Migos – “What the Price” (Singles Going Steady)

Steve Horowitz: The electric guitar lead, no matter how synthesized, gives this song an edge. And the fact that the guitar remains ever-present without breaking out into a wack solo is even better. Migos do a great job of keeping things simple without being dumb. The lesson is that everything costs something. Don’t be fooled by what is hidden. The melodic rap reveals that packaging is just that, but reality will always find a way to assert itself. Migos delivers the goods, and that’s all there is to it. No hidden meanings here. You gotta pay the price, that’s all. [8/10]

Adriane Pontecorvo: The more you listen to “What the Price”, the better it gets. It starts hard, with a dramatic, stinging introduction that leads into a simple melody and a focus on the words, sung and rapped over slow beats. The members of Migos twist their words fast enough to make it work. The song doesn’t go very far, but it’s a subtle kind of catchy that shows skill and doesn’t annoy too much — unless you’re an Auto-Tune hater. [6/10]

Paul Carr: On this latest offering from the band’s Culture album, Migos mix soulful, New Power Generation guitars with Harsher, Southern Rap beats. The whole thing should be an absolute triumph, but it’s let down by the wearisome use of Auto-Tune. Effectively, it sounds like they are trying to eject a Casio VZ-1 from their large intestine forcibly. What a waste. [4/10]

Jordan Blum: See, this is the kind of hip-hop I don’t like. It feels very by-the-numbers, and I hate Auto-Tune and other processed vocals like this. Musically, there’s not much here; if the slight ‘70s funk vibe was enhanced, there’d be more to get lost in. Lyrically, there seems to be something meaningful, so I feel even more strongly about the way it’s presented because its lack of musicality and uniqueness takes away from whatever message it has. The video is rather interesting, though, in that it seems more suited for a Southern rock band than a hip-hop group. I give them respect for going against the norm in that sense. [5/10]

SCORE: 5.75