This is the debut studio album from one-third of the popular rap trio Migos, Quavo. The trio began the year with their latest album “Culture II,” which I hated. Not mincing words, what were they thinking making a 24-song, hour and a half long album when 90% of their songs sound the same? Ugh, I’m diverging. Anyway, while the Migos have been a contentious group, Quavo has easily been the most successful out of the three members in terms of features. Not only have I talked about him as a feature in what feels like 90% of my reviews, but last year, counting two Migos songs, Quavo had the most Billboard Hot 100 Top 10 hits, being featured on “Congratulations” with Post Malone, “Portland” with Drake and Travis Scott, “Strip That Down” with Liam Payne, and “I’m The One” with DJ Khaled, Justin Bieber, Chance the Rapper and Lil Wayne (which even hit #1), and this year, all of those guys (except Lil Wayne) collaborated again and got “No Brainer” to reach the Top 10.
Now, while Quavo is the most featured star of the Migos (probably thanks to his more melodic sound in comparison to Offset and Takeoff), and while I’ve liked some of his features in the past, I was not looking forward to this album. Sure, Quavo is more melodic than the other two (thanks to his “drowning in autotune” vocals that fit with what’s on the charts now), but I personally think he’s the most boring. His technicality, flows, and overall performances are dull in comparison to his family members, Offset and Takeoff. And as if him being the most boring member of the Migos wasn’t bad enough, this album is an hour long! First of all, who wants to listen to an hour of Quavo? Secondly, why do all of the Migos think that bigger is better and that a longer album is equal to a more enjoyable album? Ugh, I feel like this thing is gonna suck, so let’s just try to get through it:
BIGGEST ALLEY OOP: Kicking things off, Quavo talks about…you know what, I’m probably not even gonna discuss the lyrics that much because knowing what I know of the Migos and Quavo, the lyrics are gonna be devoid of anything other than “I came up from this, I make this much money, I’m in the trap house, I got all these hoes, I shoot this,” and general rap fluff (like when he compares his penis size to Jay-Z’s…yuck), so how does the song itself sound? Well, after we get the rather tedious humming on the intro, we get some very standard, occasionally glitchy but nonetheless weak trap production and a Quavo performance that’s just worthy of giggles. It kinda sounds like he’s trying to sound like a child, and it just comes off as really silly. It certainly doesn’t just sound like “Migos but it’s only Quavo,” but it’s not like the song really sounds all that interesting regardless. And without much of a hook, it just doesn’t really grab much good attention. It’s pretty dull.
PASS OUT (feat. 21 Savage): Frequent Migos/Quavo collaborator 21 Savage jumps on this one, a song that literally sounded almost the exact same as the last one leading in. And while it sounds the tiniest bit different as it progresses, the hook is pure monotony, the song is too spacey to the point where it’s just sleep-inducing, and Quavo’s flows just aren’t really all that interesting here. When he’s not just repeating “woo” or “skrt,” he switches between repetitive triplet flows and grating start-stop flows. And while 21 Savage’s flows are occasionally somewhat fun, it’s definitely not up to the standard of his usual features (which are actually pretty good). Yeah, not digging this one, either.
HUNCHO DREAMS: Here, Quavo seems to respond to Nicki Minaj after she mentioned him in her song “Barbie Dreams,” and he seems to indicate the two had a romantic relationship. I feel like I’d be more interested in this, but I don’t think Nicki deserves more attention than what’s she’s gotten for all the dramas she's been involved in (and even caused) so far this year, so if I could, I’d have skipped this. And some of the lyrics on this thing…ugh, make me feel queasy, to be completely honest. I also think the intro, which features a scene from the film “ATL” is just weird and out-of-place, and Quavo’s vocals are boring, even if his flows are decent. The song also has some darker production, but it’s not really all that captivating, and those awful lyrics are only exacerbated by his weak vocals. Yeah, let’s not come back to this one, please and thank you.
