Culture II explained

Culture II
Type:studio
Artist:Migos
Cover:Culture II.png
Genre:
Label:
Producer:
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Culture II is the third studio album by American hip hop group Migos. It was released on January 26, 2018, by Quality Control Music, Capitol Records and Motown. Culture II is a double album consisting of 24 tracks, and features guest appearances from 21 Savage, Drake, Gucci Mane, Travis Scott, Ty Dolla Sign, Big Sean, Nicki Minaj, Cardi B, Post Malone and 2 Chainz. It was executive produced by Quavo, alongside production work from a variety of collaborators including Metro Boomin, Buddah Bless, Kanye West, Pharrell Williams and Murda Beatz, among others. The album serves as a sequel to Migos' previous album, Culture.

Culture II was supported by four singles: "MotorSport", "Stir Fry", "Walk It Talk It" and "Narcos", as well as the promotional single, "Supastars". The album received generally positive reviews from critics and debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200. It is Migos' second US number-one album.

Background

In July 2017, a rumor surfaced that Culture II was on a hard drive that was lost by Quavo.[2] Migos confirmed that a single from the album will be dropping soon and was previewed on Rap-Up.[3] Anticipation regarding the upcoming album built due to the Atlanta rap group's use of social media. Posts included many names such as Kanye West, Donald Glover and others who they have worked with, and revealed on January 22 that West helped produce the album.[4] [5]

On November 21, 2017, through a New York Times story on the group, it was revealed that the updated release date for the album was January 2018;[6] earlier reports suggested an October release.[7] Quavo announced on January 8 that he and DJ Durel were mixing the album.[8] On January 15, 2018, Migos announced the release date of January 26 via their official social media accounts.[9] The same day, Quavo posted a snippet of the song "Culture National Anthem".[10] Merchandise for the album has been released within Bloomingdale's 'Music Is Universal' pop-up space in conjunction with Universal Music Group.[11]

Migos' DJ known as DJ Durel says that group only spend 20 to 45 minutes to do each song. He also stated "when they're in the zone, there's no way you can stop them from laying down a good song. It's going to come out perfect. It's not going to come out rushed or anything".[12]

Promotion

Singles

The album's lead single, "MotorSport", was released on October 27, 2017, and includes lead vocals from Cardi B and Nicki Minaj.[13] [14] The song is produced by Murda Beatz and Cubeatz. The song peaked at number six on the US Billboard Hot 100.[15]

The album's second single, "Stir Fry", was released on December 20, 2017.[16] The song is produced by Pharrell Williams. It peaked at number eight on the Billboard Hot 100.[15]

The album's third single, "Walk It Talk It" featuring Drake, was sent to urban contemporary radio on March 18, 2018, the same day as the release of the official music video.[17] The song peaked at number 10 on the Billboard Hot 100.[15]

The music video for the song, "Narcos", was released on June 27, 2018.[18] It was later sent to US rhythmic contemporary radio on July 24, 2018, as the album's fourth single.[19] The song initially peaked at number 36 on the Billboard Hot 100.[15]

Promotional singles

"Supastars" was released as a promotional single on January 22, 2018, shortly after premiering on Zane Lowe's Beats 1 radio.[20] [21] The song is produced by Honorable C.N.O.T.E., Buddah Bless, Quavo and DJ Durel. It peaked at number 53 on the Billboard Hot 100.[15]

Critical reception

Culture II was met with generally positive reviews. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from professional publications, the album received an average score of 69, based on 19 reviews. Aggregator AnyDecentMusic? gave it 6.7 out of 10, based on their assessment of the critical consensus.

Dave Heaton of PopMatters praised the album saying, "While not all of these 24 songs are equally impressive, nothing about Culture II feels like they're going through the motions".[22] Jordan Bassett of NME said, "Migos are firing on all cylinders here, their new record a lush, chaotic patchwork that pops with primary colours. The fab three have done it again". Alexis Petridis of The Guardian stated that "for such a gargantuan album, it's surprisingly light on its feet, skipping nimbly between musical styles", complimenting the album's production, but criticising the lyrical themes. Dan Weiss of Consequence said, "The trio gave a double album their best, with plenty of head-turning lines, hilarious stray shouts ("dinner rolls!" on "CC" is a fave), and productions that further dilate the luxury trap spectrum, but not wildly so". In his review, Neil Z. Yeung of AllMusic states, "With enough highlights to form a single digestible effort, Migos could have delivered another culture-defining classic with just a little trimming. Instead, they've taken what should have been a potent, big league statement and diluted it". Meaghan Garvey of Pitchfork said, "It's still a joy to hear the Migos rap, which is why it's especially depressing that Culture II ultimately feels like a drag—a formless grab bag compiled without much care". Scott Glaysher of XXL said, "Although the creative achievements aren't revolutionary, they are thorough and consistent".

