[junkie-dropcap]W[/junkie-dropcap]ait… Don’t tell me you were hype for this. Following Culture II I worried about the Atlanta trap trio’s future. While Takeoff, Quavo and Offset are legends in their own right, their music leaves a gaping void. Rather than build upon their strengths they opt to stagnate time and time again. Despite enjoying most of the first Culture album, the reality is this: Migos at their best are hit-makers. However they lack the attention to detail to sustain my interest for an entire project. Flex rap garners lots of views and popularity. People want to be like the Migos. Rappers want to be like the Migos. In spite of my opinions, these Atlanta icons will keep on winning. Yet my duty is not to perpetuate mainstream narratives. Sift through Metacritic about this album and you’ll see the issue with major review publishers.
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An album like this — a redundant, non-substantive cash grab — earns a green score in the mid-70 range. That’s hilarious to me. Migos are a household name at this point. On Culture III they enlist the likes of Drake, Cardi B., Justin Bieber, and Future to assist them. All of these artists work well with Migos in theory. Nevertheless, in practice listeners receive yet another bloated tracklist with little to no artistic merit. It’s as clear as day: the Migos love money and items one buys with stacks of it. They have every right to rap about whatever they please. All I ask from y’all is: Think for yourselves. Please, don’t allow sites such as Rolling Stone and Pitchfork to dictate your music taste. These companies write profit-based reviews so A-list acts won’t bash them on social media. Or so they’ll show up to any festivals they might throw that year.
Almost every album receives a green score on Metacritic. Unless, of course, said artist has a negative narrative in mainstream media. Reviews may not seem like much, but they matter a lot to me. (Clearly.) Public perception heavily sways which art earns money and which art doesn’t. If people agree that an album is good, that is what makes it good in many casual fans’ minds. Unfortunately for music-heads, there are millions more casual fans than not. Thus an album like Culture III earns enough respect for Migos to continue giving fans half-assed art. Tell me, what is their incentive to try harder? When they do have a reason to try on this album, they perform well.
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This record features two tracks with deceased rappers. Rest in Peace to Juice WRLD and Pop Smoke. Quavo truly did his thing on “Antisocial” featuring Juice WRLD. And all three bodied “Light It Up.” While I’m not much of a UK drill fan, “Light It Up” with Pop Smoke delivered at every angle. The instrumental separated itself from the pack instantaneously. Though that’s not saying much given Culture III‘s nondescript sonic palette. The trio’s once-electric chemistry reduces to average at best here. After three forgettable solo albums, Migos appear out of ideas. Lead single “Straightenin'” pales in comparison to their previous club smashes. Repetitive hooks and predictable subject matter shorten this album’s life cycle to about three weeks. Essentially, the Migos are the Ben Simmons of the 2021 mainstream hip-hop scene.
So much promise at first, but they simply haven’t gotten any better as artists over time. Although they have never been astute lyricists, even their hype songs come off limp now. This album is not a four-star album because Rolling Stone says it is. And, equally, it is not bad because I said it is. Listen for yourself. Hear just how little these dudes care about the art form. Migos music is for hood soldiers and suburban white youth. They will always be popular and in-demand, and I’m perfectly fine with that. I don’t hate them as a group or as individuals. Yet what cannot be denied is the fact that these men are entertainers above artists. Offset literally has his wife on the album just to speak about smashing hoes left and right on every other track. Ugh.
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At the end of the day, Migos are pioneers. But blazing a trail doesn’t make one the greatest to ever do it. If all you do is blaze that trail and milk those moments for every drop, what you’re left with is a bland collection of uninspired music that only simpletons defend. I know I sound like a pompous asshole here. Yet I am simply fed up with half-assed hip-hop albums from artists who hold a high amount of influence. Drake and Migos go hand-in-hand because of this similarity. They both can’t lose at this point in their careers and it shows. Migos have plenty of hits under their belts, and I have faith they will drop better material than this in the future. My patience runs thin nonetheless. Rich-nigga shit works without a doubt. But perhaps a ten-song tracklist fits their effort level a bit better.
