Migos - Culture // Album Review

2 days to the release of Culture 3, so today I take a look at the first album of the series. A lot of women, drugs and money crafted the album Culture 

The cover art for Culture

This Friday Culture 3 will release. So what better time than now to take a look at the first album of the series Culture. I remember many of the tracks as being the ending of my introduction to Migos. I also remember Migos blowing up like crazy after the release of the album. 

One of the problems I've always had with Migos is that they're songs often are loaded with similarities to another song of their. I often feel like they work in a box and that their songs aren't coming out of that box. 

Migos have a very unique and good-sounding sound, but their sound isn't very versatile. There hasn't been any pressure for the Migos to change their sound, so no wonder it's the same as always. I mean it works for them. 

Culture is Migos' sophomore album. It was led by four well-received singles. The album comes with great features, including 2 Chainz, Travis Scott, Lil Uzi Vert, Gucci Mane and DJ Khaled.

Back in 2017 the Migos' sound grew to the skies in popularity. That's why calling this album Culture isn't an understatement and actually in it's right place. Because the sound of the mainstream in 2017, where all in someway or another influenced by Migos. 

One thing I enjoy about Culture, is that it's straight to the point 13 songs and 58 minutes. They really have chosen the essentials for the album. I think it helps reach the albums potential, since they haven chosen to only feature very few unnecessary tracks, so the album doesn't get totally flooded.

Rating:

Vibe - 4/10. 

What makes a vibe isn't just the music. You need something to relate to, and for most of us it isn't money, women and drugs, but we need something deeper. 

Lyrics - 3/10. 

The lyrics are can be reflected into the general trap music genre using themes like sex, drugs and money. It doesn't seem like the album is focused on the lyrical part, but more on making music, that sounds good. 

Flow - 8/10. 

Migos are well-known for their trademark trap flow, which plays a huge roll in crafting their gigantic hits of the album.

Music - 7/10. 

With production coming from a lot of great producers including Zaytoven and Metro Boomin it goes hard. 

Overall - 6,6/10. 

Migos could have done so much more on this album. For a start it would have helped switching up either the presentation or the themes, because with the theme and presentation almost being repeated on every track, it creates a to uniform album. Never the less a lot of the tracks are bangers and Migos come through with what they want to express. 

Tracklist:

There has been some debate on whether "Culture" was meant for "Culture" or "Major Key"

Culture: 3,5/10

"Culture" is the intro of the album, but it wasn't made as an intro for the album. Hence Takeoff saying "Culture album comin' soon'" multiple times during the track. The song was perhaps meant to be on DJ Khaled's Major Key instead of Culture. 

On the track Migos talk about their usual topics, talking about their wealth, spending habits, along with drugs and violence. 

I gotta say I find the track to be without meaning, not good-sounding and in a way annoying because of DJ Khaled. I think many of his ad-libs are misplaced. 

The trap music Migos bring can be great, but this song was a bust and a bad intro for the entire album.

Migos wear all fur in the music video for "T-Shirt"

T-Shirt: 6,5/10

On this track Migos uses their notorious stop-and-start flows. The trademark Migos' flow doesn't disappoint and creates a rock hard trap track. What's disappointing is the fact that Migos almost repeat their lyrics from the first track and doesn't really touch any other themes than the ones they always talk about. 

The music video on the other hand is almost a work of art. Migos wearing all fur in the snowy environment makes it look like a movie. 

This song on one hand being a technically very bad song, while on the other hand being a tremendously good trap track. It ends on 6,5, because I can't rate it higher with the lack of impressive rapping on it. 

Call Casting: 4/10

 "Call Casting" is produced by Buddah Bless. A man who had priorly worked with 2 Chainz on his project "Big Amount". 

"Call Casting" was released as the second official track before the album release on WorldStarHipHop following Migos' gigantic hit "Bad and Boujee"

The ad-libs gets way to much, and the verses gets ruined by it. It is the typical trap music we know and love Migos for producing, but the beat sounds scratchy and the ad-libs is a bigger part of the song than the actual lyrics. 

"Bad and Boujee" is Migos highest-charting track yet

Bad and Boujee: 7/10

If you're familiar with the general mainstream rap music of 2017 it isn't hard to hear who's behind this mega hit. Metro Boomin is of course the man behind the production of this trap anthem. This marks the first ever collaboration between Metro Boomin and Migos. 

"Boujee" is slang for the word "Bourgeois", which refers to either a person of the middle class or a person, who is dominated or characterized by materialistic pursuits or concerns. The slang fits very well with the meaning of the song. Migos have women who are bad and have expensive taste. 