In a mixed review, Rolling Stones Charles Aaron stated: "Culture II ultimately feels less like a celebratory howl from the mountaintop than a transitional inventory dump. With its easily-trimmable 24 tracks, Culture II appears to be tailored to finesse chart rules, which count 1,500 individual song streams toward one full album sale." In another mixed review, Exclaim!s Calum Slingerland stated: "Having more songs available to stream results in more royalties, though it doesn't equate to a flawless full-length." Kitty Empire of The Observer said, "Culture II was never going to be a modest affair, in which three self-effacing twentysomethings quietly enumerated their blessings. Apart from some anxiety ("Tryna be like the Carters/Gotta be like the Carters" – Too Playa) and exhaustion (Work Hard), Culture II is wall-to-wall diamonds, watches, cars, chains, brands, fashion houses and exotic fauna". Arcade of Sputnikmusic saying "Culture II sounds like a satire of every other rap album released by a major label these days, catering to the lowest common denominator of casual music listener. As a business decision, it's genius; as a piece of music, it's little more than an elaborate consumer scam".[23]

Rankings

In The Wire magazine's annual critics' poll, British music critic Simon Reynolds named Culture II his favorite release of the year.[24]

Publication! scope="col" class="unsortable"
ListRank
ClashClash Albums of the Year 2018
Complex50 Best Albums of 2018
PeopleTop 10 Albums of 2018

Commercial performance

Culture II debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 with 199,000 album-equivalent units, of which 38,000 were pure album sales in its first week.[25] It is Migos' second US number-one album.[25] On December 14, 2018, Culture II was certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for combined sales, streaming and track-sales equivalent of two million units.

In 2018, Culture II was ranked as the tenth most popular album of the year on the Billboard 200. By the end of 2018, the album sold over 1,599,000 album-equivalent units in the US, with over 115,000 being pure sales.[26]

Track listing

Notes

Sample credits

Personnel

Credits adapted from the album's liner notes.[27]

Musicians

Technical

Additional personnel

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (2018)! scope="col"
Peak
position
German Albums (Top 20 Hip Hop)[28] 1
Slovak Albums (ČNS IFPI)[29] 5

Year-end charts

Chart (2018)! scope="col"
Position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[30] 64
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[31] 83
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[32] 147
Canadian Albums (Billboard)[33] 12
Danish Albums (Hitlisten)[34] 38
Dutch Albums (MegaCharts)[35] 53
French Albums (SNEP)[36] 88
Icelandic Albums (Plötutíóindi)[37] 38
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[38] 36
South Korean International Albums (Gaon)[39] 98
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[40] 92
UK Albums (OCC)[41] 78
US Billboard 200[42] 10
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[43] 7
Chart (2019)! scope="col"
Position
US Billboard 200[44] 76
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[45] 56