FLIP THE SWITCH (feat. Drake): Wait, this is called “FLIP THE SWITCH” and it has Drake on it? Is it a sequel to “Nonstop?” If so…meh, take Quavo off of it. If not…even less interested now. Honestly, though, some of the production is kinda cool: I like the brighter sound of the instrumentals, even if they are drowned out by the overpowering 808 drum beat. Quavo’s vocals and verse are less than stellar, though, as Drake comes in and really saves the song: yes, his vocals are more lowkey and less emotional, but his flow is fun enough to keep it interesting. It’s definitely not one of the worst on the album, but that’s simply by virtue of it not being nearly as bad as the first few tracks.
GIVE IT TO EM (feat. Saweetie): I don’t know who Saweetie is, but apparently, she’s here with Quavo for this track and that’s all that matters, it seems. And she joins him on what’s supposed to be a more sinister, eerie track with more nocturnal production to it. I like some elements of said production (like the piano), but Quavo’s performance is once again really boring. Honestly, there were points on the song where I wondered if he was trying to do a NAV impression (or if he brought NAV in for random adlibs), which I don’t think anyone should be trying to do (same with the adlibs, don’t let NAV adlib for you). Saweetie also hardly shows up on the song, and when she does, she doesn’t really add much to the song. It’s another really bad cut. I’m only five songs in and I want this to be done.
SHINE: Once again, Quavo’s on it about his women and diamonds here, nothing too substantial, basic rap lyrics. And it’s unfortunate because I do like some of the production on here: it’s brighter and more energetic, with a good turn-up feel to it. The big problem with the song, though, is that Quavo opens his mouth and starts rapping. His singing has some good moments to it, but everything else just feels way too sleepy and dull. I feel like if he just went for the sing-y feel throughout the whole song, I may have liked it a bit more, but as it is, I don’t really care for it all that much.
WORKIN ME: Yep, it’s more about the women and the luxury, everybody! Woo woo! My sarcasm doesn’t fill the void, I just want the album to end faster. And I hate to repeat myself already, but so far, it’s kinda the same deal as before: I like the production on this one, it’s got a kind of roomy, airy, and bright feel to it with some really slick and cool percussion. The big issue is that Quavo just isn’t that interesting of a performer, and his flow is so sleepy here. While this isn’t one of the worsts that the album has to offer, it’s not like it’s all that good either.
HOW BOUT THAT?: *rolls eyes* It’s trapping and women, what else? Never go into any of the Migos songs or albums expecting lyricism. And in the case of this song…don’t go in expecting quality, either. It literally sounds like every other Migos/trap song that I’ve ever heard in my life. Sure, it’s got energy and the beat is pumping, but everything else just makes me want to fall asleep. It’s not even like Quavo is trying to hide the fact that Migos songs largely sound the same, and it’s sad that even at two minutes and 40 seconds, it feels like running a marathon trying to get through this damn thing.
CHAMPAGNE ROSÉ (feat. Madonna and Cardi B): Madonna and Cardi B together with Quavo on a track? Well, I can certainly say my curiosity is peaked given that Madonna is here. And again, I do like a lot of what’s going on here in terms of production: it’s eerie but still energetic, and Madonna’s vocals add to that sinister feel, even if her hook feels like it goes on for way too long. Quavo’s verse is nothing special at all, but Cardi B is a huge scene-stealer with her verse: her confidence flows through again, and as much as I don't want her beef with Nicki Minaj to exist, one of Cardi's bars does fire a clever shot at her. Still, I can’t really say that I love this song, and at just over four minutes, the track feels like it goes on way too long. Not the worst thing this album can offer, but far from being worth repeat listens.
