Album: Father of 4
Artist: Offset
Record Labels: Motown and Quality Control Music
Recommended Tracks: Track 9: “Don’t Lose Me”, ” Track 15- “Red Room”
Rating: ⅘
After much anticipation and delay due to supposed technical difficulties, Offset released his new album Father of 4 nearly three months after its original release date. This album is Offset’s uncensored story as he opens up about his life on the streets and apologizes to his four children and his wife Cardi B for his downfalls. Offset, member of the well-known trio Migos, has not been shy of the spotlight, although it has not always been for good reasons. Offset’s turbulent 2018 is center of this album as he begins to right wrongs and acknowledge his past. This album is strong, real catharsis that should be recognized.
Track 9, “Don’t Lose Me,” discusses Offset’s mistakes with his wife Cardi B and their complex relationship. The song begins with a spoken, deep hearted apology to Cardi B for his mistakes stating, “And I apologize, you know what I’m sayin’? Breaking your heart, breaking our promise, breaking God’s promise, and being a selfish and messed up husband.” Kind of sweet, maybe, if you ignore all the other stuff. Offset’s typical sound begins after his statement as the beat drops into his auto-tuned voice and flows through a series of clever cricket chirps- that’s a metaphor. This song, like the entire album, is raw and uncensored as he acknowledges his mistakes and his past.
The most recognizable and generally popular song of the album is track 15, “Red Room.” This song prefaced the album as the debut single and served as the glimpse to the intense introspection. This song has more of a Migos-esque sound but instead of random lyrics, this song is weirdly eerie as he describes his near death car accident. He continues to discuss his mother and his upbringing throughout the track. It describes his newfound gratitude for life, and how he recognizes the need for change. Despite the complexity, Offset’s rap flows across the beats seamlessly. This song is four minutes of necessary deep self-analysis.
Offset’s ability to debut his own single album is impressive in itself, but the impressive content within the sixteen tracks proves his talent as an artist. My only criticisms of the album would be that the beats are simple at times and his lyrics are repetitive but these are common qualities of modern rap, which is why I rated Father of 4 with a four out of five. This album is a personal reveal of Offsets past and a testament to his future. Y’all like some uncensored male introspection? This is it.
