There’s this looming thought that Takeoff is the underrated member of the Migos. Or as hip-hop Twitter would like to say, he “deserves more credit.” No, we don’t see his name too often in headlines or viral moments as we do with Quavo and Offset, but that has nothing to do with the music as people seem to believe. Since day one, he’s been snapping more than an audience at a poetry slam.
The group’s first two projects, 2011's Jugg Season and 2012's No Label, are filled with high energy street rap, but their three-man dynamic sounded incomplete. Sooner than later, made apparent on the following mixtapes, 2013's Y.R.N. and 2014's No Label II, each member discovered their rightful pocket, allowing the three artists to zero in on what they do best. Quavo mastered the art of simplicity, striking up an endless number of entrancing hooks. Offset began to focus on speed and flashiness, adding some southern spice to their records. And Takeoff adopted the role of becoming the glue, honing in on witty storytelling and acute wordplay.
Ever since Takeoff has mastered his flow, he hasn’t looked back and respectively carried mixtapes like 2015's Back to the Bando when Offset was locked up and more recently, chart-topping albums like Culture II in 2018. It doesn’t matter if it's a song like “Memoirs,” where he focuses on a concept or a record like “Get Right Witcha,” on which his focus is more on custom-made techniques. He’s built a catalog of verses so forceful that it'll make you question why people think he’s slept-on in the first place.
So to celebrate his 26th birthday (June 18), XXL highlights Takeoff's most clever verses over the years, on everything from the mixtape era to his guest verses. Peep them below.
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“Antidope” (Verse Two)
Migos
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“Highway 85” (Verse Three)
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“Came From Nothing” (Verse Two)
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“T-Shirt” (Verse One)
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“Narcos” (Verse Three)
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“Handsome and Wealthy” (Verse Two)
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“I Get the Bag” (Verse One)
Gucci Mane Featuring Migos
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“Call Casting” (Verse One)
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“Sloppy Toppy” (Verse Four)
Travis Scott Featuring Migos and Peewee Longway
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“Get Right Witcha” (Verse Three)
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“Pamela” (Verse Two)
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“Memoirs” (Verse Two)
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“Dat Way” (Verse One)
Migos and Rich The Kid
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“Deadz” (Verse Three)
Migos Featuring 2 Chainz
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“Drip” (Verse Three)
Cardi B Featuring Migos
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“Fall Back” (Verse Three)
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“Hannah Montana” (Verse Two)
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“White Sand” (Verse Four)
Migos Featuring Big Sean, Travis Scott and Ty Dolla $ign
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“Back to the Bando” (Verse Two)
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“Just for Tonight” (Verse Two)
Migos Featuring Chris Brown
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“Check” (Verse Two)
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“Gucci On My” (Verse Four)
Mike WiLL Made-It Featuring Migos, YG and 21 Savage
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“Slippery” (Verse Four)
Migos Featuring Gucci Mane
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“Commando” (Verse One)
Migos