After earning their first No. 1 album and single with Culture and “Bad and Boujee,” Migos covers the latest issue of Billboard.
Posing together on the cover, Takeoff, Offset, and Quavo look dapper in eye-catching suits, and inside the mag, they open up about the many tracks they have in their vault.
In fact, Takeoff reveals that the group has “probably a million” unreleased songs due to their rapid-fire recording process. “We play a beat for 15, 20 seconds and know if we want to get on it,” he adds. “When we record a verse, it’s no more than 15, 20 minutes. We don’t have a pen and paper. We bounce off each other.”
That style has resonated with artists from all genres, including Chris Brown, who pops up in the piece to praise the trio. “I just want to shout out y’all,” says Breezy. “Y’all my real friends and brothers. I bought your album three times. I spent my own money and shit. I’m proud of you ni**as. I will never hate on you ni**as.”
In response, Quavo says: “Damn, that boy Chris said a real one. That fucked me up…Make sure you put that in the story.”
Elsewhere in the article, Quavo responds to backlash following his criticism of iLoveMakonnen, who came out as gay, which was read as homophobic by some. “If you real from the heart, you real from the heart,” he says. “That ain’t got nothing to do with no sex or gender. It’s 2017, and we all living.”
Later, he adds: “When [Makonnen’s] music came out I thought it was hard, so if he would’ve come out the same way…I got a record with Frank Ocean [“Slide”]. That closes my case.”
See additional highlights from the conversation below.
QUAVO ON RACE: “Africa. I’ve never met my ancestors, but it felt beautiful to be there. Going to Moscow was the same because I don’t know what color or race I am. I feel connected all the way around the world. When I hit that mic, I feel universal.”
OFFSET ON JAIL: “When I came home [the first time], we was suddenly getting $20,000 a show. It was fast-paced, I had a bunch of money, and I was wild as hell. I came from jail to being a star at 21. Bro, that’s outrageous.”
QUAVO ON A RUN-IN WITH THE GAME: “You don’t want to let a ni**a know you fuck with him the soft way. You got to come the hard way, aggressive.”
TAKEOFF ON SUCCESS: “I try not to be cocky, but hey, we the shit, man. The No. 1 record and album. I mean, you look at that chart, it’s big names up there.”
