The Migos hit a ceiling after Culture 2, and each member began carving out a solo lane. Quavo leaned into pop sensibilities, Takeoff sharpened his craft, and Offset—always the most visible—had his personal life intensely scrutinized. His solo work often mirrored these pressures: Father of 4 explored his roots and family life, while Set It Off, delayed by Takeoff’s death and label disputes, arrived under the shadow of backlash and career uncertainty. Each project carried the weight of family, identity, and legacy, balancing ambition with turbulence.
On his third studio album, Kiari, these themes intersect differently. More than a step in his solo career, the record is Offset reclaiming his narrative amid divorce, life post-Migos, and the spotlight’s relentless scrutiny. While it doesn’t feel wholly liberating or conclusive, it leans into his strengths—production choices, flow, and songwriting—while probing where he fits in today’s rap landscape: a fashion-forward rockstar, an Atlanta icon, or a man negotiating personal upheaval.
Betrayal and cutting off dead weight become central to this reintroduction of Offset. With production by The Honorable C.N.O.T.E., Metro Boomin, and London Jae, the album digs into his psyche on a near-metaphysical level, where his relationship with substances, friends, and enemies spills through escalating intensity. Offset’s melodic instincts and relentless flow often lock in seamlessly, though the subject matter can feel recycled. The familiar contrasts—luxury flexes that haven’t shifted much since Culture and his vows of vengeance against doubters—water down what could be sharper statements. These are the album’s most complex, carefully structured moments, but they’re hit-or-miss. “Never Let Go,” assisted by John Legend, offers a rare breakthrough. As a tribute to Takeoff, it becomes a heartbreaking centerpiece, where Offset’s solitude carries the paranoia and grief that followed his cousin’s murder, alongside the pain of divorce and the uncertainty of moving forward. Even if designed for radio, his verse compresses these emotions with a surprising density.
Offset has long proven his ability to make undeniable hits, which is why albums like Without Warning linger in memory thanks to “Ric Flair Drip.” There’s something intoxicating about his flow when he’s fully immersed in a beat, and Kiari balances those addictive rap highs with broader-reaching attempts that land unevenly. The strongest moments stay close to his roots. “Back On That Mode,” featuring YFN Lucci, is a street-ready standout, where Offset glides with detached confidence, riding triplets and leaning into hedonism—a reminder of the skill and charisma that first distinguished him. “Different Species” with Gunna thrives on their shared penchant for indulgence, lifted by syrupy melodies and nasal inflections that punctuate their verses.
Features help stabilize the sprawl of 18 tracks, though not every collaboration soars. Offset and J.I.D play off each other expertly on "Bodies": J.I.D’s acrobatic wordplay offset (no pun intended) by Set’s sharp delivery. Key Glock enlivens “Run It Up” into a car-rattling anthem steeped in Memphis bounce and Atlanta flamboyance. Elsewhere, features struggle to elevate middling songs. Teezo Touchdown’s “Prada Myself” flattens into underwhelming synthpop, while the breezy “All Of My Hoes” and the ‘80s-styled “Love You Down” feel more like surface-level mood pieces than meaningful reflections of Offset’s character.
Even so, the album resists drowning under its collaborations, which plagued earlier solo efforts. Offset’s solo showcases—like “Folgers” and the title track “Set It Off”—highlight his mastery of cadence, finding pockets where syllables ricochet perfectly off the beat. These are flashes of why he remains one of Atlanta’s most technically gifted rappers. But weaker cuts reveal his blind spots: surface-level escapism, worn luxury tropes, and an occasional need to chase trends rather than dictate them.
This is a transitional period for Offset, and Kiari reflects the unease of that liminal space. Separation from Cardi B may dominate his headlines, but the album’s central theme is making peace with the past. By the outro “Move On,” there’s clarity laced with bitterness as he raps, “Happy for you, why you ain’t happy for me?” It encapsulates the tension he’s trapped in—appeasing the masses while searching for personal growth. Kiari pushes him toward that evolution, but he’s still tethered to old habits and recycled comforts. It’s a step forward, but one still weighed down by the past.
User Reviews
HotNewHipHop users rated Offset’s new album Kiari 3.6 out of 5 stars, based on five reviews. Some fans praised Offset for his depth, with one user writing, “Its nice hearing offset get introspective like this - my only complaint really is just how short some of the tracks are, like why is offset sometimes only doing one verse per song on his own album.. was just kind of expecting more considering the direction they took with all the promo.” However, another user simply didn’t feel sold on this latest effort by the ATL rapper, writing, “I just don't find solo Offset all that compelling.”