Decade-end charts

Chart (2010–2019)! scope="col"
Position
US Billboard 200[46] 71

Notes and References

  1. Web site: McKinney. Jessica. Migos' 'Culture II': 11 Best Songs You Need To Hear. Vibe. January 29, 2018. January 30, 2018. Among a track list of mid-tempo, trap songs, "Stir Fry" is such a breath of fresh air.. https://web.archive.org/web/20180129192527/https://www.vibe.com/2018/01/migos-culture-2-best-songs-review-list/. January 29, 2018. live.
  2. Web site: Berry. Peter A.. Quavo Loses Track of Hard Drive With 'Culture 2' on It. XXL. July 17, 2017. November 22, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171201032155/http://www.xxlmag.com/news/2017/07/quavo-loses-hard-drive-culture-2-on-it/. December 1, 2017. live.
  3. Web site: Migos Previews 'Culture II' Single. Rap-Up. October 16, 2017. October 24, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171025022023/http://www.rap-up.com/2017/10/16/migos-previews-culture-2-single/. October 25, 2017. live.
  4. Web site: Coleman II. C. Vernon. Fans Guess Who the Executive Producer Is on Migos' 'Culture 2' Album. XXL. October 15, 2017. October 24, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171024122601/http://www.xxlmag.com/news/2017/10/fans-guess-executive-producer-migos-culture-2-album. October 24, 2017. live.
  5. Web site: Gonzalez. Eddie. Migos Confirm Kanye West Provided 'Additional Production' For 'Culture II'. Uproxx. January 22, 2018. January 22, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180123022429/http://uproxx.com/hiphop/kanye-west-production-migos-culture-2/. January 23, 2018. live.
  6. Web site: Coscarelli. Joe. Atlanta Rap Keeps Evolving. Quality Control Is Taking It Global. The New York Times. November 21, 2017. November 22, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171122010123/https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/21/arts/music/migos-lil-yachty-quality-control-coach-k-pee.html. November 22, 2017. live.
  7. Web site: Migos Calls 'Culture II' a 'Masterpiece'. Rap-Up. September 18, 2017. October 24, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171018083057/http://www.rap-up.com/2017/09/18/migos-calls-culture-2-a-masterpiece/. October 18, 2017. live.
  8. Web site: Renshaw. David. Quavo shares update on Migos's Culture II. The Fader. January 9, 2018. January 10, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180110115224/http://www.thefader.com/2018/01/09/quavo-update-migos-culture-ii. January 10, 2018. live.
  9. Web site: Yoo. Noah. Minsker. Evan. Migos' New Album Culture II Has a Release Date. XXL. January 9, 2018. January 16, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180116063306/https://pitchfork.com/news/migos-new-album-culture-ii-has-a-release-date/. January 16, 2018. live.
  10. Web site: Quavo Teases His Long-Awaited "Culture National Anthem" & Reveals Migos' 'Culture II' Release Date. Genius. January 16, 2018. January 20, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180121125845/https://genius.com/a/quavo-teases-his-long-awaited-culture-national-anthem-reveals-migos-culture-ii-release-date. January 21, 2018. live.
  11. Web site: Here's a Look at New Migos 'Culture 2' Merch. Complex. January 12, 2018. January 12, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180113004213/http://www.complex.com/style/2018/01/migos-culture-2-merch. January 13, 2018. live.
  12. Web site: Migos' DJ Says They Only Spent '20 To 45' Minutes On Each 'Culture II' Song. Uproxx. January 30, 2018. February 1, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180202012504/http://uproxx.com/hiphop/migos-20-45-minutes-on-culture-ii/. February 2, 2018. live.
  13. Web site: Findlay. Mitch. Migos, Nicki Minaj & Cardi B Unite For "Motor Sport". HotNewHipHop. October 27, 2017. January 26, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180131185529/https://www.hotnewhiphop.com/migos-nicki-minaj-and-cardi-b-unite-for-motor-sport-new-song.1976073.html. January 31, 2018. live.
  14. Web site: Weinstein. Max. Migos Preview New Song "Motorsport" With Cardi B & Nicki Minaj. XXL. October 26, 2017. October 27, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171027071634/http://www.xxlmag.com/news/2017/10/migos-cardi-b-nicki-minaj-song-powerhouse/. October 27, 2017. live.
  15. Migos Chart History: Hot 100. Billboard. April 23, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180513200325/https://www.billboard.com/music/Migos/chart-history/hot-100. May 13, 2018. live.
  16. Web site: Lilah. Rose. Migos Drop Funky Trap Single "Stir Fry". HotNewHipHop. December 20, 2017. January 26, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180127083733/https://www.hotnewhiphop.com/migos-drop-funky-trap-single-stir-fry-new-song.1976708.html. January 27, 2018. live.
  17. Web site: Migos Drake Soul Train New Video. Haack. Brian. Grammys. March 19, 2018. April 17, 2018.
  18. Web site: Video: Migos – 'Narcos'. Rap-Up. June 27, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180627202610/http://www.rap-up.com/2018/06/27/video-migos-narcos/. June 27, 2018. live.
  19. Web site: Top 40 Rhythmic Future Releases. July 17, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180717201004/https://www.allaccess.com/top40-rhythmic/future-releases. July 17, 2018.
