What Went Down at Offset's Album Listening Party in Wynwood

This past Weekend, Atlanta rapper Offset from the trio Migos hosted a listening and watch party for his new project, Kiari. The album was released this past Friday and received positive reviews from critics and fans alike.

The party was held at the Soho Pool House in Wynwood, and invitations were plentiful as Offset shared the RSVP to the party on social media hours before it was set to take place.

While he and his team didn't utilize the pool area, opting for more indoor vibes, everyone just bought drinks and danced to some of the throwback tunes the DJ was playing. New Times was able to spot notable names such as MadeInPhlly while we waited for Offset to show face at the party.

It was around 12 a.m. when the DJ started playing tracks off the new project in quick succession, letting us listen to tracks such as "Pills," "Back in that Mode," and "Different Species" to help warm the crowd up to what we were about to listen to for the rest of the night.

At about 12:15 p.m., Offset came into the room. Everyone, of course, crowded around him and got excited, as the man of the hour had finally come to join us. Alongside him were producer extraordinaire Murda Beatz and YRN Mango Foo, who decided to tag along on the experience.

The DJ decided to run back the track "Pills," right when Offset picked up a mic and adlibbed the song on and off, giving a shout-out to Soho House. "We loooove the Soho House".
After a couple of minutes (and some technical difficulties), Offset moved from the DJ booth to the massive LED screen in the other corner of the room, where we began to watch Kiari in its visual form.

From what we saw, this was Offset at a new creative peak. He did not present the same character and persona that we've seen on the previous two solo albums, which felt more like an extension of his Migos flow.

The new project sees him tackling addiction on "Pills" (albeit in a kind of high-energy lit way), divorce from his high-profile lover Cardi B on "Move On," and the death of his best friend and fellow Migos member Takeoff on "Never Let Go."

The album also features new collaborators, including R&B star John Legend, alternative rapper Teezo Touchdown, and lyrical genius JID, who hop on tracks with Offset as he explores the most personal aspects of his life over 18 tracks.

After watching the visual album, we understood what this project truly means for Offset. All music videos take place in one room, forcing us to examine Set and the other subjects, whether they're in a room full of flowers as John Legend plays piano in dedication to Takeoff or a room that's supposed to take us back to Offset's beginnings in Atlanta.
The most intriguing video was the one for "Prada Myself," which saw Offset and his different personas, along with Teezo Touchdown, sit in a circle, group therapy style, as he raps about how low he's been feeling lately.

If there's anything the visual helps certify, it's that Kiari is his most personal and honest project to date. The fact that its title is his real name helps amplify this idea, and we are able to see a different side of him over the 52-minute runtime.

Aside from the visual album premiere and a fight that occurred halfway through "Different Species," there wasn't much that happened after Offset landed at the Pool House.

When we asked him why he decided to premiere the visuals in Miami on Saturday, he said, "Miami is like a second home to me. I love the vibes of the city. You get the beach and nightlife."