Migos is not, as Donald Glover has said, “the Beatles of their generation,” but on Culture the band stakes a claim as the most important rap group to come out of Atlanta since Outkast. That it even seems fathomable is proof of the album’s success.

Fittingly titled Culture, the record finds Migos popping a wheelie on the zeitgeist with a stellar collection of songs that validates their spot at the center of conversation at the start of 2017.

On Culture, their world is richly rendered, full of hopes and paranoia and unbridled joy. This gives the Migos the last laugh on those who thought they’d never crack the retail album format, marked all the while by the knowledge they never needed one to succeed. It’s a definitive work.

Culture is a tour de force of all that makes Migos great while showcasing all of the group’s strengths — the gift for catchy hooks and melodies, unique flows, incredible group chemistry and phenomenal one-liners. After over a dozen releases since 2011, Migos have ascended higher than ever before on Culture.

C U L T U R E is that rare work, one where an artist’s aesthetic is funneled into every track, where you can sense the trajectory from their previous works to this one.

The sonic equivalent of a hardened d-boy new to legal wealth and a reprieve from street life casually flexing his jaw to flaunt the brilliance of a permanent diamond grill, Culture is an unapologetic doubling down on their sound and devotion to all things A-Town adjacent.

In spite of its drawbacks, Culture showcases Migos at the top of their artistry and there’s no indication that it’s their peak either. Be afraid, fellow rappers.

Culture ... sees Migos upping their game musically, working with some of Atlanta's hottest producers (Metro Boomin, Zaytoven) to cook up stickier melodies than ever.

The strongest Migos full length release to date ... Bangers like Call Casting and the Gucci Mane-featuring Slippery call back to the strongest material on their many mixtapes.