Migos

Formed amid Atlanta's hip-hop lineage, the trio Migos drew from the city's storied group tradition and the influence of the Hot Boys alongside OutKast. Cousins Offset, Quavo, and Takeoff, who spent their upbringing together, began recording in 2009 as Polo Club before formalizing the Migos moniker in 2010. Their 2012 mixtape No Label introduced the regional favorite "Bando," which drew notice from producer Zaytoven and manager Kevin Lee, better known as Coach K and the architect behind Gucci Mane and Young Jeezy. The following year proved eventful: June brought the Young Rich N*ggas mixtape and its breakout single "Versace." Coach K secured the group a slot at Hot 107.9 Birthday Bash, where Drake became an early supporter, contributing a verse to the "Versace" remix that later appeared on Nothing Was the Same.

No Label II arrived in 2014 via Atlantic distribution and spotlighted the single "Fight Night." Their major-label debut, Yung Rich Nation, followed in 2015 with the track "One Time," while the later mixtape Back to the Bando yielded "Look at My Dab," which entered the Hot 100 and ignited the widespread dabbing craze that eventually reached athletes, musicians, and even politicians by 2016. The 3 Way EP surfaced in summer 2016. By year's end, the Lil Uzi Vert collaboration "Bad & Boujee" climbed to the summit of the Billboard Hot 100 in early 2017, coinciding with the release of the sophomore album C U L T U R E, which opened at number one on the Billboard 200. Additional 2017 guest appearances included Calvin Harris's "Slide," Gucci Mane's "I Get the Bag," and Katy Perry's "Bon Appetit."

Culture II emerged in 2018, boasting production from Kanye West, Pharrell Williams, Metro Boomin, and others, plus contributions from 21 Savage, Drake, Gucci Mane, Nicki Minaj, and Cardi B. The project again topped the Billboard 200 and delivered platinum-certified singles such as "MotorSport," "Stir Fry," "Walk It Talk It," and "Narcos." Ahead of the third Culture chapter, 2019 saw standalone releases including "Pure Water" with Mustard, "Position to Win," and "Stripper Bowl," the last appearing on the Quality Control compilation Control the Streets, Vol. 2. February 2020 introduced "Give No Fxk" as the lead track for the 2021 album Culture III, which also contained "Need It" featuring YoungBoy Never Broke Again and peaking at number 13 on Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. Takeoff passed away on November 1, 2022, at age 28 after a shooting in Houston, Texas.