After several months of build-up, Quavious Marshall, otherwise known as Quavo, left his listeners with a slurry of unanswered questions prior to the release of his second studio album “Rocket Power.” Quavo’s celebrity status derives from his association with the hip-hop trio, The Migos. After the passing of fellow Migos member and nephew Kirshnik Ball, widely recognized as Takeoff, the hip-hop world anticipated nothing less than greatness from the album dedicated to Takeoff’s legacy.
Despite the sentiment, media and fan discussions about The Migos honed in on Quavo’s ongoing dispute with his cousin and Migos member Kiari Cephus, who uses the stage name Offset. During a tribute to Takeoff, Offset and Quavo fought backstage at the Grammy Awards, leaving security to pull the two apart. Despite an apparent reunion between the cousins on Takeoff’s birthday, Quavo throws subtle jabs at Offset, including a line from the single, “Fueled Up,”: “My cousin hopped out of the car, I had to keep it going, now he telling the whole world that we ain’t blood.” With this reference appearing barely a minute into the album, Quavo solidified to listeners their relationship has not fully rekindled.
Quavo originally scheduled the album to release August 4, but he delayed the release by two weeks to perfect the album for his fanbase. With the extensive advertising from Quavo’s social media, fans grew eager for the album’s release.
“We might see some singing, some different beats we haven’t heard before, some more flow switches, I’m just excited for the album to be honest,” NC senior Brennan Bush said.
The project opens up strongly with “Fueled Up,” accented by sci-fi instrumentals that appear throughout the album, such as in “11.11.” While new for Quavo, these instrumentals appeared throughout hip-hop in 2023 as several artists began to branch out in different styles and instrumentals. Quavo uses this first track to commemorate his fortune at Takeoff. The late rapper appears multiple times on the album, solidifying his footprint on hip-hop with his notorious flow on tracks “Patty Cake” and “Back Where It Begins (feat. Future).”
While pushing out Instagram posts for the album, Quavo described the project as emotional and impactful, a route not seen by the rapper before. Dedicating this album to the late Takeoff, Quavo made a clear message to fans.
“This album is for the Rocket, our true fans and also this is my therapy. This album is a true reflection of how I feel right now. Sometimes I’m good, sometimes I’m down, sometimes I’m disappointed, sometimes I fall apart, but then I always find my strength again,” Quavo said.
Contrary to how he describes the album, “Rocket Power” did not appear any different than the typical album. Considering the album’s title referencing his stage name, it seemed like this project would focus on Takeoff himself, rather than the general brandishing of Quavo’s luxuries. While Takeoff made appearances, the album seemed less dedicated to him than fans expected.
Quavo, however, deserves recognition for stepping into the studio after nearly a year of hardships. He put heart into the album and even veered on a slightly different path in a few tracks, such as his unusually somber tone in “Hold Me” and “Not Done Yet.” While his change in style earns respect, the trap style better suits Quavo.
Overall, Quavo’s sophomore album fell short of the expectations set for its release. Lacking verses mentioning his late nephew and stories regarding his triumph over personal struggles, the album contains little substance. “Rocket Power” holds up with any Migos album, but considering the headlines prior to the release, the tracklist left fans dissatisfied. Glimpses of emotion and soulful presence appeared, but not enough to save the entire project.
The Chant’s grade: C+