KEEP THAT SHIT (feat. Takeoff): I wish someone said that to Quavo before he released this album. “KEEP THAT SHIT! WE DON’T WANT IT!” Either way, Quavo teams with one of his fellow Migos, Takeoff, to make…what essentially sounds like everything else the group has done but with a few cool string plucks here and there? Yep, essentially what the song sounds like. Quavo’s vocals aren’t the worst, but his hook? Lord in Heaven, awful. I feel like he needs to be stopped, like he needs to stop handling hooks. With this and “Walk It Talk It” as some of his hooks of late, I think he needs to stop handling choruses until he actually stops doing the things he does here: repeating himself way too damn much. Takeoff’s verse has a bit of fun flow to it, but by the time he comes in, it’s too little, too late. God, and there are still nine songs left. I haven’t even found one that I like, and now I have to listen to nine more. This is getting worse by the second, guys.
FUCK 12 (feat. Offset): Damn, "FUCK 12?" 12 what? 12-year-olds? What did 12-year-olds do to you, Quavo? Ehh, I try to joke but it’s really tough. Anyway, oddly enough, Quavo chooses to basically say “fuck the police” on this track, but while you’d imagine that could make for a decent social statement, it’s not. Quavo’s just talking about how the cops raid trap houses, topped off with one of the blandest, repetitive, and all-around awful hooks on the album. And the song just takes on this really slow, very sleepy vibe with very basic, murky, lowkey trap production and a start-stop flow from Quavo that threatens to bore you right to death. Hell, not even Offset’s verse can save this: even with a neat Ninja Gaiden reference, his verse is equally as boring. I’m still waiting for a good song, honestly.
LOSE IT (feat. Lil Baby): Well…Lil Baby’s here…don’t know if that’s exciting to you, but hey, it’s a thing. And honestly, once again, some of the production on here sounds good: there’s a cool, bright electronic instrumental, and some of Quavo’s singing isn’t too bad. That said, I just think some of his stop-start, staccato flows are just too boring and kinda kill the song. I do like Lil Baby’s vocal performance on his guest verse as, even if he still sounds like he’s trying to do a Young Thug impression, his performance actually has some good charisma to it and energetic flow. It’s nothing amazing, but it’s definitely not as bad as a lot of the other songs on the album.
RERUN (feat. Travis Scott): Okay, again, I don’t really want to get excited for Quavo songs because they’re Quavo songs, but at the very least, Travis Scott is here, so I was hoping that could make things a bit better. And, in a few ways, it does. Given that Travis is here, the production is hazy and woozy, just like a lot of his songs, and I also think that Travis and Quavo have some decent vocal interplay, especially given that their auto-crooning mixes well together. That said, I don’t really think the hook on here is the strong (what exactly does it mean that she’s “dykin’?” Is this another case of Migos being homophobic, or am I missing something?), and it makes the song a little less fun for me. Still, it has some good things going for it, even if it’s nothing I’ll really want to come back to in the future.
GO ALL THE WAY: While Quavo brags on this one, I’m gonna let you in on a secret. When Quavo calls this “GO ALL THE WAY,” he’s actually giving you secret instructions: go all the way to the trash can and throw out this mess of an album. Just do it, it’ll make things better. In all seriousness, though, I actually like this one: the very fast-paced, upbeat electronic production is really great and quirky, Quavo’s vocals sound really great, and the flows are really fun. I actually feel like this is one of those songs that could make a good single because it’s pretty infectious. Does it save the album? Probably not, but I definitely think it’s a great turn-up jam.
LAMB TALK: Alright, now we’re bragging about the CARS!!! Forgot to mention that at the beginning, there are lyrics about cars on here, too. Massive, I know. But the song itself just brings things right back to the very generic feel I was talking about earlier: this is an example of one of those songs that just sounds like “Migos but it’s only Quavo.” A lot of the flows are boring, and while the hazy production is kinda neat, the hook is just too dull and repetitive to be all that entertaining. I was really liking where Quavo was going after the last track, but this one is just a "nothing special" song. Not one of the album’s worst, but just nothing all that enticing.
