The Migos amps the rap game up with “CULTURE”

The day has come. On Jan. 27, the Migos followed up their 2015 debut with their highly-anticipated album (which experienced several delays with its release, caused by 300 Entertainment), aptly titled CULTURE.

The Migos, comprised of members Quavo (Quavious Keyate Marshall), Offset (Kirshnik Khari Ball), and Takeoff (Kiari Kendrell Cephus), hail from Lawrenceville, Georgia—hardly notorious for being a rap metropolis—and were raised together; Quavo is Takeoff’s uncle, and Offset is Quavo’s cousin, which makes Offset Takeoff’s first cousin once removed… or something like that.

They’re notorious for killing—in the colloquial sense of the word—every single they’re featured on. Case in point: The “Shabba” remix by A$AP Ferg, “Pick up the Phone” by Travis Scott, and “Champions” by Kanye West. That’s just to name a few. If you take a look at their discography and every single song they’ve been on, non-promotional or otherwise, you’ll see that they do enjoy collaborating.

So they’ve already set the bar Empire State Building-high. And while what goes up must come down, it’s clear Migos won’t be leaving the stratosphere of rap any time soon.

In December, the trio toured in Nigeria to perform their first Billboard #1 hit single, “Bad and Boujee,” for a massive crowd, who instantly went crazy and sang along at the top of their lungs. A video of this performance can be seen here.

The single was so successful that Donald Glover, known by many by his rap name, Childish Gambino, even went so far as to thank the group, not for starring in his show, Atlanta, but for creating “Bad and Boujee,” during his acceptance speech at the Golden Globes.

The album’s first promotional single, “Call Casting,” was released Jan. 2. The second promotional single, “T-Shirt,” was released Jan. 6. The third promotional single, “What the Price,” was released on Jan. 20. All three showcase the group’s love for material possessions, drugs, and standard rap-culture braggadocio.

Oddly enough, one song off the album has garnered more attention than the most recent single— “Kelly Price,” whose name, if you listened to Kanye’s “Ultralight Beam,” will be familiar. The track offers a feature from the group’s longtime friend, Travis Scott, and in all honesty, its six-minute duration isn’t long enough.

Overall score: 10/10 Ferrari 458’s.