Set It Off (Offset Album)

''Set It Off'' is the second solo studio album by American rapper Offset. It was released through Motown on October 13, 2023. The album contains guest appearances from Travis Scott, Don Toliver, Future, Cardi B, Mango Foo, Latto, Young Nudy, and Chlöe. Production was handled by a variety of record producers, including Offset himself, Southside, Vinylz, FnZ, Nick Papz, Daoud, Teddy Walton, Tay Keith, Oz, Ojivolta, Boi-1da, Metro Boomin, Wheezy, Doughboy Beatz, Tom Levesque, and Jahaan Sweet, among others. The album serves as the follow-up to Offset's previous album ''Father of 4'' (2019), and is also his first project to not be released under Quality Control Music after ending his contract with the label due to its heads allegedly not giving him publishing rights for his music.

Background and promotion

The album was originally speculated to be ''Blame It on Set'' until Offset later said that it never was and was originally scheduled to be released on November 11, 2022, but it was postponed due to the passing of his friend, late fellow American rapper Takeoff, who was shot and killed in late 2022, and the two were both a part of the hip hop trio Migos. In May 2023, in an interview with '' Variety'', Offset played the songs from the album that are collaborations with Travis Scott, Future, Chlöe, Latto, and Cardi B, and spoke about the album:

This is me going full-fledged into my solo career. The objective is to do it fully and smash shit and fuck the game up as a solo artist. I'm coming through, bustin' through the door. It's all set, my next chapter. It's my time.

The lead single of the album, " Jealousy", a collaboration with Offset's wife, Cardi B, was released on July 28, 2023. Offset revealed the new title, cover art, and release date of the album along with a pre-order on September 14, 2023. The second single, " Fan", was released the following day. The tracklist was revealed in collaboration with Spotify hip hop playlist RapCaviar on October 4, 2023. The third single, " Worth It", a collaboration with American rapper and singer Don Toliver, was released on October 12, 2023, one day before the album was released. The fourth single, " Say My Grace", which features Travis Scott, was released along with the album the following day.

Artwork

The artwork for ''Set It Off'' depicts an image of a burning city with Offset falling out of it, suggesting that he stands out in the burning rap industry. '' Rolling Stone''s Mosi Reeves compared the cover art to American record producer Metro Boomin's (a producer on the album) debut studio album, ''Not All Heroes Wear Capes'', in which Offset was a feature on.

Critical reception

''Set It Off'' received a score of 67 out of 100 on review aggregator Metacritic based on eight critics' reviews, indicating "generally favorable" reception. Robin Murray from '' Clash'' felt that the album is a "21-track blockbuster" and is a "spark by love and grief". He noted that the album is "fuelled by braggadocio and a desire to set things right," stating that the album is Offset's "testament, and it's the closest we've come to the real Offset". Concluding the review, he stated that the album "underlines Offset's status as one of American rap's MVPs" and that "very often the finest moments on this album are its most humble". '' Financial Times'' Ludovic Hunter-Tilney noted that the album "demonstrates the musicality of today’s rappers".

Writing for ''MusicOMH'', Ben Devlin noted that "''Set It Off'' is the work of a talented rapper with an interesting taste in production", but however, "Offset just needs a bit more consistency to stick the landing". '' Rolling Stone''s Mosi Reeves stated that on the album, "Offset tries to shift the spotlight back to the music" following the drama of the split up of the Migos alongside Cardi B cheating rumors. Comparing it to Offset's debut studio album, ''Father of 4'' (2019), Reeves wrote that "''Set It Off'' is a much more confident solo project," noting that Offset "sounds hungry and driven to prove his relevance beyond Migos and Cardi B". Reeves concludes his review by noting that throughout the project, Offset "seems conflicted about where his current path may lead," stating that ''Set It Off'' "achieves a modest goal of being erratic yet diverting" and that "it may even establish Offset as a solo star instead of just a former Migo".

'' Variety''s Todd Gilchrist stated that ''Set It Off'' "shows major artistic growth for the Atlanta rapper and sets a new course for him as a solo artist" while writing that "not every track is a classic, but the best moments find this fiery artist at the absolute top of his game". He concludes his review by noting that "Offset takes a lot of big swings here and while not all of them connect" while also stating that it is "exactly the place where an artist carving a new path for themselves should be".

'' NME'''s Kyann-Sian Williams called ''Set It Off'' an "melancholic-tinged turn-up", where "a more mature, reflective Offset was what was expected." They wrote, at first, the record was "tinged with dejection where lyrical maturity is scarce compared to the supercilious rhymes of the 31-year-old," and that ''Set It Off'' "doesn't reflect the legacy" the rapper has as a trap pioneer. In the conclusion, Williams referred to Offset and Metro Boomin's six-time platinum-selling 2017 single ‘Ric Flair Drip’, writing "Offset alludes that he’s in the same league as the 16-time wrestling champion – perhaps he’s more like Jeff Hardy; a beloved solo figure, but at his best with his brothers" – suggesting that the album doesn't touch his prior work with Migos.

Track listing

Notes
* signifies an additional producer
* signifies an uncredited co-producer

Charts

References

{{Authority control

2023 albums
Motown albums
Offset (rapper) albums
Albums produced by Boi-1da
Albums produced by FnZ
Albums produced by Metro Boomin
Albums produced by Southside (record producer)
Albums produced by Tay Keith
Albums produced by Vinylz
Albums produced by Wheezy