Offset is about to set things off.
After delaying his sophomore solo album following the tragic death of Migos groupmate Takeoff last November, the Atlanta rapper reignited calls for the long-awaited record, which he finally announced this month.
Slated for release on Oct. 13, Offset’s forthcoming LP, SET IT OFF, was officially unveiled alongside his latest single “FAN,” where Offset takes inspiration from Michael Jackson’s iconic Thriller music video. Preceded by the album’s past effort “Jealousy” with his wife Cardi B — performing the track together at Rolling Loud Miami in July — Set also promoted the album live on stream with Kai Cenat.
At 21 tracks long — and rumored to feature not only Cardi B, but Future, Travis Scott, Latto and more according to Variety — SET IT OFF will arrive four years after his debut solo LP, Father Of 4. Poised to be Offset’s most “personal” chapter yet, the record was originally slated for release on Nov. 11, 2022. However, Takeoff’s untimely passing caused Offset to put his work on pause.
He detailed his grief in a heartfelt letter, saying “the pain you have left me with is unbearable,” among more personal anecdotes. He told Variety “that sh** feels fake” when thinking or talking about Takeoff’s death. “I get through my day thinking it’s fake. And I don’t say nothing to nobody about it,” he said. In other revealing news, Offset isn’t actually related to Quavo or Takeoff, telling Variety that he met Quavo in the sixth grade and became friends in class.
Quavo, on the other hand, used his solo album Rocket Power (Aug. 18) to pay homage to his late-nephew and “Unc and Phew” twin. He shared a pair of touching tributes like “WITHOUT YOU” and “Honey Bun” in the interim, even performing “WITHOUT YOU” at the 65th Annual GRAMMY Awards in Los Angeles in February. Rocket Power featured two posthumous verses from Takeoff (“Patty Cake” and “Back Where It Begins”), as Quavo revealed that the album’s creative process was his “therapy.”
While Quavo and Takeoff solidified their bond as a duo on Only Built For Infinity Links, Offset rode dolo for all of 2022. Hopping on Trippie Redd’s “Big 14” and “Step 1” with Sleazyworld Go last year, other features with Freddie Gibbs, G Herbo, DJ Drama and Hit-Boy have held fans over in his full-length absence.
SET IT OFF’s announcement was initially led-in with the release of “54321,” produced by pgLang’s Baby Keem — acting as the start of Set’s sophomore era. Later sharing “Code” with Moneybagg Yo in August 2022, the album is said to be “full of hits, full of smashes… Y’all gon’ see how I’m coming, I’m coming crazy, all aspects of rap.” The rapper also alluded to a potential collaboration with Juice WRLD. It remains unclear if either “54321” or “Code” will land on the record.
“Code” was further evidence of Offset’s calls for perfection — riding the cinematic, hard-hitting beat as he and Yo trade visceral bars with ease. Swapping between a futuristic all-Balenciaga fit and a leather racing jacket, the colorful and charismatic Migo flexes his star power at every turn — continuing to flesh out his next record’s carefree, triumphant vibe.
“54321” was Offset’s first official single following Migos’ official split, and the second time Offset and Baby Keem have worked together on a track — previously linking for “We Did It Kid” on Kanye West’s DONDA 2. Riding the success of his debut album, The Melodic Blue, as well as his proximity to Kendrick Lamar and appearances on Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers, Keem’s left-of-center presence unearthed a new pocket for Offset — bringing out the best of his ability as SET IT OFF looms toward a spooky Friday the 13th release.
This story will be updated.
Check out the ‘SET IT OFF’ singles below!
Check out more MIGOS below!
