Migos: From the Bando to Y.R.N.
We know this group. You know this group. Bad and Boujee, Motorsport, Stir Fry, what changed in 2016 that made this Atlanta Trap Trio into a Billboard topper?
The Migos: How they Started
Quavious Marshall (Quavo), Kirshnik Ball (Takeoff), and Kiari Cephus(Offset) are all related by familial relations as Quavo and Offset are cousins and Takeoff is Quavo’s nephew.
The Migos were raised in the Northside County of Atlanta known as Gwinnett County (also known as the Nawfside as referenced in many Migos tracks).
The Migos have referred to their origins as the “Trap” as this area is known for its drug infestation and production which has associated itself with many robberies and crimes that occur in this underdeveloped area.
Early Life and the Polo Club (2007-2009):
Interestingly enough, Quavo and Takeoff had been recording mixtapes since they were in the Eighth grade. Quavo established his first name as Crunk Boy and was known for passing out his CD’s and Quavo recalled constantly getting laughed at for the music he distributed at his school. Offset, on the other hand, wasn’t into rapping and according to a XXL Interview, Offset “didn’t know how to rap” and Quavo was the one who encouraged him and wrote his first rap verses for him at the time.
It was this time that the Trio finally joined together to make the group: Polo Club. Wait… Polo Club? Yes, the Migos introduced their group name as the Polo Club when Quavo and Offset were in High School. While this group name didn’t last long in their rap career, it was the first symbol of the formation of the legendary trio.
Formation of the Migos and the Bando (2011)
Under their new name, The Migos released their first mixtape titled “Juug Season” which was released in 2011 and soon after “No Label” was released in June 2012.
The Migos introduced themselves into club venues and parties in order to promote their music and gain popularity in their local areas of Atlanta.
The Migos didn’t come to these clubs easy, a snippet from the Bando Documentary detailed the Migos buying drinks and talking to club promoters to try and persuade them to play their tracks at a club.
After consistent hustling and persuading of club DJ’s to play their music, the fate of the Migos change with the release of Bando in 2012, which was a track of their No Label album and featured all three of the Migos on the track.
From Bando to Quality Control Music (2013)
As the popularity for the track Bando grew in the grassroots of Atlanta, it caught the attention of the well-known producer Zaytoven. Zaytoven has been a longtime producer originating from Atlanta and was a contributor to Gucci Mane’s career and was viewed as a centerpoint of Atlanta Trap Music at the time.
Zaytoven and the Migos began working together in 2012 and it eventually lead to the production of the tape “Young Rich Niggas”, which had many tracks produced by Zaytoven and possessed many of their first-charting songs like Versace and Hannah Montana. These hits, while having simple and somewhat repetitive lyrics, were popular because of the usage of fast triplet verses which later became known as the “Migo Flow” and is used by many new generation rappers today.
Young Rich Niggas can be considered one of the most important moments in the future of the Migos as it lead to the introduction of the Migos to the famous manager, “Coach K” Lee, who managed the careers of Atlanta’s finest Trapstars like Gucci Mane and Jeezy.
Lee, along with CEO of Quality Control Music, Pierre Thomas, worked together a marketing plan for the release of Young Rich Niggas and contributed to the world-wide recognition of the popular tracks like Versace, which was later remixed by Drake and became a staple hit in many clubs and parties.
It was from this moment that merged the Migos from an independent rap group to being supported by Atlanta’s Quality Control Music which significantly defined the prosperous future that the Migos have today.
The rise to becoming Atlanta’s Hottest (2013–2016)
The Migos continued their hustle of the Trap scene with the release of subsequent mixtapes and albums that turned their rap group into well-known superstars.
The Migos released mixtapes with artists like Rich The Kid, Gucci Mane, Young Thug, and other Atlanta rappers which continued their fame into the mainstream of hip-hop. The Migos were now performing at shows and were requested for features all around their local areas.
Migos, along with QC, grew to the top of record charts and eventually towards the end of 2015, released their most-noted song, Bad and Boujee. featuring Lil Uzi Vert, which signified a point in time where the Migos turned from hot Trapstars into a mainstream phenomena in the U.S and beyond. The song Bad and Boujee raised to become the #1 Track on Billboard Charts and was nominated for Grammy as Best Rap Song of the Year for 2016. The Migos broke out of the trenches of Atlanta’s trap and brought themselves into the genre of pop music in the U.S.
Migos: Culture and the Future
As you may already know, the Migos rose to stardom in 2016 into the mainstream of pop music and the rest is history from there. The Migos from 2016 onwards have continuously collaborated with big names like Drake and Nicki Minaj and have been featured on shows like Jimmy Kimmel and Ellen Show.
The Migos turned their dream of becoming big-charting rappers into a reality that hasn’t been imaginable by many other rap groups in this era. The Migos have truly transformed the popularity of Rap music in the Music industry and have normalized what started off as music representing Atlanta’s Trap into music that is played in SuperBowls, college parties, and tons of clubs.
Ever since the start, who would of known that the small trio from Gwinnett County would have turned their hobby of rapping into a lavish career and a true portrayal of what it means to be the Y.R.N that the Migos have idolized from the start.
