Quavo Teams Up With Ian And Teases Upcoming Collaboration

Quavo is a prolific artist. He was the first member of Migos to step out and find solo success by working with the likes of Drake and Travis Scott. He even scored a number one single opposite Justin Bieber. The Atlanta rapper does not discriminate when it comes to collaborations. That being said, his latest collab is a bit of a surprise. Quavo posted a photo on Instagram of him working in the studio alongside the latest rap breakout, Ian. A controversial pick, but one that ultimately makes sense.

Quavo posted the photo on his Instagram Stories on May 30. The rapper doesn’t appear in it himself, but it looks as though he’s the one who snapped the image of Ian in the studio. Ian, who was born Ian O’Neill Smith (shocker, we know), can be seen laying down vocals. We even get to see the audio file of whatever song Quavo and Ian are working on in the background. The Migos rapper tagged Ian, suggesting the two are going to be dropping something very soon. Aesthetically, Quavo and Ian are worlds apart. Culturally as well, actually. It’s the style of Ian’s music, however, that’s going to make this potential collaboration interesting.

Ian takes inspiration from trap rap of the 2010s, including Gucci Mane, Chief Keef and yes, Migos. The rapper’s recent album, Valedictorian, has taken the world by storm, for reasons musical and otherwise. Fans have been impressed with Ian’s ability to emulate his musical idols, while critics have criticized him for being a watered-down imitation of people like Keef and Playboi Carti. It’s easy to see both sides. The collab between Quavo and Ian will help to legitimate the latter’s reputation within hip-hop, and may even lead to other high-profile collabs.

Quavo, meanwhile, is hard at work on his upcoming solo album. There hasn’t been any word on a title or a proper release date, but the Migos rapper has been dropping singles. “Himothy” and “Potato Loaded” were buzz singles that failed to generate much attention. Quavo has also teased multiple snippets and collabs with artists like Rich the Kid and Lana Del Rey. He’s also working on piecing together songs for Takeoff’s posthumous album. “I’m gathering a whole bunch of information, gathering a lot of producers, gathering a lot of my friends, a lot of the artists,” Quavo told Vibe in 2023. “And we’re going to make this album one of the craziest albums of all time.”