After a huge year of success in 2017, dropping the Grammy-nominated Culture last January with the group's first #1 single and multiple charters, the Atlanta hip-hop trio is back at it with their latest release: Culture II.
ALBUM REVIEW
Culture II by Migos
Reviewed by Billy Sakmann
January 31st, 2018
When the tracklist was initially announced as 24 songs, it raised concern for the album's quality. Culture checked in at a modest 13 songs spanning 58 minutes, but the group stayed busy all year. Offset and Quavo each partook in a collaborative album in the last quarter of 2017: Without Warning with 21 Savage and Metro Boomin on production, and Huncho Jack, Jack Huncho with Travis Scott, respectively. Then the group put out the compilation album Quality Control: Control The Streets Vol. 1 in December, which is also content-heavy at 30 songs, with a Migos member being featured in 21 of the tracks, and the entire group in 5 of them.
With all these releases, how much more content could the group have? Sure, the lyric writing itself probably isn't hard for them at this point, but how many formulaic songs can the group put out before the "Quality Control" label becomes ironic?
There aren't really any bad tracks on Culture II, but there aren't really any great tracks either. Culture had phenomenal hits like "T-Shirt" and "Slippery," but you'll be hard-pressed to find a song that memorable on the group's follow-up album.
The Migos have a signature sound that's easily recognizable and increasingly used in rap music. They perfected the sound on Culture, had killer hooks, and were the hottest ticket in town. But Culture II lacks the same wow factor and catchiness of the first album.
"Stir Fry" is probably my favorite track on the album, growing on me since it's release in December as a single. What's always stood out was it's unique and fun production: a Pharrell Williams beat reportedly kept in waiting since 2008. The funky, groovy track covered with whistles and signature Quavo hook singing is probably the most memorable of the album.
"Higher We Go" and "Auto Pilot (Huncho on the Beat)" are two more songs that use the Migos signature sound well. While not groundbreaking, they are catchy and showcase some of the group's best talents. "Higher We Go" is the intro, but it's fleshed out over a normal song length and features great production from Metro Boomin. The latter song is produced by Quavo, which is odd to flaunt in the title since he has his hands on many of the tracks. The hook of the song, especially the line "I didn't graduate but I know chemistry and science" reminded me of YRN, the trio's first studio album.
There are a couple different sounds the Migos try here, with "Narcos" being the easiest to spot. The studio sessions were held in a South American jungle, leading way to both instrumental and lyrical themes. In the final stretch of the album, "Notice Me," "Made Men," and "Top Down On Da NAWF" slow it down and are three of the tracks I find myself going back to more. The first one features Post Malone, whose harmonic vocals breaks up the monotony a bit. "Made Men" almost feels like light R&B at times, and "Top Down on Da NAWF"has some of the coolest production on the album.
"BBO (Bad Bitches Only)" is right up there with "Stir Fry" among my favorites on the album. 21 Savage opens the track with delivery that sounds more involved than in previous projects. The song also features additional production from Kanye West, which is evident in the polished instrumental.
There are obviously a lot of moments I liked on this album, but the overall product was still underwhelming. I enjoyed a lot of Quality Control and Huncho Jack, so I came with expectations of at least matching those albums. But I don't think I can say I enjoyed Culture II more than Huncho Jack, Jack Huncho.
CULTURE NATIONAL ANTHEM #CULTUREII pic.twitter.com/4tgKW3yipC— QuavoYRN (@QuavoStuntin) January 15, 2018
An excerpt from "Culture National Anthem," the album's outro. Via Quavo's Twitter.
These songs lack interesting hooks and sounds, and are easy to get lost in the 24 song, 1 hour 45 minute behemoth. "White Sand" is especially disappointing, boasting features from Travis Scott, Ty Dolla $ign, and Big Sean. None live up to their full potential in the song which could have easily been a chart-topper with the guest list.
"Walk It Like I Talk It" also featured an underwhelming feature from Drake and a slightly annoying hook. Drake's appearance isn't horrible, but maybe expectations felt higher after his surprise 2018 release of Scary Hours.
Another gripe I had on the album was not using the trio to it's full potential. While Quavo has the signature voice of the group, he's still overused throughout the album. In many songs, he sings the intro, chorus, post-chorus, and first verse.. and the song is nearly halfway over before Offset and Takeoff get some full lines in. Quavo is probably the most consistent rapper on the album, but the similar structure in most songs makes them blend together even more.
Takeoff has some moments where he steals the show and I would've loved to see more of. These songs seemed to come in stretches on the tracklist. I enjoyed his verse in "Stir Fry," which transitions to back-to-back Takeoff choruses in "Too Much Jewelry" and "Gang Gang." He shines again near the end of the album, with his vocals on "Made Men" among my favorite on the album.
Offset seems to disappear at times, which can both his fault and the fault of the writing. He doesn't get much time in the spotlight with Quavo doing the heavy-lifting and Takeoff having some pleasant sections.
Overall, it's still hard to call Culture II a bad album, but compared to it's expectations, it definitely fell short. The long tracklist is responsible for a lot of this, but it wouldn't be as bad if there were some certifiable bangers to lead the album. We can't expect the Migos to really reinvent themselves, but more unique songs or ideas also would've boosted the album up. At the end of the day, Culture II is exactly what it looks like: 2018 Migos captured in a studio over 24 tracks. They could probably do this every year and make decent if not forgettable lyrics. But the group had higher expectations had failed to live up to them.
Positives:
-Highlights like "Stir Fry," "BBO (Bad Bitches Only)." "Made Men," and "Notice Me"
-Some Takeoff moments
-Even weaker songs are still listenable
-21 Savage, 2 Chainz, Cardi B, Post Malone features
-Some songs try new things
Negatives:
-Too long, not interesting enough to span 24 tracks
-No standout hits on the entire tracklist
-Quavo is overused at times
-Offset is underwhelming
-Travis Scott, Ty Dolla $ign features
-Weak hooks
Rating: 6.6/10
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