BIG BRO: Ahh, here’s the one that was getting a bit of talk, and not for good reasons because Quavo’s bars on the track allegedly sneak diss Lil Peep, who passed away almost a year ago now as the result of a drug overdose. I see where people get it from in the lyrics, and I don’t particularly think Quavo’s backpedal tweet was all that much better (it seemed like he grouped XXXTentacion’s death with those who died from drug abuse, even though X’s death wasn’t the result of drugs). But with or without those bars, the song itself again just falls into that “this does nothing all that special” category: some of Quavo’s vocals are neat-sounding, but the production is dull and repetitive, and the flows just don’t really do much to hook you in. Yeah, this one’s not really all that good, either.
SWING (feat. Normani and Davido): Look, I get this song is about sex, and it’s cool that you have Davido and Normani on it, but Quavo, dude, this is the second time on this album that you interpolated “Narcos” (he interpolated the song on “HUNCHO DREAMS” as well). I don’t care if “Narcos” is actually a good song, twice on the same album? Come on, man! What’s worse, this track is just over five minutes long. Given how bad a lot of these two and three-minute songs are, are they really gonna make five minutes captivating? Well, fortunately, yeah. I do like the change in direction here, as the song takes on more of an afrobeat/dancehall vibe (I again ask: Drake, what have you done?) with some fun, bouncy instrumentals. Quavo’s vocals are pretty nice, as are guest vocalist Normani’s, and I feel like they work well together without upstaging one another. Davido’s verse isn’t really the best part of the song, but his vocals are certainly a nice touch, and they round out what’s a surprisingly nice track.
BUBBLE GUM: You know, instead of talking about women again, I think it would’ve been infinitely more interesting if Quavo actually talked about bubble gum here. Is that just me? Regardless, this is another rather generic trap banger that doesn’t even make up for its boring feel with its energy. Yes, it’s upbeat and loud, but I feel like I’ve heard this song quite a few times not just out of Quavo and the Migos, but even out of artists like Travis Scott (without the drug-induced haziness, of course). Quavo’s vocals are also less fun on this one, and even at just over three minutes, it feels like a chore getting through the song. It’s a good thing we’re close to the end of this thing.
LOST (feat. Kid Cudi): The final track of this messy album is slightly more introspective, with Quavo hoping that the fame and money don’t cause him to lose himself, and guest artist Kid Cudi comes in to talk about mental health and how the industry personally affects him. It’s nice to hear them talk about topics like this, but I just wish they didn’t wait until the very last song of this hour-long project to do that. And even as he talks about those kinds of interesting topics, the production just sounds really dull. I kind of feel like it sounds like a slower, somewhat moodier version of “Slippery” from the first “Culture” album. Quavo also continues to be very dull with his start-stop flows, and he’s kind of saved by his feature again: Kid Cudi’s vocals are very nice and smooth, and they basically save this from being one of the album’s worsts. That said, given the topic and the Cudi feature, this really should’ve been one of the album’s bests.
Come on, guys, did you really think this album was gonna be that great? It’s an hour of Quavo! Now, to the album’s credit, it does actually show some marginal improvement towards the end, but really that’s just a consolation prize in what’s a pretty painful, monotonous record, and it’s not made better that you’ve gotta sit through a lot of dreck to really get to the good songs. While there are some pretty well-produced tracks on this thing, the overall production is hit-or-miss and much of it does sound very same-y and derivative of the Migos style. Also, Quavo is often just not a very interesting performer. Even as the most melodic of the Migos, he just sounds bored throughout much of this, relies a bit much on his features to save songs (said features are also hit-or-miss, as well), and much of the time, he doesn’t have the artistic fortitude to really craft interesting hooks. I’m sorry to say, but this album is just an overly-bloated mess that, even with a few decent tracks towards the end, has no reason being as long as it is. If you haven’t listened to this yet, keep it that way. I promise you are missing basically nothing by avoiding it.
Favorite tracks: GO ALL THE WAY, SWING
Least favorite tracks: BIGGEST ALLEY OOP, PASS OUT, HUNCHO DREAMS, GIVE IT TO EM, HOW BOUT THAT?, KEEP THAT SHIT, FUCK 12, BIG BRO, BUBBLE GUM
Rating: Awful
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