  20. Web site: Migos Share New 'Culture II' Single "Supastars". Complex. January 22, 2018. January 22, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180122235009/http://www.complex.com/music/2018/01/migos-supastars. January 22, 2018. live.
  21. Web site: Findlay. Mitch. Migos Premiere New "Culture 2" Single "Supastars". HotNewHipHop. January 22, 2018. January 25, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180126125517/https://www.hotnewhiphop.com/migos-premiere-new-culture-2-single-supastars-new-song.1977079.html. January 26, 2018. live.
  22. Web site: Heaton. Dave. Migos: Culture II. PopMatters. February 2, 2018. February 2, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180203071209/https://www.popmatters.com/migos-culture-ii-album-review-2530399737.html. February 3, 2018. live.
  23. Web site: Arcade. Review: Migos – Culture II. Sputnikmusic. January 30, 2018. January 31, 2018.
  24. 2018 Rewind: Releases of the Year 1–50 . January 2019 . . 419 . 37 . London . subscription . . December 5, 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20181205103349/https://reader.exacteditions.com/issues/72526/page/37 . December 5, 2018 . live .
  25. Migos' 'Culture II' Debuts at No. 1 on Billboard 200 Albums Chart. Billboard. Caulfield. Keith. February 4, 2018. February 5, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180205014900/https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/chart-beat/8097981/migos-culture-ii-debuts-at-no-1-on-billboard-200-albums-chart. February 5, 2018. live.
  26. Drake's 'Scorpion' Is Nielsen Music's Top Album Of 2018 in U.S., 'God's Plan' Most-Streamed Song. Billboard. Caulfield. Keith. January 8, 2019. August 28, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190202234015/https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/chart-beat/8492663/nielsen-music-top-album-2018-drake-scorpion. February 2, 2019. live.
  27. Culture II. CD liner notes. Migos. Capitol Records. 2018. 35986-9.
  28. Web site: Offizielle Deutsche Charts: Top 20 Hiphop–Charts 2. Februar 2018 . Official German charts: Top 20 hip hop charts February 2, 2018 . December 19, 2018 . . de . https://web.archive.org/web/20181117203012/https://www.offiziellecharts.de/charts/hiphop/for-date-1517526000000 . November 17, 2018 . live .
  29. Web site: Top 100 Slovak Albums. International Federation of the Phonographic Industry. August 8, 2024.
  30. Web site: ARIA End of Year Albums 2018. Australian Recording Industry Association. January 10, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190102193909/https://www.ariacharts.com.au/annual-charts/2018/albums-chart. January 2, 2019. live.
  31. Web site: Jaaroverzichten 2018. Ultratop. December 21, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20181221041314/https://www.ultratop.be/nl/annual.asp?year=2018&cat=a. December 21, 2018. live.
  32. Web site: Rapports Annuels 2018. Ultratop. December 21, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20181220231108/https://www.ultratop.be/fr/annual.asp?year=2018&cat=a. December 20, 2018. live.
  33. Canadian Albums – Year-End 2018. Billboard. December 5, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20181205062654/https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/2018/top-canadian-albums. December 5, 2018. live.
  34. Web site: Album Top-100 2018. Hitlisten. da. January 16, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190116100303/http://hitlisten.nu/2018_album_t100.html. January 16, 2019. live.
  35. Web site: Jaaroverzichten – Album 2018. MegaCharts. nl. January 5, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190105043451/https://dutchcharts.nl/jaaroverzichten.asp?year=2018&cat=a. January 5, 2019. live.
  36. Web site: Top de l'année Top Albums 2018. SNEP. fr. January 8, 2020.
  37. Web site: Tónlistinn – Plötur – 2018. Plötutíóindi. is. January 3, 2022.
  38. Web site: Top Selling Albums of 2018. Recorded Music NZ. December 22, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20181218055825/https://nztop40.co.nz/chart/albums?chart=4573. December 18, 2018. live.
  39. Web site: 2018년 Album Chart. Gaon Music Chart. ko. December 31, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20190101051344/http://gaonchart.co.kr/main/section/chart/album.gaon?termGbn=year&hitYear=2018&targetTime=2018&nationGbn=E&year_time=1. January 1, 2019. live.
  40. Web site: Årslista Album – År 2018. Sverigetopplistan. sv. January 15, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190115023144/http://www.sverigetopplistan.se/netdata/ghl002.mbr/lista?liid=83&dfom=20180001. January 15, 2019. live.
  41. Web site: End of Year Album Chart Top 100 – 2018. Official Charts Company. January 4, 2019.
  42. Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2018. Billboard. December 5, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20181204224411/https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/2018/top-billboard-200-albums. December 4, 2018. live.
  43. Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 2018. Billboard. June 1, 2020.
  44. Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2019. Billboard. June 20, 2020.
  45. Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 2019. Billboard. June 20, 2020.
  46. Decade-End Charts: Billboard 200. Billboard. November 15, 2019.

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