Takeoff wasn't on the track, but it was his own choice to give his verse to Lil Uzi Vert. Takeoff has taken a personal choice of being involved in less social media and less featured songs. 

This trap track is pure Migos and it cements Migos' place at the top of the mainstream trap game. 

Get Right Witcha: 6,5/10

I remember this as the one of the track, which introduced me to Migos. The arrogant trap track, contributed to paint the picture of the Migos, which stand to this day.

As hustlers Migos are always putting in effort and work, but they have a lot on their plate hence the "Get Right Witcha". Meaning they don't have time for you, but they'll get right witcha. 

Slippery: 7/10

On this track Migos team up with Gucci Mane to talk about drugs, women and the luxurious lifestyle.

Both Migos and Gucci Mane is familiar with the drug game, and in the third verse Takeoff takes the time to represent himself as a doctor of the drug game, saying the bars:

"Lean on rocks (Act), Perkys, Mollies, Xannies, Rocks (Roxies). Oxycontin (Oxyies), Takeoff, I'm your med doc (Takeoff!)"

Quavo doesn't lay off either, putting down a chorus that starts like this:

"Pop a perky just to start up (Pop it, pop it), Pop two cups of purple just to warm up (Two cups, drank)"

The reason the ad-libs are featured on the lyrics is, that I think the ad-libs contributes to the Migos feeling and general trap feeling of the song. 

Big On Big: 5,5/10

"Big On Big" is about the major success that Migos had experienced in the prior years to the release of Culture. The phrase "big on big" can be directly transferred to the phrase "big to bigger", since it's the same meaning behind the two phrases. 

I love the arrogant Migos asking other rappers, how they are planning to achieve the same successes Migos already have achieved. 

Zaytoven is the producer of the track, playing everyone into the track with his formidable piano play. 

What The Price: 7,5/10

"What The Price" was the fourth single to drop before the release of the highly anticipated album. Migos discuss the drug prices in perspective to their own spending habits. 

The concept of "price" has multiple meanings in the song. On one level, it draws a line to Migos' history of dealing drugs, since their buyers would probably like to know the price before making a deal.

On another level, the "price" might also refer to the cost of success. What's the price for fame? Is an often asked question for many rappers and famous people, because it comes with an emotional price along with it being very time-taking. Each members of Migos have invested a lot of effort to reach the level of success they were on. Quavo dropped out of high school to focus on music. Offset gave up his life on the street as a hustler, and Takeoff spend all his time pestering the local DJs to put on Migos' music across Atlanta. Looking back at it Offset's life would probably have been a lot harder on the streets than in the booth.

The third level could be the price of Migos. In 2009 Migos were recording music in their mother's basement and selling drugs in their neighborhood. In 2017 the trio was the biggest rap group of the generation, hence their "price" has gone up.

A track with lot of opportunity, since it has a "hidden" meaning behind it. This track is hard trap, and in my opinion it goes harder than their biggest hit "Bad and Boujee".

Brown Paper Bag: 1,5/10

Like Migos do on a lot - and I mean a lot - of their track, they talk about the luxurious, rich live they life. No humbleness, just arrogance. Arrogance is needed in rap can be crafted into great rap songs. This is not the case here with Migos using mediocre bars, a non-catchy chorus and their typical beat. 

Deadz: 1/10

"Deadz" refers to money, and this is another track purely about how much money Migos make. I think they're definitely have the ability to craft tracks with more depth than just their money. 

All Ass: 4/10

It wouldn't really be a Migos' album without a track about fine women. 

There really isn't more to the song, but it goes up in rating because it switches the theme from just how rich they are to talking about women. 

Kelly Price: 7/10

This is what I was taking about before. It's the same themes they talk about on the rest of the album, but it brings a new perspective with a more low-fi beat. I appreciate their choice to craft something different from the typical trap genre. 

The reference to Kelly Price is spot on. Kelly Price is a six-time grammy nominated R&B singer. Quavo is gonna make his girl moan or "sing" like Kelly Price. The arrogance these bars presents is what Migos are all about. But it isn't just saying "I got money", it's making a reference to Kelly Price, and only if you know her, you know what he means.

Travis Scott is on the second verse, and he delivers a clean, classic Travis verse. Travis contributes to the low-fi feeling the song brings in very positive way. 

Out Yo Way: 6/10

A great way to end the album. Migos take the time to thank all the pretty ladies that go the extra mile to make them happy. Instead of enhancing the stereotypical newer mainstream hip hop views on women, Migos thanks the ladies, who has been there from them, when they needed it. 

After a track like "All Ass" and an album mostly about drugs, women and money, it's fantastic to see Migos showing vulnerability and taking time to reflect on what helped make them.