If you were to ask a random person a few years ago if they listened to Migos, most would have replied, “who?” At this point, you may have heard “Bad and Boujee” hundreds of times, and Migos is way more than a “raindrop.” They are a trap music storm.

Formed eight years ago in a northern suburb of Atlanta, the hip-hop trio includes members, Quavo, Takeoff and Offset. After releasing two other mixtapes, they finally arrived onto the scene with their third mixtape, “Y.R.N.,” in 2013. It featured artists such as Gucci Mane and Soulja Boy and included popular songs like “Hannah Montana” and “Versace,” which made SPIN’s “50 Best Songs of 2013.”

Refusing to be a one-hit wonder, Migos released a sequel to their second mixtape in 2014 entitled “No Label II.” They gathered more attention from critics, fans and other musicians with hits like “Fight Night.”

The success of this mixtape got the group signed by the record label 300 Entertainment, which also represents Young Thug and Fetty Wap. By August 2015, their debut album “Yung Rich Nation” was debuted at 17 on the Billboard 200 chart. But the United States wasn’t quite ready to embrace the trap music stars just yet.

Soon after “Yung Rich Nation” was released, Migos dropped the mixtape “Back to the Bando,” which included the song, “Look At My Dab.” This was just the beginning of the dance craze that took over the world. First made popular by NFL players Cam Newton and Odell Beckham Jr., soon enough it seemed like every human on earth posted a picture or video of themselves dabbing. Riding on this wave of popularity, the group dropped two more mixtapes before releasing their second album, “Culture,” earlier this year.

By February 2017, “Culture” was number one on the Billboard 200 chart, and their song “Bad and Boujee” was number one on Billboard Hot 100. The success of Migos’ second album has made them one of the hottest groups to collaborate with. From Calvin Harris to Big Sean, it seems artists know their songs will become instant hits with Migos.

Last month at Coachella numerous artists like DJ Khaled and Future brought Migos onstage, making people wonder why the group didn’t have their own set in the first place. Just within the last few days, they were featured in Katy Perry’s new song, “Bon Appétit” and Sean Paul’s latest single, “Body.”

What is most respectable about Migos is that they have stayed true to their trap music roots. Often, when artists want publicity they produce music that is more accepted in popular culture. However, Migos has and continues to create aggressive, but smooth trap tracks that will get your head nodding to the beat regardless if you’re a fan or not. The trio has helped lead the way for other trap artists like Future and Travis Scott, and has made the genre less intimidating to mainstream society.

Trap music got its start in the 1990s in the South, and continues to be a way for artists to express their views on drugs, poverty, gangs, and living on the streets. Although some listeners may not to be able to personally connect to the situations trap artists rap about, the slow tempos and tenacious beats are now being embraced thanks to artists like Migos.

Published on April 30, 2017 at 7:46 pm