Offset - Father Of 4

by Creed Griffiths

Senior Editor

/ RAP

March 16, 2019

Completing the trifecta of solo releases from the superstar group Migos, Offset presents “Father Of 4”, easily the most rounded and individual release of any of the group members first batch of solo albums.

Offset – one-third of the superstar group Migos and arguably their most popular member, makes his much-anticipated solo debut. Father Of 4 sees Offset provide some deeply introspective moments when reflecting on both his past and his current relationship dramas with the queen of hip-hop today, Cardi B. As refreshing as it is to hear such reflection in a Migos flavoured release, Father Of 4 is not without padding, with some deeper cuts sounding like Migos B-sides, albeit with Offset getting a little more of the limelight than perhaps he normally would.

The features list on Father Of 4 garners most of the big names one would expect to pop up on an Offset project, but not all come with a great deal of success. The Travis Scott and 21 Savage featured “Legacy” should’ve been a smash hit. It has all the tools to mirror the success of something like Travis Scott’s “Sicko Mode”, but instead comes off a little awkward. The song suffers from a combination of too many stylistic clashes and not enough cohesion as each artist tries too hard to make the song their own. Perhaps to the surprise of many, J.Cole and CeeLo Green make guest appearances on “How Did I Get Here” and “North Star”, with both making each of their respective cuts better off for their presence. The Quavo featured “On Fleek” sounds like a Migos leftover with the absence of their other member – Takeover, embarrassingly unnoticeable. “Quarter Milli” featuring Gucci Mane, makes no attempt to break new ground either. The standard references to firearms and violence, glorified sexual exploits and flashy jewellery rides over a stripped back instrumental that only becomes remotely entertaining during Gucci Mane’s verse where he raps in some sort of overly animated and sarcastic tone, yet somehow still manages to keep his delivery hostile and fierce. “Clout” provides an opportunity for Cardi B to strut her stuff, highlighting her skill to jump on a beat and bring her trademark energy and delivery, overshadowing Offset in the process.

For all the similarity that Father Of 4 has to other Migos projects it does assert Offset as the true front man of the group. Of all the solo projects released by the members of Migos, this is the only one that doesn’t either sound like a B-side that didn’t make it onto one of the Culture records or completely irrelevant altogether. Offset chooses some interesting and unique beats that aren’t necessarily spectacular but combined with more introspective lyrics than expected, a smooth flow and content worth writing songs about, he provides enough highlights to make this record a success for the most part. The lead single “Red Room” has Offset diving into his past and reflecting on certain experiences that led him to superstardom. “How I grew up, my momma was my dad/So when I blew up I put her in a pad” details his upbringing and “Ridin’ through the city, 30 mags/*N-word* snitchin’, they the police with no badge” hints at a life of crime and gang affiliation. Offset also takes the time to mention the pain in the life of those around him, referencing the murder of an innocent teenager in Ferguson and the loss of his own close friends to gang violence. “FaceTime ‘round three, Mike in a puddle/How am I ‘posed to take it?/Niggas dyin’ ‘round the same time I had a baby” and “I hate the fame, everybody keep on looking” are truly raw and far removed from the content in any other Migos-affiliated material.

Overall Father Of 4 does a good job of pushing Offset’s case as a solo act, highlighting qualities in his song writing, instrumental choices, conceptuality and ability to effectively tell a story. Performances on tracks like “Lick” and “Don’t Lose Me” show glimpses of individuality and quality that has perhaps been lying dormant as a result of the Migos hype. Father Of 4 is at its best when it is entirely focused on the delivery of one moment at a time, giving the stories within them a chance to breathe and be explored. At its worst, it struggles to compete with Migos staples such as “Walk It Talk It” and “Bad and Boujee” that have made the group one of hip-hops biggest acts today. Above all, Offset has shown what he is capable of as a songwriter and performer and with a little more refining could have the tools to stamp his own individual mark on both the group and his own solo career within the music industry.

The image used in this post is a reproduction of the original album art work. This property is owned by Quality Control Music/Motown Records © 2019.