Migos "Culture III": Culture is fashionable again.

Migos' thunderous beats and verses are still unmatched. The rappers kept the fans waiting for three whole years, but delivered one of the best releases of 2021!

The new Migos album has been awaited for three whole years - an impressive period for modern rap. Originally it was supposed to be released back in 2019, but the wait was not in vain. On "Culture III," the band reminds us why rap is the culture that has taken over the world, and wows listeners with killer beats and effective lyrics in verses and choruses.

Migos: From Primitive Songs to Chart-Topping Success and "Culture III"

Migos is a prime example of creative evolution. The band took off in 2016-2017, but their career began a little earlier. Migos' first attempts at the pen were unsuccessful: released in 2013, "Versace" and "Hannah Montana" were simple, even primitive songs that didn't stand out from hundreds of similar rap tracks. At that time it seemed that Migos were ephemeral and would soon be forgotten. But in just a few years, the band got on a completely different level. And they are still collaborating with producer Zaytoven, who has been with them since the beginning of their career. The success of Migos is another proof that talent is not so much a congenital quality, but the result of hard work and constant self-improvement.

"Culture III": Migos' Return and the Importance of Quality Over Quantity

The promo-campaign of "Culture III" was not very loud or extensive, but it was creative. Even the band made an event out of the usual announcement: they made an Instagram post with the release date, styling it after Michael Jordan's 1995 letter in which he announced his return to basketball. Migos' return was just as welcome: the band hadn't released an album in three years, which is a lot by the standards of the current royalty free background music industry and rap in particular. Some modern artists have a shorter career. Quavo, one of the members of Migos, said that they didn't hurry with the album release, because they were afraid to "oversaturate" the market. Besides, the rappers don't have to prove anything and a really good record takes time. It's better to wait a little longer than to hastily release unfinished material.

Star Guests on "Culture III": Authentic Collaborations and Emotional Moments

Migos already has a lot of hits, but "Culture III" doesn't seem to be on the charts, even though it's almost always on the charts. There are many star guests on the new album - Drake, Justin Bieber, Cardi B, Future, Juice WRLD - but it's not like they were invited just for additional publicity, as it often happens in such cases. No singles with their participation have been released yet, the promo-campaign didn't focus on them, and the tracks themselves sound organic and authentic. The same song, "Antisocial," with the voice of Juice WRLD, was recorded back in 2018, and in it the rapper talks about his drug problems. Knowing his tragic history - Juice WRLD died of an overdose in December 2019 at the age of 21 - it's impossible not to be moved.

The Key Components of a Good Rap Song in "Culture III"

Two key components of a good rap song are a quality beat and a charismatic performance. And on "Culture III," that's enough. The arrangement of "Modern Day" is crazy in the positive sense - Migos did not choose this song as the third single for nothing. Only the track "Roadrunner" with the same loud, almost killer beat can compete with it in terms of hit potential. The song seems to be about parties, but not really, with that unsettling sound. The instrumental in "Malibu" is good - the composition just asks to be a soundtrack to some action movie or an action-detective. The opening track "Avalanche" features a sample from The Temptations song "Papa Was A Rollin' Stone". There is still a perception that the use of samples supposedly shows a creative failure, although to find the right sample that sounds appropriate and beautiful is a real art. The "Avalanche" sample is perfectly matched: the parallel between the story of "Papa Was A Rollin' Stone" and the life story of the Migos members really speaks for itself. Quavo hardly knew his father - he died when he was four and was brought up by his mother.

The Power of Three: Migos' Creative Evolution and Brotherhood

The verses and choruses of the rappers themselves on "Culture III" are also at the highest level. Contrary to the stereotype that everyone can talk to music, to read rap is not easier than to sing or play an instrument. You need to perfectly get into the rhythm, do not hurry, and do not lag behind. Besides, due to the lack of melody every syllable has to sound expressive, you can't "eat" the words, unless you're talking about mumble-rap, and that's not about Migos. Also "Culture III" perfectly illustrates the saying that "two heads are better" - only in this case there are not two, but three. After the release of Culture II, each member released a solo album - all three were moderately successful, but the three of them sound better than they do individually. By the way, all three Migos members grew up together and have known each other since childhood. They are not just creative partners, but brothers, and almost literally - Quavo, Offset and Takeoff are distant relatives.