Father of 4 (album) explained

Father of 4
Type:studio
Artist:Offset
Cover:Offset Father of 4.jpg
Genre:
Length:57:14
Label:
Producer:
Prev Title:Without Warning
Prev Year:2017
Next Title:Set It Off
Next Year:2023

Father of 4 is the debut studio album by American rapper Offset. It was released on February 22, 2019, by Quality Control Music and Motown. The album's release makes Offset the third and final member from Migos to release a solo album. It features guest appearances by J. Cole, Cardi B, Travis Scott, 21 Savage, Big Rube, Gunna, CeeLo Green, Quavo, and Gucci Mane. The album was supported by two singles: "Red Room" and "Clout".

Father of 4 received generally positive reviews from critics and debuted at number four on the US Billboard 200. It is Offset's second solo US top 10 album.

Background

The idea of a solo album by Offset was initially revealed shortly after the release of Quavo Huncho and The Last Rocket, both by fellow Migos artists Quavo and Takeoff respectively, and was slated for a December 14, 2018 release date.[1] The album was delayed presumably due to complications between his relationship with his wife Cardi B,[2] on February 10, 2019, the album was given a new release date of February 22.[3] In early 2019, Offset announced a documentary teaser to release alongside the album which shows a scene where his wife and rapper Cardi B gives birth to their daughter, Kulture.[4] On February 18, Offset tweeted that Metro Boomin and Southside were going to be sole producers of his album.[5]

Promotion

The album's lead single, "Red Room", was released on February 14, 2019, but was previously made available for a short time on November 30, 2018, before later being taken down. The song was produced by Metro Boomin.[6] [7] The album's second single, "Clout" featuring his wife Cardi B, was released on March 15, 2019.[8]

Critical reception

Father of 4 was met with generally positive reviews. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 72, based on eight reviews.

Trent Clark of HipHopDX gave a positive review, stating "The 27-year-old Offset digs deep into his Atlanta Hip Hop lineage, crafting an album that's equal parts rare in this climate (seeing it follows an unfolding narrative) and refreshing, given its telling content". Sam Moore from NME stated, "Father of 4 is a fine body of work that builds a convincing case that Offset is currently best-placed to be Migos' break-out solo star: once again, the final act of a trilogy proves to be the finest". Exclaim! critic Kyle Mullin said, "Sure, some of the dark and downtempo beats can begin to sound same-y by the time you're through. And Offset certainly hasn't attained the lyrical brilliance of Jay-Z on , or any of the other elder rapper's releases for that matter. Nevertheless, Offset's level of growth and candour on Father of 4 is that of an MC making leaps and bounds, both in his music and his personal life". Charles Holmes of Rolling Stone opined, "Predictably, Father of 4 falls prey to the bloat that characterizes most Migos' projects. ... Father of 4 is decidedly still a trap album, but it bucks the current conventions of the genre. Offset is attempting, often successfully, to showcase the humanity behind his frequently misguided choices – it's a piece of art that likely wouldn't exist if we didn't already know about some of his transgressions".

Stephen Kearse of Pitchfork said, "Father of 4 ultimately works as a solo outing because Offset is such a force of nature, but it's too often cautious where it could be candid, or dull where it should be sharp. Still, the record is a progression for Offset and for Migos". Reviewing the album for Entertainment Weekly, Brian Josephs stated: "Offset often sounds drained in a way that doesn't really invite empathy." Consequences Wren Graves wrote, "Offset splits his time between personal stories and generalized trapping, with mixed results. When he finds the right flow, few can match him for sheer musical joy. Other times he sound flat and stale. ... You have to respect the work ethic that produced these 16 tracks, even if many of them don't merit a second listen".

