Migos, the rap trio from Gwinnett County, Ga., have taken the country by storm over the past year, but their latest album set them back a bit. Released January 26th, Migos third studio album, “Culture II”, is a follow-up to their previous album, “Culture”, which was released on January 27th, 2017. “Culture” reached certified platinum in less than four months and “Culture II” is well on its way to join the platinum ranks, as it debuted at the top of the Billboard 200 Albums Chart. “Culture” also was atop the Billboard 200 Albums Chart, but did not have as strong of a debut as “Culture II” has had.
“Culture II” is a brutally long, 24-track album, that has several songs that are easily forgettable. Anything more than 15 songs in an album is difficult to listen to in one sitting, and Migos prove that notion true with this new album. Songs like “Open It Up,” “Too Much Jewelry” and “Movin’ Too Fast” are far too repetitive and offer no type of originality. “Open It Up” has almost an identical beat to the popular anthem “Deadz (feat. 2 Chainz),” which was on “Culture,” and many other songs on the album sound far too synonymous. Most of the songs that are only performed by Quavo, Offset and Takeoff have not been well received by listeners. However, there are a few exceptions. “Superstars,” “Emoji a Chain” and “Stir Fry” each have a unique sound, and do a great job of showing both the individual versatility of each artist, as well as the undeniable chemistry that the group shares.
The star-studded cast of features that Migos had join them on “Culture II” saved the album from being an absolute flop. Drake, 21 Savage, Gucci Mane, Travis Scott, Cardi B, Nicki Minaj, Post Malone and 2 Chainz rescue Migos from a mediocre, at best, album. “Walk It Talk It” is a very repetitive song, but a verse in the middle of the song by Drake rescues the listener from the lull that is the rest of the song. Arguably the best feature on the album is Post Malone on the track “Notice Me.” Post Malone does a great job of bringing the Migos out of their traditional rhythm and flow, and gives a new, unique sound that the Migos so desperately need.
Overall, “Culture II” was a decent, definitely not great, album. Migos were ultimately outshined by their features on “Culture II.” That and trying to duplicate too much of their success from “Culture,” is why they ended up with an album that had several throwaway tracks.
