They complement each other at the cost of any variation between their performances. Quavo and Scott are almost too similar in style for their own good. Not only is every song about the same thing, but every verse is about the same thing. The biggest flaws of the album, its length and lack of interesting lyrics, are hard to overlook and unfortunately play off of each other. It’s almost as if they could recite each other’s verses from different songs and the album would more or less sound the same. Quavo’s line “all these chains on me, modern slavery / but this ain’t 1800 so they pay me” is sort of profound if you interpret it charitably. The opening track “Modern Slavery” has the best hook of the album which is also Scott’s best vocal performance. It’s more up-tempo, which forces Scott and Quavo to lose some of the codeine soaked moaning they employ on other tracks and actually rap. “Motorcycle Patches,” one of the two tracks on which Scott has a production credit, is an example of the two getting the formula correct. Scott and Quavo helped popularize melodic trap music and occasionally the two connect in ways that make it clear why they’re at the top of their game. The album isn’t without its bright spots. “Why I’m startin’ to dance, what in the hell did you hand me,” he raps as high pitched 808s ping pong in the background. He’s paranoid, drugged out, and high-strung. This verse is also his most interesting on the album, recalling some of his earlier darker material. “Moon Rock” has the haunting detuned bells of previous Scott albums and he switches up his vocals from belting the first few lines of his first verse to a brooding monotone within the first minute. He does have a stronger singing voice than his counterpart, and some of the best melodic moments on the album are Scott’s hooks. His imagery is vague and he mostly sticks to rapping about drugs and cars for the majority of the album. The album is 13 songs long and the only features are Takeoff and Offset who get one verse each. The problem isn’t so much that his verses are repetitive, it’s that there’s no respite from the repetition. His verses are a mix of sports references, boasts about money/jewelry/women/cars, and vague images of gang violence. Untethered from his two compatriots and with the influence of Scott (whose past vocal performances show he isn’t afraid to distort, pitch down, or autotune his voice into oblivion), this should be Quavo’s time to break the mold. At the same time, the collaboration should have opened the door for more experimentation. You can’t fault Huncho Jack too much for indulging in the signature sounds of the two artists that helped popularize melodic trap music. Admittedly, it was Migos that helped popularize this sound. What’s left are the generic trap drums and Nexus synths of Atlanta hip-hop. Scott’s warped samples, buzzing synth lines, and distorted kicks are almost all gone. So it’s surprising that the two meet on Huncho Jack over production that is more on Quavo’s home turf. In the same way that Scott’s early appeal was his dark and brooding production, Quavo’s appeal is his ability to weave hooks, bridges, and ad libs into a memorable performance while Takeoff and Offset do the lyrical heavy lifting. Quavo has always been the most melodic and charming of the Migos and is responsible for many of the group’s best hooks. Scott has always pushed a melodic spin on trap music, taking cues from Kanye West and Kid Cudi in ways that his contemporaries take cues from Gucci Mane and Young Jeezy. Scott was featured on Migos’s most recent album Culture, and the two collaborated with Young Thug on “ Pick Up The Phone,” a 2016 release that also appeared on Scott’s album from the same year.Īt first glance, Quavo and Scott seem like a natural pair. Quavo appeared on Scott’s follow up release Rodeo. Scott first featured Migos on his 2014 mixtape Days Before Rodeo. Scott and Quavo are no strangers to each other’s music. The collaboration should have opened the door for more experimentation. The album’s mediocrity is a perfect argument for the Migos to stay together. Migos are never as strong apart as they are together, and Huncho Jack is only the most recent and substantial example. But Huncho Jack is proof Coach and the Migos need not worry about a particular member’s talents exceeding the potential of the group. Huncho Jack, Jack Huncho, a collaborative 13 track album between Travis Scott and Quavo, is the most extensive of these projects. Takeoff, Offset, and Quavo are doing solo features with artists that range from Cousin Stizz to Calvin Harris. Three years later, the members of Migos are predictably starting to go out on their own.
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