Offset

One-third of rap outfit Migos, Offset is a rapper whose speedy triplet rhymes and love of interjections and clever wordplay made him a fan favorite as the trap trio ascended the hip-hop charts. After breaking through with Migos, he branched off as a solo artist, collaborating with multiple artists and reaching chart highs with Tyga (“Taste”) and Kodak Black (“Zeze”) in 2018. In early 2019, he issued his debut full-length, Father of 4, which hit number four on the Billboard 200 and spawned the Grammy-nominated single “Clout.” Migos’ Culture III arrived in 2021, and Offset spent the next two years focusing on singles and collaborations with IDK, Trippie Redd, Moneybagg Yo, Metro Boomin, and others. He returned to the Top Five of the Billboard 200 with his second studio album, 2023′s Set It Off, before pairing with Gunna for 2024′s “Style Rare” and “Prada Dem.” Born Kiari Kendrell Cephus in Lawrenceville, Georgia, he initially formed another collective called Polo Club in 2009. The following year, he formed Migos alongside Takeoff and his cousin Quavo. The trio broke out of the underground when their track “Versace,” from the 2013 mixtape Young Rich N*ggas, became a widespread hit. Offset went on to release chart-topping studio albums with Migos, including 2017′s Culture and its follow-up, 2018′s Culture II. Without Warning, a collaboration with 21 Savage and Metro Boomin, appeared on Halloween 2017 and immediately hit the Top Five of the Billboard 200 album chart. The set featured his triple-platinum hit “Ric Flair Drip.” Around the same time, Offset married Cardi B in a private ceremony, though the up-and-down relationship of these two famous rappers was the topic of frequent public gossip. Following a slew of guest appearances — including the multi-platinum Top Ten singles “Taste” with Tyga and “Zeze” with Kodak Black — Offset issued the single “Red Room,” which landed on his solo debut, Father of 4, in 2019. The album debuted at number four in the Top 200 Billboard charts and spent another week in the Top Ten. The following year, the Cardi B-featuring single “Clout” was nominated for a Grammy Award. In 2021, Offset and Migos returned with Culture III, while the rapper teamed with Trippie Redd, Lil Durk, Kevin Gates, and King Von for the all-star single “Hit Em Hard” from the Fast & Furious 9 soundtrack. Offset hit the charts again with the 2022 singles “Big 14” (with Trippie Redd and Moneybagg Yo), “54321,” and “Code” (with Moneybagg Yo). The following year, Offset released “2 Live,” a collaboration with Hit-Boy, then he and JID guested on “Danger” from Metro Boomin’s soundtrack to Spider-Man: Across the Spiderverse. In July 2023, a new single, “Jealousy,” with his wife Cardi B, served as one of the first rumblings of his next studio album, Set It Off. A second single, “Fan,” was released in September, and the entire album arrived in October. Set It Off was released through Motown, with Offset cutting ties with Quality Control Music over disputes about publishing. The album featured guest appearances from many other top-tier rappers and pop stars, including contributions from Travis Scott, Latto, Future, Young Nudy, Chlöe, and others, as well as production work from a host of different producers. It peaked at number five on the Billboard 200. In 2024, he joined forces with Gunna, bringing the rapper on board for his non-album single “Style Rare,” and returning the favor by guesting on “Prada Dem.” ~ Rob Wacey & Neil Z. Yeung