Offset’s newest project, “FATHER OF 4,” is the latest solo album from a member of Migos. Quavo dropped “Quavo Huncho” in Oct., only to receive mixed reviews. Takeoff, often called the most underrated and overlooked of the trio, released the aptly named “Last Rocket” in Nov., which was met with generally favorable reviews. But where does this Migos member’s solo project land?

Let’s start with some background: Offset had a child with rap artist and wife Cardi B in July of 2018. The couple has had many issues stemming from Offset’s infidelity. As of late, Offset has been focusing more on his family in an attempt to reconcile for his unfaithfulness, hence the album title’s focus on family.

This project was incredibly surprising. Offset is known for the striking imagery coupled with catchy lyrics about flexing in his songs. This album, however, pairs Offset’s typical style with a softer, deeper and more caring side that I have not heard before; that is by far the biggest positive takeaway from this album. “FATHER OF 4” is definitely the deepest out of the three solo projects and certainly has the most artistry on display.

Songs like the titular intro song, “Father of 4,” “Lick” and “How did I Get Here” exhibit a reserved, almost thoughtful flow and cadence from Offset. This is accompanied by touching visceral imagery in his lyrics. Even though we have heard the Migos as well as other rappers rap about topics like selling drugs and getting money before, Offset tells a story with his lyrics.

For instance, in the song, “Lick,” Offset talks about a substantial trust fund for his daughter and providing money for his family and friends. He reminisces about when he did not have much money at all and claims that these “licks” he has been hitting are not only for him but also for his loved ones. Although some rappers touch on these topics, not many focus the entire theme of their album on them.

Continuing with the positives, this album had a few songs that really displayed Offset’s growth as an artist and showed great variety. Songs such as “Red Room” and “After Dark” are incredibly melodious, mellow and striking. They use the same aforementioned reserved tone, but these two songs stand out because the production value on the beats complemented Offset’s flow the best.

Listeners get to see a more traditional Offset on songs like “Made Men,” “Quarter Milli” (featuring familiar collaborator Gucci Mane) and “Tats on My Face.” The audience hears Offset’s traditional quick rhyme scheme followed by echoed ad libs, but, even in these songs, he shows a bit of lyrical evolution which is something that any fan loves to see. Offset even addresses the big cheating elephant in the room in his song, “Don’t Lose Me.” On this track, Offset apologizes to his wife for cheating on her.

While I enjoyed this album a lot, there were some drawbacks. I could not help but crave the classic Migos collaboration with the trio rapping interchangeably. Aside from the cheating elephant in the room, a second, even bigger elephant lies dormant: Takeoff is not featured on this album at all. It is an odd, noticeable absence since Quavo is featured on the song, “On Fleek.” This whole ordeal is just another in a long list of Takeoff omissions.

My last gripe lies with the very typical and average production. This is shocking because producers Metro Boomin and Southside almost always put out top notch work. In the end, “FATHER OF 4” is a heartfelt meaningful project that showcases a new side to Offset and demonstrates his growth as an artist. While it does lack a very necessary Takeoff verse and shows mediocre production value, “FATHER OF 4” is still the most impressive of the Migos solo projects as it displays the most artistry as well as plainly being a commendable and enjoyable album.

“Badminton gets a bad rep for being a childish sport,” laments Perry Hall High School graduate Kevin Vieira. “I like to show people there’s more to badminton than people think.” Vieira is the latest challenger for the prestigiously unofficial title of “Best (Singles) Badminton Player at UMBC,” facing off against self-proclaimed incumbent Mitchell “Misha” Betenbaugh.

On the morning of Feb. 21, ominous flyers started appearing around the University of Maryland, Baltimore County campus. “Hi, I’m Misha,” they began in typed black text, and proceeded to lay claim to the championship title. Signing off with “Prove me wrong” and a phone number (and then “Side Note: HMU if you’re Creative/Woke” in fine print), the challenge was issued.

“The gauntlet has been thrown,” information systems junior Allison Battisti wrote on the school’s meme page, accompanied by a laughing emoji and a photograph of one poster. She had spotted it taped to the entrance of the on-campus Starbucks. “Honestly, it was just the sheer absurdity of it,” she explains of her first impression, “Like, I couldn’t tell if it was serious or not. Who claims to an entire school to be the best badminton player, like, badminton of all things, really?”

“I was playing in the RAC, and there wasn’t any competition for me, so I just decided to put the posters up to find people,” philosophy and economics senior Betenbaugh explains. Within a few hours, the physical flyers were removed by campus police, but the online community was already in a frenzy.

“Welcome to Misha’s Badminton Battlegrounds,” joked meme page admin Samuel Becker in a later post.

Betenbaugh has since seen a steady stream of opponents, the first nine of whom have lent credibility to his self-assessment thus far. “I’m 9-0 right now. This will be the tenth match since I put the posters up,” he recounts, “…It will be swift victory.”

“I’m a little nervous, but I am feeling pretty confident,” says Vieira as Betenbaugh negotiates use of the court, “I haven’t played in six years, though.”

The two men warm up, and Vieria holds his own for several passes before missing the birdie on a dive. Although the competition has yet to officially begin, Vieira is already reconsidering his chances. “He’s a fantastic player – I am getting a little worried,” Vieira admits.

The first game ensues, and Betenbaugh wins all but one point in 22 rallies. He estimates the total game time at around three to four minutes – a fraction of the 15-minute game time average reported by the Department of Physical Education at Baylor University – and the two decide a second game would be redundant. “That’s nothing, though. I beat one of the guys in the time it took to play one song,” Betenbaugh boasts.

“Misha is fantastic,” concedes Vieira.

Although she found it a little “cringey,” Battisti accepts this tournament as a piece of the university’s culture. “I feel like it just embodies the spirit of UMBC so much,” she sighs. “As much as I was surprised to see [the original flyer], I was also just like, ‘Yup. Only at UMBC.’”