Atlanta hip-hop trio Migos have the cool kids of the internet to thank for their recent surge in popularity. The series of GIF's, Vines and other dank memes that spawned from their song "Bad and Boujee" led to the veteran group picking up their first-ever number one single on the Billboard Hot 100 (their previous highest charting track, "Fight Night", peaked at #69) and becoming the hottest name in trap rap practically overnight. On their second LP Culture, Migos ensures they won't be fading away from the spotlight anytime soon.
Culture is basically a gap-filler for the people that wrote off Migos after "Versace" and "Hannah Montana" made some waves with the Worldstar and Reddit crowd in late 2013. While the masses were gobbling up whatever trendy shit was cool that week, Quavo, Takeoff and Offset were quietly blossoming into the most consistent trap group on the planet. The group has come a long away from the redundant "bounce" formula that was utilized on their mostly Offset-free 2013 release Y.R.N and over this record, Migos does an excellent job of reinforcing just how much progress they've made since they first tasted fame. Culture is a culmination of the increase in confidence, consistency and experimentation the group has displayed since their breakthrough mixtape No Label II in 2014 as well as a strong middle finger to the internet trolls that wrote them off as a talentless band of one-note fuckboys when "Versace" first blew up. This victory lap is well-earned for a group that has been unfairly slept on for far too long, and I hope the people that dig Culture will go back and check out the slew of outstanding projects they've released over the past few years.
It may sound cheap and unfair because they're a group in a genre driven by solo artists, but the three-headed monster of Quavo, Takeoff and Offset continues to set Migos apart from their peers. Having three members with distinct flows and huge personalities gives them a level of songwriting flexibility that other artists in the scene can only dream of. It's not just that Migos has the luxury of having a group full of unique rappers, they have the collective talent and conviction to experiment with different styles of hip-hop without ever completely abandoning the fun trap edge that has driven their music from day one. All three of them can flow over any beat that's handed to them, have a seemingly endless supply of charisma and possess the ability to write consistently memorable hooks, which allows them to thrive at everything from ignorant hype tracks ("Call Casting", "Deadz") to codeine-drenched ballads ("What the Price", "Kelly Price") to radio-friendly anthems ("T-Shirt", "Bad and Boujee"). While their ability to churn out high-energy club bangers is vital to their success, Culture once again proves that versatility and next-level hook writing are the primary reasons why Migos are the gold standard for trap rap.
Culture definitely isn't the most essential Migos release-to date, but it'll more than likely go down as the most important record of their career. Like DS2 did for Future in 2015, I expect this to be the project that finally elevates them to superstar status. While I'm elated that they're finally garnering the level of attention they've long deserved, I really hope this wave of hype won't result in them losing the creative fire that helped them get to this (current) apex of their career.
Standout Tracks
1.Call Casting
2.T-Shirt
3.Get Right Witcha
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