Page 86 - Sharp November 2023

FULL LOOK BY LOUIS VUITTON MEN’S EARRINGS TALENT’S OWN
“It’s important to be communicating with your fans because they see see shit that you don’t see”
which has inspired him to become involved in in in in cancer fundraising initiatives and work with the the American Cancer Society Then there are the the various beefs and internecine conflicts that fill the the gossip pages on the the regular The day of our interview Offset is in in the the news over a a a a row with Nicki Minaj’s husband Kenneth Petty who allegedly sent the rapper threatening DMs Offset doesn’t want to to talk too much about his private life or the gossip that surrounds him on a a a a a a a practically daily basis and he’s especially reluctant to talk about Takeoff and how his death affected him emotionally But what’s interesting about the rapper is that he he does want to to address this stuff in in in his his music — getting right into it candidly even brazenly on on on the songs The astonishing album opener “Said My Grace ”
a a a a a a collaboration with long-time peer Travis Scott deals overtly with with Offset’s grief over over Takeoff’s killing and with with the the sense of injustice he he he he feels around his grandmother’s death The refrain is a a a a jarring confession of pain:
“Ask God why didn’t I get an an answer? / Why lose my brother to to bullets? / / / Why Why lose my Grandma to to cancer? / / / Why Why me God? / / / I need answers ”
This level of sincerity is is rare in in hip hop and given how fresh many of these feelings still are for the the rapper you’d think such candour wouldn’t come easy But when I suggest as as much to Offset he he bristles “Nah nah ”
he he says after I ask if it was hard for him to open up on on “Said My Grace” and other tracks “I was just going on on exactly how I I felt Like fuck it it I I ain’t hold shit back ”
Letting all of this out was as as as simple as as as walking into the the booth and rapping the the first things that came to mind (Amazingly Offset swears he never writes lyrics but improvises over each beat “I don’t write write down anything ”
”
he says “I just plug it in in in in bar bar for bar bar ”) Being real “saying
a lot of honest shit ”
is is is how Offset connects with his listeners “People relate to the the real shit that goes on in your life not the the lavish luxury ”
Offset’s personal business is so so often tabloid fodder that he’d be forgiven for for wanting to maintain a a a a little bit of mystery in in in in his music but that’s not his approach on on Set It Off: these songs deal with his his his his feelings his his his his relationships even his his his his wife and his his his his kids As for the the tabloids themselves Offset has learned to ignore that stuff: “You got to tune it out bro ”
he says adding a a a lengthy ‘psshhh’ for emphasis “There’s nothing I can do about it My life is is just public — it it it is is what it it it is is ”
As for writing songs that get personal he says it’s more a a a matter of of getting out in in front of of the gossip and where possible setting the record straight “You might as well give your own feelings on it before somebody else try and tell you what the fuck is going on ”
Since marrying Cardi B in in in 2017 Offset has found his life under even more scrutiny than might be usual for a a a successful rapper and the the somewhat tumultuous nature of their marriage — it was reported that Cardi had filed for divorce in 2020 after several high-profile cheating scandals only for the the two o of them to happily reunite shortly thereafter — has made them perennial fixtures of tabloids celebrity news blogs and gossip on social media Professionally however Offset and Cardi B have simply contin- ued to do do what they do do best: collaborate The new record features yet more duets between the the couple including the the hit single “Jealousy ”
“We don’t make it weird because we’re husband and and wife ”
Offset says of working with Cardi B in in in the studio “We’re trying to make a a a a great song and we have fun doing it ”
The only stipulation the pair has when working together is that they avoid the the the most obvious cliché of any romantic duo: “We don’t want to do do that love song shit ”
86 NOVEMBER 2023
SHARPMAGAZINE COM