Offset: The Migos standout dishes on the state of hip-hop with Apple Music 1's Ebro Darden

The death of hip-hop? Rap game going nuts? Where’s Ja? IYKYK. Migos’ Offset has plenty to talk about these days with new music, dealing with real-life tragedy, juggling music goals with his ride or die wife Cardi B and of course sharing his take on the state of hip-hop in 2023. What better place to chop it up than Apple Music 1 with Ebro Darden?

Offset keeps it 100 in his latest Q&A with Apple Music 1

From dishing on his latest tunes and admiration for the late King of Pop Michael Jackson to just keeping it 100 on his own state of mind, there’s no holding back for the Georgia native in this new Q&A. Check out some of the key highlights and of course head to Apple Music 1 for the full-fledged interview once it’s live-live at 4:30 PM ET.

Offset talks about showing more personality in his solo career than he did with Migos… 

I was trying to keep my... Not give too much, you know what I'm saying? Not give too much. But it was the wrong thinking. I was just thinking keep a little things private, because I feel like all the artists I looked up to, you didn't really know too much about them but what they showed. And then the game changed, and so you got to show the people and bring them into your world, and then they dive more into you, I feel like.

Offset says that rap music numbers are down because rappers all sound the same…

I'm noticing that the no content music ain't catching nobody ear. I'm noticing that the numbers are down in our genre specifically, because I feel like everything is so the same. The next new nigga is another nigga that was just here. It's nothing new being brought to the game. Not just on the sound side, but just all the way around as creatively too. The most videos be like a Rolls Royce in the background, some chains on, and that shit getting boring, fellas. You know what I'm saying? It's like no real entertainment. Why you got these pop and these country artists smoking shit, because they coming with the full around, the full around everything. The full package, you know what I'm saying? Everything ain't flexing.

Offset on dressing like Michael Jackson when he opened for Beyoncé, and how his career inspired him to go solo…

The inspo of Mike is pushing that narrative of taking it to the next level and taking it there, making my videos more film-like, having dialogue in the videos, little choreo in the videos, different chapters to the videos. And also, the story of him coming from his family, you know what I'm saying? He come from his family and wanting more for himself, and feeling like...It's nothing personal, but it's just a self-preservation where you want to be on the next level. And when I did the Beyonce thing, I respect her showmanship and how much she puts into her performances. All these other comparisons, it's cap. It's Beyonce. She's that Mike, where she could go out there and wow you the whole time.

Offset on giving fans a higher entertainment value…

Yeah, they want to experience. That's what I always say, you've got to give the fan an experience. Experience is not you on the mic, that shit don't be enough, bro. Then you're taxing on the ticket sales, you want $200 a ticket, but you ain't got no production, it ain't no... I feel like a show is like a movie, it's the beginning, the middle, conclusion, the end. You've got to have some dialogue in that shit. You've got to have some choreo in that shit. You've got to have some wow moments. You've got to have where everybody in the crowd feeling your painful song.

The colors and the lasers or the lights of the show is what matter also too. And I just feel like educationally-wise, it's not diving into that and learning that. It ain't never too late. And so that's why if you look at the lineups, this is getting thinner and thinner on them lineups. They're not trying to pay you $600,000 to come just walk the stage, brother.

Offset on being more hands on with his vision…

The pressure of getting my vision done too. A lot of people don't know what it takes to be these people behind the cameras and the production. And the niggers thinking they just pulling up with cameras and just doing shit. No, it's like the way shit needs to be shot. Then I got good team. People that we are using are doing it with a care and not like a job. After the album, I'm planning on doing a short film for the album. And I'm proud of myself, man. I shot two videos, which is Jealousy and Fan, with this whole situation of my own money, pay for everything, get the location with my team.

Offset on getting to delve into some of the deeper thoughts he has through his music…

On the healthy record, I'm just speaking on becoming successful, and also being on my own. Shit not sweet, shit not easy. I respect solo artists a whole nother level because it's like everything on you. And then speaking on certain shit, how people say, certain sayings, like the line when I said, "Money don't bring happiness, but I've been happy ever since I got me a couple Ms." So I feel like a lot of people that don't got the money feel that way too, that money don't bring happiness. I'm not saying money is everything, but it is at the same time in real life.

My mama ran out of money with my grandmother with the cancer shit. And then you get sick and medications, and shit that don't work, but it lasts you over, it'll get you over a little bit but it ain't going to fix the problem. Then there's institutes in Houston where they have special places for people with cancer where you have a higher chance of surviving, but it costs that money.

I'm not playing no games, I'm too grown. Too much at stake. Too many mouths to feed, and too many people to let down, to let them die. I can't let them down.

Offset on getting Cardi B’s feedback on his music…

No. So, for Jealousy, I played her Jealousy and I felt like, "Bae, get on this," I asked her get on that. And then after Jealousy, she was like, "I think I want to do another one.”

I feel like she wanted to do a female record, to also have girls shaking ass and shit. You know how she wants, she wanted some lit shit. She told me, that's why she's on it. We split the chorus, but I had to plug my shit in, and it was her at first, so she was like, "I want you to do this song." I was like, "Let's go back and forth on the vibe and make it a vibe, and fuck with it.”

Offset on the track, Say My Grace …

It was the first song I did after the tragedy, honestly. The beat was just so crazy, and I felt like I wanted a lit song that was talking about some shit. When it came to me and I was just like (singing). This just real shit. Those are real painful but I didn't want to make the song so painful because I felt like I didn't want to make my project about that because I don't want to relive that, and I don't want that to be a prison-like feeling.

But on that record... at first I named it Why God? So you know I changed the name because I never want to question God, but that's how this feel though when you go through that shit, and when you see it firsthand. Everybody didn't question that shit. Something happened or anything and they'd be like, "Why did this happen to me?" And I knew people would feel how I felt, those quotes are relatable.