Although they’ll never be coronated for it, Migos deserve all the credit in Planet Atlanta for simply naming their album Culture. No matter where rap fans sit on the always simmering “mumble-n-swag” vs. “purity-and-classic” Hip Hop music debate, there’s little argument among them that the flashy trio isn’t currently atop the zeitgeist of what’s considered hot.
Takeoff provides subtle commentary that adds the right amount of adhesive to the records that Offset generally bodies, while feature-magnet Quavo sounds like a star with each verse. The YRN’s second studio album is the culmination of the momentum they’ve been building with each previous release, and stands as their most noteworthy project to date.
Just ask Donald Glover, whose Golden Globes shoutout provided an overdue spotlight to what Migos’ fans already knew: “Bad and Boujee” was more than just a fantastic rap record. It was an event — one that not only warranted unanimous praise and gave newfound respect to ridiculous bars like Lil Uzi’s cameo performance (“Yeah, boy you so fake like my collar/ You snakin’, I swear to God that be that Gucci”) but one that represented the direction Hip Hop has firmly parked its arse at for the time being.
The ante was upped with the follow-up single, “T-Shirt,” made famous for the boys’ staccato delivery of all things lavish. A hook like “Young nigga poppin’ with a pocket full of cottage/ Woah kemosabe, chopper aimin’ at your noggin” can turn the most steadfast blue-collar individual into a junior d-boy with just one listen.
Even with the larger-than-life hood celebrity personas they’ve worked so hard to solidify, Culture still falls short of being the grandiose parallel to the group’s A-list ranking. Sure the production selection is like sex for a subwoofer (see Cash Clay Beats and Deraj Global’s trapsoul fulfillment on “Kelly Price” or the hypnotic flute 808 hybrid on Murda Beatz’ “Get Right Witcha”) but when you play hitmaking roulette, there’s bound to be some misfires.
On paper, the 2 Chainz-featuring “Deadz” should have been the Scottie Pippen to “Bad and Boujee’s” Future Michael Jordan but given the uninspired drug dealing script and Tity Boi’s cruise-control contribution, the song may as well have never been created at all. DJ Khaled’s presence on the intro is ultimately pointless too.
Migos are far from caricature rappers, but after dazzling with the aforementioned “Bad and Boujee,” “T-Shirt” and “Call Casting,” singing about kilo deals on a cut like “What The Price” just doesn’t feel as magical and most likely stifles the group’s potential to be heavyweights when it comes to crafting albums. Releasing a handful of incredible singles ahead of an album sets a pretty lofty standard that the rest of the LP doesn’t always meet.
In spite of its drawbacks, Culture showcases Migos at the top of their artistry and there’s no indication that it’s their peak either.
Be afraid, fellow rappers.
A set of incredible singles? Ridiculous bars by uzi vert?? That shit was one of the worst features I’ve ever heard in my life…There 5 minutes of fame will be up soon..these guys sound the same on every song
Word. I don’t know if you are, but I’m amazed Uzi was able to rhyme “flows” with “hoes”. At least it shows he has the ability to rhyme something….
true lil uzi ass that piece of shit sucking to much dick atm
y dont u spit some bars b if u think wat hiphop should b ur gonna piss ur pants when writing something stupid fuck get gotta here
TRENT CLARK IS A MILK DUD LOOKIN’ ASS NIGGA!!!! CHOKE ON THAT 3.7 RATING!!!! YOU PIECE OF SHIT!!!!
you ever notice the wacker the artists the lower the bar is set by HipHopDX. Then again Trent Clark wouldn’t know real HipHop if it spit in his face. Next week they’ll give Future’s new album 4.0+
Yall hiring for REAL WRITER’S? Id love to give this site some OFFICIAL reviews.
this is a classic! fuck what y’all listening to? bangers from start to finish! 5/5, nigga!
forgot to rate, bitch!
You trippin! “What’s the Price” is like the 3rd best song on the album and one of my personal favorites.
I don’t get the lil uzi bit. Are you saying ridiculous as in good? Or as in poor quality and stupid? Did you enjoy it as a reviewer or not? Please respond to clarify.
It’s unfortunate that HHDX has begun to take the Complex approach of trolling with headlines and articles. This is truly my favorite hip hop site but theyve begun to go the route of desperation for the sake of click baiting.
Yeah, boy you so fake like my collar/ You snakin’, I swear to God that be that Gucci.
Lmaooooo… yeah ok
Way below average.
fuck Migos and their wack music, and fuck Trent Clark.
Trash of the year
Bull shit!
My money….
Trent Clark is a jerk
I know I am a jerk
This is not hiphop.that’s an insult to hiphop.
It isn’t Hip Hop, but it’s dope regardless.
Bad and Boujee was catchy but their rapping is just so awful. The most uncohesive bars ever spit having nothing to do with one another or anything in general or simply just saying ad libs as lyrics does not fly with me. “Yea….dat way” or “Yea” over and over isn’t bars dude. I tried to listen to the album and just couldn’t. This is pure trash to the fullest, I might listen to some instrumentals or listen to a real rapper actually destroy those beats. The epitome of these retards is the freakin pyrex over the campfire in the tee shirt music vid. Pathetic at best and is killing the “culture” they seem to be so proud of.
Stop hating
Everyone in the comments hating, giving the album 1/5, saying something about Bad & Boujee. I feel like half of ya’ll didn’t even give the album a chance or even listen to it. This was fire. Way better than Big Sean’s corny, basic project yet he gets rated a higher score. Smh HipHopDX been riding Sean for a minute though, giving him higher scores than Drake LMAO.
You know what… Im an old head lyricist kind of guy… But that bad and bouje track made me realise that this is a whole differnt lane of music….While I dont like it… I respect it
Trash as usual
These middle class suburban kids from Gwinnett county, Migos, ain’t hood. They wack, they anorexic, and they ain’t hip hop. So why are their albums being reviewed on a hip hop site
nice album but has died down not a long hearing album tbh
…..after all the hating, and the wack review, the album hits platinum!! Wow, great album, beats on point, different and unique!!!
HEAT!!! QUAVO SHOULD GO SOLO BECAUSE HE IS VERY TALENTED OFF SET AND TAKE OFF IS TO
i want you to think about this. Because culture 2 was released a while back and takeoff stole the show. STUFF your mouth with a dirty sock niggga
These guys needs some shitty genre of their own. A disgrace to call them Hip Hop artists.
This is easily the best rap album of 2017, it changed rap with a vibe that everyone at parties or just riding. Older rap fans looking for flawless lyrics are going to hate on it but it’s not that type of rap, it’s hype rap.
Classic that could have cemented Migos as important figures in hip-hop…if they didn’t drop culture 2 with 20 tracks of filler