Kiari Kendrell Cephus (born December 14, 1991), known professionally as Offset, is an American rapper. He rose to prominence as part of the hip hop group Migos, alongside Quavo and the late Takeoff. In 2017, Offset released the collaborative album with record producer Metro Boomin and English rapper 21 Savage: Without Warning; it reached the top ten on the Billboard 200 and spawned the single "Ric Flair Drip", which reached the top 20 on the Billboard Hot 100. Later that year, he would co-perform with Canadian rapper Drake on Metro Boomin's single "No Complaints". In 2018, he featured on the hit single "Taste" by Tyga, which marked his first top ten on the Billboard Hot 100 as a soloist, and was later certified 9× platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). That same year, he co-performed alongside Travis Scott on another hit single with Kodak Black's "Zeze", which peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
Established as a solo artist, Offset released his debut solo studio album Father of 4 in February 2019. The album became his second to reach the top ten on the Billboard 200 and spawned the single "Clout" (featuring his wife Cardi B), which earned him a Grammy Award nomination for Best Rap Performance. In 2023, Offset and Cardi B released a "follow-up" single titled "Jealousy", which peaked at number 55 on the Hot 100 and served as the lead single to his second studio album, Set It Off in October of that year. His marriage to fellow rapper Cardi B, with whom he has two children, has been heavily publicized.
Career
Offset was first a backup dancer in the music video for Whitney Houston's 2002 single "Whatchulookinat" by Whitney Houston in 2002, he was 11 years old at the time. Offset, along with fellow Migos group members, were born and raised in suburban Gwinnett County, Georgia, adjacent to Atlanta. In 2008, Offset formed Migos with Quavo and Takeoff.
Migos initially gained recognition following the release of their 2013 single "Versace". In 2015, the trio released their debut studio album Yung Rich Nation. In 2017, their single "Bad and Boujee" became an Internet phenomenon, spawning many memes with the lyrics "rain drop, drop top", which were performed by Offset. The song peaked at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, with many critics believing Offset commanded the track. In 2017, the trio released their second studio album, Culture, which debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 chart.
In addition to Migos, Offset has released solo music and collaborated with numerous artists. In June 2017, he was featured on Metro Boomin's single "No Complaints" alongside Drake, which peaked at number 71 on the Billboard Hot 100, and in September he joined Macklemore on the song "Willy Wonka", from the album Gemini. Offset would eventually release a collaborative studio album with rapper 21 Savage and record producer Metro Boomin titled, Without Warning. The album was released on October 31, 2017, and debuted at number 4 on the US Billboard 200 chart. It spawned the hit song "Ric Flair Drip", Offset's first solo platinum single, and highest charting US Billboard Hot 100 entry as a lead artist to date. On February 22, 2019, he released his first solo album Father of 4. The album featured the single "Clout", with Cardi B, which peaked at the top 40 of the Hot 100 at number 39.
Following the release of the fourth Migos album, Culture III in June 2021, Offset was featured on the soundtrack of Fast & Furious 9 on the song "Hit Em Hard" along with Trippie Redd, Kevin Gates, Lil Durk and King Von.
In May 2022, rumors surrounding a possible disbandment of Migos arose when Offset and his wife Cardi B unfollowed Quavo and Takeoff after the latter announced their new duo project, Unc And Phew and released the single Hotel Lobby (Unc & Phew).
In August 2022, Offset announced his second studio album and released two new singles, "54321" and "Code" with Moneybagg Yo, along with the music video featuring model Bella Hadid. Shortly after the release of "54321", Offset filed a lawsuit against his record label Quality Control Music in a dispute over rights to his solo music. His legal team said that he "paid handsomely" for his solo artist rights following the negotiation last year, but now QC has allegedly attempted to claim his latest track as its own.