertaining women.
On a brighter note, the best part about the album is that all three artists display their growth. Quavo officially establishes himself as the group’s leader with his dazzling hooks and off-the-wall metaphors. As for Takeoff, he makes it clear that he is the group’s best bar-for-bar rapper as his deep tone and fast, rhythmic style is consistent throughout the album. On “Slippery,” he indirectly addresses a recent feud with label company 300 Entertainment, stating,
Ain’t been no drought,
they think I been sleep a lot.
They think I’m dumb,
they don’t know I see the plot.”
And of course, Offset does what Offset does best, which is simply keep the audience enthused and engaged.
Overall, the album is predominantly top-heavy, and the best songs on the album all include features. With that being said, “Culture” proves that the Migos have arrived and are capable of making a complete project when they are fully engaged.
Top Song Recommendations:
- Bad and Boujee
- T-Shirt
- Kelly Price (feat. Travis Scott)
- Slippery (feat. Gucci Mane)
- What the Price
Overall Rating:
3.5 stars/5
To contact Lifestyles Editor Marissa Gaston email [email protected].
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India Hamilton • Jun 1, 2017 at 9:49 pm
There’s no doubt that Migos has officially solidified themselves as one of the top rap/hip hop groups in the music game right now.
Without question, the release of their highly-anticipated second studio album, ‘Culture,’ helped to solidify that spot and put the rap trio on the map, as well as right at the top of the music charts.
As mentioned in the article, what really helped shoot the trio off into mainstream culture and superstardom was when rapper and award-winning actor, Donald Glover, aka Childish Gambino, gave the group a shoutout during his acceptance speech after winning an award for his hit show, ‘Atlanta,’ at the Golden Globes. In the speech, Glover compared the superstar rap group to The Beatles and thanked them for making ‘Bad and Boujee.’ Almost immediately, social media went crazy over this and as a result, memes were created and spread like wildfire, eventually helping the song top the charts and become an overwhelmingly huge success.
Other than the hit song, ’Bad and Boujee,’ the other twelve tracks on ‘Culture’ really help showcase how far Migos has come as group, particularly on the terms of how the uniqueness and style of each individual group member has grown and evolved, helping set this album apart from their previous ones.