From detention to dabbing

HIP-HOP TRAP STYLE AND SIGNATURE DREADLOCKED LOOK A HUGE HIT WITH FANS Big names like Kanye West and Jay-Z have started taking notice of their music.

‘Nobody can separate us, coz we’re family, we have to stick together.” These are the words of Take-Off (real name Kirshnik Khari Ball), the youngest member of Lawrenceville, North Altanta hip-hop trio Migos.

The 2017 BET best group winners were invited to speak at a student lecture at New York University in a session called the “Culture Class”, aptly named after the group’s current album with a similar name – Culture Clash.

The musical trio was addressing the students and media under the invitation of Naomi Zeidner from the New York-based magazine The Fader.

Migos comprises Quavious Keynot Marshal, aka Quavo, 26, his nephew Take-Off, 22, and cousin Kiari Kendrell Cephus, aka Offset, 25.

The family trio has taken what was originally a genre of hip-hop trap that was thought of as taboo and integrated it into the mainstream. So much so that their single Bad and Boujee was part of actor Danny Glover’s acceptance speech at the Golden Globe awards.

Glover received the best actor in a TV series accolade for the show Atlanta, which airs on DStv’s Fox Lifestyle channel.

A guest appearance by Migos in the series made such an impression on Glover he declared to the world in his acceptance speech that they are “the Beatles of our generation”.

This statement alone contributed to the trio getting recognised on platforms other than the hiphop trap’s stage, leading to them landing brand endorsements and performances on mainstream TV shows such as Jimmy Kimmel Live. Even the corporate world and people who didn’t listen to their music started to notice.

People started talking about trap music and Migos the same way they spoke of the pop genre.

Trap music is synonymous with “trap houses”, places where drug dealers sell their wares.

Atlanta rapper TI is referred to as the original trap lord, recognisable by lyrical content that you may have to listen to carefully to understand.

Punctuated by southern American slang and a repetition of words, the genre has become a phenomenon and sub-culture on its own.

Quavo sees the group as being instrumental in diversifying the sound of rap. “We are in the right time; we are setting a trend,” he said on pop culture blog Montreality.

Not without a slightly dubious reputation, like most famous hiphop groups, Migos has had their fair share of run-ins with the law.

Off-Set spent time in prison on charges including marijuana possession and carrying a weapon in a school safety zone, among others. Few would suspect him as being religious, but he turned to the story of Solomon to get him through his bad days and he isn’t afraid to share his experience with the public, as he told Rolling Stone journalist Jonah Weiner. In 2009, the group, who were formerly named The Polo Club, was formed. At the time they were considered criminals who were terrorising the community. Quavo is a former high school football quarterback who got caught up in what they call “the life”. When he realised a life of crime wasn’t what he wanted, the group put their money into studio time and changed their name to Migos,taken from the Spanish word amigos (friends) and shortened to Migos. They recorded their first mixed tape called Juug, which didn’t do well and was met with a dismal reception. They even used the strategy of buying club DJs drinks to get them to play their songs.

Juug was followed by a second mixed tape, simply titled No Label, in 2012.

Finally, an album was produced in 2013 called YRN, featuring a hot club banger single called Versace, after the popular Italian clothing label.

Canadian Grammy award-winning rapper Drake loved the single so much he made a remix with Migos – and this single afforded them huge recognition, which they hadn’t received with their mixed tapes.

Soon successful names like rapper Kanye West and Jay-Z started taking notice of the group and in 2015 they re-released YRN.

Migos got signed by Atlantic and with the help of popular trap producers like Metro Booming, they released songs that were sung by young and old.

The song Look At My Dab was being played on many radio stations – and even presidents and pastors were doing the “dab” dance.

Migos’ culture has become so popular that the signature look of dreadlocks, which Atlanta rappers sport, has become the hairstyle for their young fans.