Migos’ sophomore effort, Culture, was arguably one of last year’s biggest surprises in rap (at least in my eyes). I expected a decent project with a handful of good songs for me to nod my head and turn up to but not a whole lot else. What we actually got however, was a whole lot more and the start of a wave they rode all throughout 2017. So expectations for the follow up to that, Culture II, were absolutely through the roof and was the first true Migos project I was anxiously anticipating. Unfortunately what we got was rather underwhelming compared to the first offering and all in all it felt like a big step back for the group that seemed to finally be reaching their true potential. At 24-tracks the album is just too damn long and I had a hard time staying interested throughout its entirety. A problem only further compacted by the sheer amount of ‘sameness’ present in the general sound of the songs – only broken up in few and far between moments like “Narcos” and “Made Men.” My general feeling after listening to the album was that I heard this all before from them, and much better. Whereas Culture felt fresh and radical in it’s trendsetting ways, Culture II feels regressive and safe. This time they’re going to have a hard time distinguishing themselves from the many clones they’ve spawned over the years.
“I love my mama, never change, your honor
So I gotta let his mama live
I beat the pot up like Adrien Broner
Make him vanish, David Copperfield
Came in the game and was independent
They was screaming out that we ain’t got a deal
Said I ain’t playing, this the face I make when I call my plug and he ain’t got a sell”
Have you heard Culture II? What’d you think about it? Do you think the Migos played things too safe this go around? Let me know in the comments below and be sure to leave your own ratings and reactions to the album.
