For the past few months, each member of the popular hip-hop group Migos has dropped solo projects for the world to listen and (mostly) enjoy. Quavo released "Quavo Huncho" in October and Takeoff followed with "The Last Rocket" in November. That left the "dark Migo", Offset, to release the final of the solo albums from the group. After months of speculation and wait, Offset finally dropped the project "FATHER OF 4", receiving critical acclaim, and continuing his and the group's ceiling breaking stardom.
Originally to be named "Set Gala", Offset planned on dropping the album in December on his birthday, but certain events that happened in his life, mostly the public cheating scandal and breakup with rap superstar Cardi B, delayed the album's release. Two months later, he released the long-awaited project, filling it with songs about his four kids, his relationship with Cardi, and his rise to fame. The album consists of 16 songs and is produced solely by Southside and Metro Boomin, two of the great producers in the rap game. There are so many songs to choose from for a review article, but here are the four songs that define the album.
The album begins with the project title, Father of 4, a song written solely for his kids. He raps about being locked up when his first kid was born, being only 17 years old, and being completely broke when he was released from prison. He name drops all of his kids, which is significant due to the fact that only one of his kids gets the media attention, his daughter Kulture who he had with Cardi B. It wasn't known by many fans that Offset had more kids than just Kulture, so it's great that he mentions them all and the struggles he went through as a father before becoming rich and famous. He clearly is trying to become a better father and it begins with him apologizing to his kids for not being around much during their early years. Great intro that doubles as a beautifully produced song, one that fans can enjoy on their speakers and headphones, even though it wasn't meant for the fans.
Many of the other songs on the album are consistent with the picture that has been painted of Offset, his love for money, women, and the luxuries of life. This is personified on Made Men, the 5th track on the album. Even before the beat drops in the song, he has already mentioned "gettin real paper" and buying new expensive cars (a McLaren to be exact). This continues throughout the song where he is clearly showing how he spends his money and showing the fans exactly how he feels about himself and his rap game, mentioning that everything he touches turns #1 on the charts. He also raps about his family, saying that he takes care of his mom, who raised him alone, and how he and his father don't speak. While not a noticeable line at first, this is important because Offset clearly doesn't have a great relationship with his father, making him strive to become better than him. It's a fun song but definitely has its purpose in sticking to the theme of the album.
Now comes the song that will define Offset for years to come, North Star. The 7th track on the album changes the direction of how Offset can rap, showing a softer side to the darkness. He pulls Ceelo Green as a feature, showing the superstar can provide all-star features on his projects. This comes as little surprise due to the superstardom level the Migos are on but still shows Offset can provide this on HIS projects. The production on this album is bar-none, one of the best any member of Migos has rapped to. Metro Boomin, presumably, slows it down on this track, providing the fans a chance to hear Offset get soft with his music. Here, he raps about his desire to be the leader of this new generation of rappers and achieving personal greatness, which he also says he accomplished so much already. Green provides the interpretation of this song and gives us the line of the song, "I gotta burn bright to be the North Star in the dark night sky," reviewing exactly what Offset mentions, wanting to be the light for this generation. Best song on the album, and again, one that will be at the top of Offset's discography when his career is all set and done.
One of the interesting things that was expected of Offset from this album was him addressing his relationship with Cardi B. The two are clearly back together after weeks of speculation, and the timing was great to address exactly his thoughts on Kulture's mother. That finally came during the 9th track, Don't Lose Me. Offset begins this song not rapping, just talking with little music in the background. He apologizes for breaking her heart, breaking God's promise, and trying to be a better person, clearly addressing his feelings towards his cheating scandal from last year. This was the best way Offset could approach this topic, by just speaking candidly on his thoughts instead of rapping, showing the softer side once more from the Migo member and a more humanistic approach rather than him believing he is above the heartbreak that he endured during the breakup. The rest of the song consists of a fantastic beat, which includes crickets in the background, which sound fantastic (only Metro can make this sound good). He starts to rap about having demons that led him to cheat but also mentions that Cardi B is the only women for him and he didn't realize it before. He talks about doing anything for her and shows the world his true feelings towards his baby mama. He drops a fantastic line that is a homage to arguably the best Migo song in their discography, "Bad and Boujee", where he says that he loves that Cardi is "ratchet, not boujee." A great response to something that has been in the media for a while, and clearly a reason for the delay in the album release.
2019 is going to be filled with some great rap albums. The rap game is at an all-time level with the amount of talent and songs being produced. Offset just proved he belongs in the upper echelon of this group as a solo artist, and maybe just cemented his status as the best Migo. His lyrical genius is clear throughout this album, but it's the way he switches up from his usual antics and provides context to his past and present life that truly makes him and this album great. Time will tell if he can withstand a full year of albums to grant him a Grammy nomination for Best Album or even win the award itself, but through two months of the year, "FATHER OF 4" has won the award with flying colors.
