How Offset drew inspiration from Michael Jackson as Migos member went solo

Actor and rapper Donald Glover once compared the rap group Migos to the Beatles.

But Offset, one of the three members of Migos, is taking his inspiration these days from a different pop icon: the late Michael Jackson.

“I was just a big fan of him,” says the 32-year-old Offset, who was born Kiari Cephus, as he headlines his first solo tour. “I loved the way how his videos were shot. It was always a storyline, or always a different type of character that he would be in for his videos, especially when I was young.

“But as I got older, I learned to appreciate the skill set that he put in, and the extra grind and the work and the practice,” Offset continues. “He envisioned himself being way bigger, even though he was already big. On my album, I’m already in a nice place where I’m big and stuff like that. But I still see more for myself and creatively challenge myself to take it to the next level, even though I’m on a high level.”

On the cover of Offset’s second solo album, “Set It Off,” released in October, the rapper is seen falling from an upside-down cityscape, dressed in clothing reminiscent of Jackson in his “Beat It” video. In Offset’s video for the single “Fan,” he wears facsimiles of outfits Jackson wore in his “Thriller” and “Smooth Criminal” videos — and he breaks out some of those videos’ iconic dance moves, too.

“He came from a group where there’s a family,” Offset says of similarities he sees between himself and Jackson. Migos was a trio made up of cousins Quavo and the late Takeoff, with Offset close enough they often said they were all cousins, the Jackson 5, of course, were Michael and his brothers, including Jermaine, who gets name-checked in the lyrics of one of the songs on Offset’s new record.

“I felt like it fell into my story,” he continues. “His first solo album was ‘Off the Wall’ and mine is ‘Set It Off.’ …The vibe on it’s like growing up and developing and becoming a better artist.

“So I just took that as my favorite artist, and I used it as inspiration for my whole album and my rollout,” Offset says. “I just felt like I was just in that bag.”

In an interview edited for length and clarity, Offset did not talk about his on-and-off marriage to rapper Cardi B, with whom he has two children. Instead, he focused on his plans for the current tour, the ongoing pain he feels for the death of Takeoff in a November 2022 shooting, the new vulnerability he’s used in some of his lyrics, and the importance of good vibes with guest artists that on the recent record include Travis Scott, Don Tolliver, Future and Chloe.

Q: You’re getting ready to head out on your first headlining tour. What’s it feel like to finally be here?

...continued

swipe to next page