Commercial performance

Father of 4 debuted at number four on the US Billboard 200 with 89,000 album-equivalent units, including 7,000 pure album sales in its first week. It is Offset's second solo US top 10 album.[9] In its second week, the album dropped to number nine on the chart, earning an additional 39,000 album-equivalent units that week.[10] As of May 2019, the album has earned 282,000 album-equivalent units including 10,000 copies in pure album sales in the United States.[11]

Track listing

Notes

Sample credits

Personnel

Credits adapted from the album's liner notes and Tidal.[12] [13]

Musicians

Technical

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (2019)! scope="col"
Peak
position
Latvian Albums (LAIPA)[14] 17
Lithuanian Albums (AGATA)[15] 9

Year-end charts

Chart (2019)! scope="col"
Position
US Billboard 200[16] 84
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[17] 43

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Everything We Know About Offset's Solo Album . November 13, 2018 . Radio.com . March 14, 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20181114063035/https://www.radio.com//blogs/tiana-timmerberg/here-s-everything-we-know-about-offset-s-solo-album . November 14, 2018 . live.
  2. Web site: Offset Doesn't Release Solo Album Amid Separation From Cardi B. The Source. December 14, 2018 . March 14, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190117150925/http://thesource.com/2018/12/14/offset-solo-album. January 17, 2019. live.
  3. Web site: Offset Announces solo album Release Date. Spin. March 14, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190212221926/https://www.spin.com/2019/02/offset-album-release-date/. February 12, 2019. live.
  4. Web site: Offset Announces New Album Release Date with Video of Cardi B Giving Birth. XXL. February 22, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190222095229/http://www.xxlmag.com/news/2019/02/offset-reveals-album-documentary-release-date/. February 22, 2019. live.
  5. Offset's Debut Solo Album: 5 Things We Want. Billboard. Saponara. Michael. February 20, 2019. February 26, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190227203630/https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/hip-hop/8489564/offset-debut-solo-album-things-we-want. February 27, 2019. live.
  6. Web site: Offset Goes in Over Metro Boomin's Gorgeous Production On "Red Room" . HotNewHipHop . Jahmal. Karlton. November 30, 2018. February 26, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190227120814/https://www.hotnewhiphop.com/offset-goes-in-over-metro-boomins-gorgeous-production-on-red-room-new-song.1981262.html. February 27, 2019. live.
  7. Web site: Offset Drops First Solo Single. XXL. Centeno. Tony M.. February 14, 2019. February 26, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190227120803/http://www.xxlmag.com/rap-music/new-music/2019/02/offset-red-room-listen-debut-solo-single/. February 27, 2019. live.
  8. Web site: Offset feat. Cardi B – Clout. australian-charts.com. April 30, 2019.
  9. Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper's 'A Star Is Born' Soundtrack Back at No. 1 on Billboard 200 Post-Oscars. Billboard. Caulfield. Keith. March 3, 2019. March 4, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190304002832/https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/chart-beat/8500768/a-star-is-born-soundtrack-back-at-no-1-billboard-200-chart. March 4, 2019. live.
  10. Hozier Debuts at No. 1. Billboard. Caulfield. Keith. March 10, 2019. May 12, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190327171600/https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/chart-beat/8501829/hozier-debuts-no-1-billboard-200-chart-wasteland-baby. March 27, 2019. live.
  11. Web site: TOP 50 ALBUMS YTD. Hits Daily Double. May 9, 2019. May 12, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190512181154/http://hitsdailydouble.com/news%26id%3D316358%26title%3DTOP-50-ALBUMS-YTD. May 12, 2019. live.
  12. Father of 4. CD liner notes. Offset. Quality Control Music. 2019. 52814-9.
  13. Web site: Credits / FATHER OF 4 / Offset. Tidal. May 3, 2020.
  14. Web site: Mūzikas Patēriņa Tops/ 9. nedēļa. lv. LAIPA. November 28, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20191010115115/https://www.parmuziku.lv/muzikas-zinas/latvija/muzikas-paterina-tops-9-nedela-7813. October 10, 2019.
  15. Web site: Savaitės klausomiausi (TOP 100). lt. AGATA. February 28, 2019. December 4, 2019.
  16. Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2019. Billboard. December 13, 2019.
  17. Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 2019. Billboard. December 13, 2019.