Photo by Diwang Valdez
Since breaking out with their hit “Versace” in 2013, Migos—the Atlanta-based trio consisting of Quavo, Takeoff and Offset—have helped reshape the sound and feel of contemporary rap. Migos are not always given the credit they deserve, but they’re the reasons a lot of things in rap happen right now, and their influence has rippled through pop culture.
Offset has been out of jail for nearly three months after serving an eight-month sentence. He was held without bond for an arrest last April after a performance at Georgia Southern University for a weapon and drug charge. He says he’s feeling blessed, glad to be back home and working with the group, and continuing to make more money. But when the conversation turns to the group’s influence, he expresses frustration that the group doesn’t get more recognition.
“I feel like if we didn’t come in the game, where would a lot of these artists be?” he says. “The artists that have already been in the game or coming in, where would they be without using our sound?” This question is something to think about, as there are some artists with tracks if you heard them for the first time you would feel as if they almost sound identical to Migos. “We’re trendsetters and we’ve always been the underdogs,” Offset adds. “When we came in the game, we had ‘Versace’ then we came with more hits and I just feel like we don’t get the credit due.”
The Migos are also known for their signature triplet style of delivery, a distinct flow that was widely copied by rappers around the world in the wake of “Versace.” And while there’s some dispute over who created that flow—many, including rapper 2 Chainz, have claimed it started with the Memphis group Three 6 Mafia—there’s no doubt it was Migos who popularized it. Last year the group helped do the same thing for a dance called the dab, a craze that spread like wildfire across the Internet after Cam Newton adopted it as his victory dance. Soon even local news reporters were dabbing on live television.
This would make some believe that dabbing is dead, but not to the Migos, who remind us a few times on their latest mixtape Y.R.N. 2. Songs like “Commando” and “Muhfuckin Tired” offer reminders that they were the ones who gave the world dabbing. Although some may feel that social media oversaturation killed the beautiful form of expression that is dabbing, the dance continues to live on through Migos, who named their current tour The Dab Tour.
Since 2013, a few things have changed for the trio. The group has matured a bit. They’ve lived through more and different experiences that have made them even better storytellers within their music. “We progressed a lot with our lyrics and we changed the game with our flow, but now I feel like with our lyrics we have more to say and the lyrics have improved,” explains Offset. The trio has also been known to not write any of their lyrics. “Yeah, we don’t write anything. It’s all freestyled,” Offset confirms. “We really don’t even like hearing beats ahead of time so when people send us beats we won’t play them until we’re in the studio ready to come straight off the top with it.”
By staying with the independent label Quality Control, the group has also created their own lane instead of going the major label route. “It’s better for us to stay independent because we get to make our own decisions and sometimes, someone may not have the vision you have or they may not hear a song the way you hear it,” adds Offset.
The Dab Tour will feature Migos, Jose Guapo, Rich the Kid and Skippa Da Flippa. “Expect a crazy show. We’re going to make sure everyone has a good time—we might have to take our jewelry off before so we can jump in those crowds,” says Offset.
The tour stops at the Rave on Saturday, Feb. 27 at 8 p.m.
