10 Things We Learned From Quavo's Debut Solo Album 'Quavo Huncho'
Quavo made his debut as a solo artist with the release of 'Quavo Huncho.' With 19 tracks and 12 features, there's a lot to get through. Here's what we learned
Image via Getty/Prince Williams
Fans have been asking for solo projects from each member of the Migos for years, and with the release of Quavo's Quavo Huncho, the time has finally arrived. With 19 songs and a long list of features from artists like Drake, Travis Scott, Cardi B, Kid Cudi, 21 Savage, and Madonna, there’s a lot to process on this album. Here’s everything we learned from Quavo’s solo debut:
Quality Control Can't Stop Making Long Albums
Culture II was 24 songs and one-and-three-quarter hours of Migos. The Control the Streets Volume 1 compilation was 30 songs and around the same length. Lil Boat 2 was 17 tracks. With the exception of Drip Harder, 2018 has been the year of very long-playing long players from Quality Control. The move to flood the streets with product was likely as much to game the charts as for any artistic reason, and Quavo Huncho continues the trend with 19 songs—many of which we’ll probably see on next week’s Hot 100 (as intended). —Shawn Setaro
Tay Keith Has Range
Memphis producer Tay Keith has had a hell of a year. Going four for four with Drake on hits like “Nonstop” and “Look Alive,” he emerged as one of the most exciting new producers of 2018. The only knock on him so far has been that his bass-heavy beats all rely on a similar sound. That changes on Quavo Huncho. On “Shine,” the 22-year-old producer switches things up as he lays airy synths under Quavo’s melodic rhymes. The song hits just as hard as some of his best moments with Drake, but it proves Tay Keith can succeed with a different formula, too. Looks like his 2018 run wasn’t a fluke and we’ll be hearing that “Tay Keith, fuck these n****s up!” drop well into the new year. —Eric Skelton
Drake May Have Taken Shots at Pusha-T (or Kanye) on "Flip The Switch"
“You was in your 20s in the ‘90s,” Drake raps on “Flip the Switch.” It didn’t take long before fans started speculating that the “you” was King Push. It fits—Terrence Thornton turned 20 on May 13, 1997. And Drake has thus far taken shots at Push for a variety of things, including his age. (Remember “If you was doing sixteens when I was 16...don’t talk to me”?) So far, there’s been no indication from the OVO captain on whether the line was written with anyone particular in mind (it could have also been directed at Kanye West) but that likely won’t stop the flood of blurbs like this one. —Shawn Setaro
Quavo and 21 Savage Make a Great Duo
On 2017’s surprise Halloween project with Metro Boomin, Without Warning, Offset and 21 Savage proved how well their styles work together as they connected for standout moments like “Ghostface Killers” and “Ric Flair Drip.” On Quavo Huncho’s “Pass Out,” the same can be said for 21 and Quavo. After Quavo bounces over Buddah Bless production with colorful rhymes and dozens of “skrr” ad-libs, 21 anchors the song with a gravelly flow as he drops gems like, “I'm not Will Smith, but I'm tryna get jiggy.” We’re all in for a full Quavo-21 team-up, if they find the time. —Eric Skelton
The Beats Knock
The best part of Quavo Huncho is undoubtedly the production. The one hour-plus runtime is made bearable thanks to the talent that worked with Quavo behind the boards. On his first official solo project, Quavo's myriad producers stand in for the group he’s made a name with. One of his most frequent collaborators on the album is Buddah Bless, who laced him with beats for previously released singles “Lamb Talk” and “Bubble Gum,” as well as album cuts “Pass Out” and “Give It To Em.” The latter two are some of the strongest tracks on the record overall.
“Champagne Rosé” is saved from an odd Madonna appearance (more on that later) because of how hard the beat goes, period. Murda Beatz, Sool Got Hits, and Quavo should pat themselves on the back for pulling that one off. Speaking of Murda Beatz, he and G Coop helped Huncho switch things up with “Swing,” a radio-friendly track featuring Normani and Davido that will probably be a single in the near future.
