Throwing money with Migos and Lil Yachty at Quality Control Music

[Q]uality Control is the culture right now. With the peerless Migos, teenage loveboat Lil Yachty and Stefflon Don all signed, the Atlanta-based record label is working with the scene’s most pivotal game-changers. 

It might seem like hip hop trinity Migos, in their current capacity of platinum album status for Culture and MET Gala appearances came out of nowhere, but they’ve been at this for a while. Quavo, Offset and Take-Off released “Versace” in 2013, a track with an irresistibly simple hook that popped off in hip hop circles, then went full-blown viral after Drake jumped on it for a remix. Even Justin Bieber posted videos of him rapping along to it. It was obvious that even at this early stage Migos could get their teeth into a global youth culture that would respond with an enthusiasm nothing short of explosive.

Interviewing Migos is problematic because they only speak in music. Questions were mostly answered in off-the-cuff freestyles complete with the hyper-syllabic sounds and voice effects that pepper their flow. “We the guys, we the team, we gotta bring the reems home, we’re the team that gotta walk with the throne”, booms Quavo, the unquestionable frontman of the three. All related to one another (Quavo is Takeoff’s uncle and Offset is Quavo’s cousin) they interact with a level of clairvoyance that’s kind of intimidating, kind of amazing and a psychic core of what makes their sound so catchy.

In a career that’s been a series of waves, Migos are currently riding at the top of tidal peak that as far as anyone can tell, sees no sign of crashing. Speaking of waves, nautical-enthusiast, and hip hop’s lil sweetheart Lil Yachty is there too, his debut album Teenage Emotions comes out today. Eschewing the bravado of Migos, Lil Yachty is the intensely likeable, controversial and most crucially, pure, emblem of youth culture that hip hop needs to preserve and protect right now.

“We aim for the stars, we aim for the sky, we aim for the moon, and tryna get high” raps Quavo, as Lil Yachty explains the group dynamics of all being on the same label “it’s really family orientated” he says, “there are other labels out there who just don’t care about their artists, but these OGs care about us”. The OGs he’s referring to are Kevin Lee better known as Coach K (who’s in the room with us) and Pierre Thomas, referred to as Pee. The pair conceived the label in 2013 as a way to harness the overwhelming outpouring of talent flowing out of Atlanta, “quality control” was meant to be taken quite literally. 

Keen to talk to Lil Yachty about Teenage Emotions whilst trying to include everyone in a conversation that is splitting into various rap verses, I asked Migos about their teenage years, what would these guys, now covered in diamonds and about to play a sold out Brixton academy show say to their younger, more formative selves? “I’d say you need to toughen up lil n*gga!” says Takeoff,  “I’d tell myself to sit my ass down and tighten up” says Offset,  “If I could see myself then i’d say you doin’ a good job, look at where I am now!” says Quavo.

“I’m still a teenager”, says Lil Yachty “and I’m scared to be 20”. 

I bring up Atlanta, the cultural melting pot that is currently tying the whole room together, but it stimulates another indecipherable, but no less incredible freestyle medley. I asked what they like spending their money on which interrupts the freestyle but triggers a lot of money being pulled out all three Migos’ pockets as Lil Yachty looks at me with a hint of disapproval “Ohh look what you done did” he bemoans as literal stacks of £50s start being thrown into air. We wrap up by talking about fashion designers, which, if you can’t tell from their outfits, is of critical importance to them, even Quavo goes quiet as Takeoff reels off their latest favourites, “Gucci, Haider Ackermann, Under Armour, we also like our own brand Yung Rich Nation and shout out to Gosha and we like Supreme “, “I got a line as well called Nautica” says Lil Yachty as cash continues to rain. 

Stream Teenage Emotions with features from Migos, Stefflon Don and Kamaiyah below.