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Album review: ‘Culture’

(Courtesy of Quality Control Music / 300 Entertainment)

"Culture" by Migos, Quality Control Music / 300 Entertainment, Jan. 27

By Artiom Arutiunov

Jan. 29, 2017 2:15 p.m.

Migos knows how to capitalize on viral potential.

The Atlanta trio inspired the “rain drop, drop top” memes, coined the “dab” dance move and landed the No. 1 song in the country according to the Billboard Hot 100 chart this year with “Bad and Boujee.”

Culture,” the group’s second full-length studio album released Friday, is a nonstop party, emphatically capitalizing on all the attention Migos has generated over the past few years. It’s a head-bobbing showcase of members Takeoff, Offset and Quavo’s versatility as songwriters, rappers and singers, and it nods to the group’s ability to write catchy, entertaining and adventurous chart-toppers.

Unlike previous albums such as 2015’s “Yung Rich Nation” and 2016’s “YRN 2,” “Culture” represents Migos’ desire to push its signature Atlanta trap-rap sound into unexplored territory.

Structurally, the trio trades in the reliable verse-chorus-verse format for off-kilter structures on songs such as “Culture,” “T-Shirt” and “Big On Big.” Rapper Takeoff takes center stage on the choppy “T-Shirt” by rapping a lengthy and memorable verse, including the multisyllabic-rhyme standout, “Neck water faucet, mocking birds mocking / Act pint, stocking, nats keep thotting.” These varying song structures enhance the unwavering fun of “Culture” by adding a sense of unpredictability as one song transitions to the next.

From the onset of album, the trio doesn’t skip a beat as they exchange short verses on the bass-heavy, earth-shattering introductory track, “Culture.” The effect is a nonstop barrage of rhymes coupled with danceable, bouncy grooves.

Sonically, the album “Culture” is moodier and more nocturnal than Migos’ previous efforts. On songs such as “What the Price,” the group takes its sound down a slower, enveloping path, bringing to mind fellow trap rappers Future and Travis Scott, the latter of whom is featured on the album’s ambient song “Kelly Price.” The dark and subdued tracks on “Culture” seemingly place the listeners into the dimly lit studio where the trio party and record music.

On “Out Yo Way,” Migos sounds uncharacteristically subdued as each rapper croons about his appreciation for women vying for his affection over a cloudy, woozy beat. “Kelly Price” further explores a hazy aesthetic as Quavo, Travis Scott and company sound barely awake while the song floats between a murky chorus and smoke-veiled verses. The sleepy and subtle songs on “Culture” are a change of pace from previous albums that hit the listener with a constant flurry of quick, energetic club bangers.

Although Migos recruited an all-star supporting cast including 2 Chainz, Lil Uzi Vert and DJ Khaled among others, “Culture” is still a Migos album from start to finish. The features are for the most part forgettable, save for DJ Khaled’s humorously trite spoken word on the opening track about haters trying to “play” Migos and him.

Moreover, Migos’ skillful interplay on “Culture” attests to the group’s powerful chemistry, which is perhaps why actor Donald Glover called Migos “the Beatles of our generation” in his Golden Globes acceptance speech.

Still, the trio’s tried-and-true interplay has its limitations: Outside of quirky and at times hilarious punch lines such as, “Still be playin’ with pots and pans, call me Quavo Ratatouille,” Migos continues to prioritize flow and delivery over introspection or substance in the lyrics. Song subjects fail to explore much beyond the hedonistic cliches of mainstream rap.

But the critical ingredient in the memorability of “Culture” is the individual strength of each rapper. They have mastered playing to each others’ skills, resulting in a dynamic sound on even the stalest songs on “Culture.”

While Takeoff delivers breathy, sharp hooks on club anthems such as “Call Casting,” Offset proves his central role in “Bad and Boujee” is no fluke. His rhymes weave through the beats on “Culture” and he carefully shifts the tempos of his rapping in conjunction with razor-sharp ad-libs such as “skrt skrt!” and “grah!” from Takeoff and Quavo.

Nevertheless, it is Quavo who steals the show on “Culture.” Abandoning the yelping delivery of his early rapping style, Quavo instead turns to Auto-Tune to give his voice a cavernous, atmospheric sound. His rapping is the slowest and the most methodical of the trio and yet it is precisely his crooning and humming that makes for some of the best moments on the album.

Songs such as “Slippery,” which features Gucci Mane, are furnished immaculately by Quavo’s dreary vocals, and the standout track “All Ass” allows Quavo to effortlessly grip the listeners’ attentions as he wails on the chorus, “Beat the pot, beat the pot, beat the pot, oh.”

The 13-song track list of “Culture” is the optimal length for Migos to continue to deliver its trademarks – speedy triplet bars, infectious hooks and eccentric ad-libs. The album marks a clear improvement in terms of consistency and quality, since a runtime of just under an hour allows Migos to pack in the energy, sound and charisma fans desire without saturating the album with subpar, forgettable songs.

Ultimately, “Culture” represents a culmination of the Atlanta trio’s presence in hip-hop since the beginning of the decade. The album is truly a victory for the city of Atlanta and its “Culture” of hip-hop.

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Artiom Arutiunov
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