Offset Talks Going Solo & Takeoff’s Passing With GQ’s

Offset sits down with GQ to talk about his decision to go solo, the loss of his former bandmate Takeoff, and more.

IN the past 24 months everything in Offset’s career has been flipped upside down. In June of 2021, he was with the MIGOs who just released Culture III. Everything seemed ok but over the next few months, questions would arise after Offset unfollowed Takeoff and Quvao. His former group mates would go on to start their own group while Offset would gear up to go solo.

While it sounds like a devastating story arc it’s something Set believed in, wanted, and knew would work. For GQ’s Men of the Year Set broke down his career reset.

Surprisingly he credits Tyler the Creator for the push to step out on his own. Tyler knows a thing or two about that same journey after departing Odd Future years ago.

“It was a year ago, at the Roc Nation Brunch, and I was telling [Tyler] my vision of being a standout artist and a solo artist and reinventing myself. I was glorifying him, telling him, ‘I respect how you stay in character [for each album],’” Offset tells GQ. “He was like, ‘You should do it, too. N-–as ain’t going to f—k with it at first, but n—as never f—k with the good s—t first. They always sleep on it, and then you show them throughout the process.’” He adds: “I really took that shit to head.”

In the profile also once again tries to find the words to describe losing his MIGOS group mate Takeoff. Something he has admitted is still a sensitive subject for him. Additionally, it’s deeply impacted his approach to making his album SET IT OFF.

“I ain’t ready to talk about that sh*t yet, first and foremost,” he says, admitting he doesn’t have the answers yet. “I don’t know how to do it, but I didn’t want to just be making an album about bad s—t, and dissing and putting that type of energy on the project, because it was going to make my mind be in a different place mentally.”

He adds that he tried to make a song that dealt with the tragedy directly, a tribute. “The world is not ready for it, because [everyone] is so judgmental,” he explains. “They want you to make a song pouring your heart out that’s [also] a hit. There is a song on there that’s kind of expressing that sh*t, though, which is ‘Upside Down.’ It’s feeling confident I’m going to go up with the music, but I’m down every day. It’s the challenge of trying to be the best at your worst times.”

Where Set goes from here is yet to be seen but his second solo album was well received and his options are endless.

Source: Julius Frazer / GQ / Julius Frazer / GQ