Quavo kept his sound incredibly varied with this album as a whole, thanks to a long list of producers that includes names we’re familiar with (Pharrell Williams, Tay Keith, Wondagurl, Cubeatz, Dun Deal), and many we’re getting to know better (30 Roc, Nasir Moore, Wheezy, OG Parker, Romano, Earl The Pearll, Jaded, Vance, Ikaz Boi, Chriz Beatz, Joseph Davinci, Smith Bros., Mike Almighty). —Kiana Fitzgerald
Madonna's Feature Is Not It
Migos and Madonna have a weird history together. Quavo, Offset, and Cardi B were seen partying with the 60-year-old pop singer in March, then they filmed their music video for “Narcos” at Madonna’s house in Miami. Then, Madonna showed up to a Migos set at Wireless festival in London this summer. On “Champagne Rosé,” the unlikely friends have connected again, but the results aren’t pretty. Over production from Sool Got Hits, Murda Beatz, and Quavo, Madonna decides to pronounce “champagne” like it’s spelled as she contorts her voice for a bizarre hook that nearly ruins the excellent Cardi verse that follows. Sure, Migos’ back-and-forths with Madonna on Instagram were entertaining, but “Champagne Rosé” is a gamble that didn’t pay off. —Eric Skelton
Quavo Helps Bring the "Ha" Flow Back
Last year, Kendrick Lamar briefly brought back Juvenile’s iconic “Ha” flow on Damn’s “Element.” His frenetic approach matched Juve’s initial delivery, and his dedication to the style was a welcome throwback. In June, Kanye jumped aboard the “Ha” train with “Yikes.” Now, on “Flip the Switch,” Quavo takes up the cause and keeps that same energy. Like Juvenile, Huncho rhymes about the hollow life of a wannabe big-time hustler. But, like he is wont to do, Quavo manages to take his own detour. He raps coolly, as opposed to frantically, staying true to his own sound. The humongous Drake feature nearly overshadows the “Ha” homage—but if you know, you know. Quavo gets bonus points for also interpolating Juve’s Cash Money labelmates the Big Tymers’ “Get Your Roll On.” Mannie Fresh, one-half of the Big Tymers, produced “Ha.” —Kiana Fitzgerald
Kid Cudi's Strong 2018 Continues
After humming his way through the redemptive Kids See Ghosts and popping up on the emo-tinged “Ghost Town,” Kid Cudi shines on “Lost,” his foray into trap with Quavo. The two lead artists co-produced the beat, and its gloomy synths and spacious drums feel like they’re echoing out of a haunted traphouse. While Cudi’s vocals are effective unassisted, he seems engaged playing with Auto-Tune here—as he did on the standout Travis Scott collab “through the late night.” The soul-searching, demon-slaying bars are vintage Cudi, and there is clear chemistry both in the booth and on the boards between these two melodic MCs. Cudder's excellent year continues. —Grant Rindner
Quavo's Potential as a Solo Artist Might Not Live Up to the Hype
From hooks to guest verses to his undercooked joint album with Travis Scott, we’ve heard a lot of Quavo sans Migos in the last 18 months. While there have been highs in that period—like his appearance on ASAP Mob’s “RAF” or this record’s “How Bout That?”—we’ve also seen Quavo’s solo formula stretch pretty thin. His subject matter is often limited, and he doesn’t seem to have much interest in rendering his trap tales or flexes in inventive ways.
The stasis he’s found has grown stale, and Quavo Huncho has many repetitive moments. On the best Migos tracks, Quavo’s melodicism is an ideal complement to the rapid-fire flows of the other two members, but when left on his own, Quavo doesn’t display the same passion and energy in his verses. We’re slated to get solo projects from Takeoff and Offset in the near future, which very well could hold up better than Quavo Huncho, but hopefully the trio will get back to their old ways afterwards. —Grant Rindner