Over a relatively short amount of time in the music industry, the Migos have made a bevy of hits and climbed to the top of pop-culture. After their debut mixtape, YRN, the Migos became a household name and popular group for bookings. Regardless of this success, the Migos are still not taken seriously at times as true artists, and are underrated to some. Why don't the Migos get the credit they deserve?
The Migos have had a significant impact on Hip-Hop since their debut hits “Bando” and “FEMA”. At the time, their energy, bounce and comical delivery on tracks had the world entranced, and artists throughout Hip-Hop quickly jumped in line to become a part of their wave. They made an immediate impact on the genre, one of the most notable examples being their popularity flow. A recognizable instance of this is Drake’s “The Language” from Nothing Was the Same, where he makes full use of the staccato flow to produce arguably the best track on the album. Since then, numerous artists have bitten the flow, and much to Snoop Dogg’s chagrin, nearly every song that comes from urban radio features the rapid-fire, disjointed delivery. Although the sound is entertaining and catchy, it has over saturated Hip-Hop.
Despite the over-simplicity of the songs they make, the Migos do have a talent for creating extremely catchy hooks and songs that get parties moving. Their songwriting ability overall is very underrated, as well as their ability to find and curate great beats for records. It's hard to find many Migos singles that aren’t extremely popular, or many features they have done that don’t become successful. They have played a major role in Hip-Hop’s direction toward a Pop sound. With bubblegum hooks, straightforward, minimalistic lyrics and maximalist, bass heavy beats, the Migos have definitely played a role in popularizing Trap music for Middle America.
Even though the Migos have great influence and ability, they have also had a negative impact on Hip-Hop as well, which must be acknowledged. Their songs have only furthered stereotypes about both Hip-Hop music and Black men, due to their lack of substance or intellectual content. “Versace”, their biggest hit to date, only perpetuated the idea that Black men in Hip-Hop only care about expensive clothing, jewelry and drugs. Nearly all of their music talks about one of the three, and it’s hard to pinpoint a record they've created that actually speaks on anything positive or real. It's not fair to pick on them solely, as nearly every rapper in the mainstream circuit talks about the same things, but because they are so popular, they have a greater influence than many other artists.
At the end of the day, we must acknowledge that the Migos’ music is purely about having fun and entertainment, so being overly-critical of their sound isn't very effective. They may not get as much credit as they deserve for starting trends in Hip-Hop, but their influence in both pop culture and music is undeniable. Perhaps when their music expands a bit more and becomes more comprehensive, they'll earn more respect from their peers. But until then, we’ll just have to accept them as niche rappers, mass producing club-bangers on a daily basis.
