Is it the Migos’ flow? Tracing the use of triplet flows in Hip-Hop
QueenOfCoplaints
A triplet is a widespread music term. It refers to a frequency of three beats in the time you would usually hear 4 or 2, in a standard 4/4 time signature. The syncopation from this leaves a unique effect, and makes it feel like the element is swinging between on- and off beat

In 2013, Migos exploded onto the mainstream with “Versace,” their hit single that reached the Billboard Hot 100 after a remix by Drake. Just a few months later, the group released their most successful mixtape, No Label II, where they claimed numerous times that they had brought back or birthed the “Versace flow” and everyone was biting it. The term “Versace flow” was coined but as we’ll see, The Migos weren’t the first to use the flow; in fact, the triplet syllable timing that made it unique has been in use since the 1980s

The Versace flow is a variation of the triplet flow where the artist uses a climbing cadence every triplet, but most people, including the Migos, use the terms interchangeably. The first popular use of a triplet flow can be found in 1988 with Chuck D’s verse on Public Enemy’s highly influential song “Bring The Noise”. After this song, the flow became common in the underground scene, although typically only in bursts. Das EFX for example, used nonsensical bursts of the triplet flow to make their verses catchier:Bum stiggedy bum stiggedy bum, hon, I got the old pa-rum-pum-pum-pum
But I can fe-fi or fo, diddly-bum, here I come
So Peter Piper, I'm hyper than Pinocchio's nose
I'm the supercalafragilistic tic-tac pro
I gave my oopsy, daisy, now you've got the Crazy
I'm Crazy with the books, Googley-goo where's the gravyAlthough there were some full triplet verses, such as Jaz 0 and Jay Z’s “The Originators”, the triplet flow was not commonly used for entire verses until the emergence Memphis’ burgoning hip-hop scene

While New York and Los Angeles were the major hubs of rap in the 1990s, Memphis made the triplet flow widespread.  In 1993, Lord Infamous and DJ Paul dropped their second project, Da Serial Killaz, which featured extensive uses of triplet flows in Infamous’s verses. Lord Infamous didn’t just use triplet bursts like the New York scene, he utilized the technique at length, even doing entire songs using the flow as seen on track 11, “The Scarecrow.” In 1993, Lord Infamous became a founding member of Memphis rap group Three 6 Mafia in  – which helped bring the triplet flow into popular use

Three 6 Mafia paved the way for Memphis’ rap scene as the nineties progressed and made use of triplets in their debut project, Smoked Out, Loced, Out.  While they lacked the popularity at the time to bring the flow to the mainstream, things changed when Three 6 dropped When The Smoke Clears – which went platinum, containing regional hits such as “Sippin’ On Some Syrup” and “Tongue Ring”

With Three 6’s newfound popularity, as well as Bone Thugs’ rising following in the midwest, the triplet flow began to spread, leading to it being used by artists like Nas (who is sometimes credited with the invention of the flow on his track “Message To The Feds”) as well as Killer Mike on Outkast’s smash hit “The Whole World.” Even though many of Bone Thugs’ and Three Six’s most popular songs didn’t include their signature triplet sounds, the hits spotlighted the groups and more people discovered the core discographies of the two groups; as such, many listeners were exposed to heavy usage of the triplet flow

With Three Six’s popularity soaring to its height in the mid 2000’s, the triplet flow began to reach the masses. From 2005 to 2009, the group had 6 songs in the Billboard Hot 100, with three reaching at or near the top 20. This allowed the tripet flow to be introduced to young artists across the country, which had significant impact on the New Atlanta movement

Outside of flows, the impact of Three 6 can immediately be seen in the subject matter, hook/production styles, and references made by New Atlanta artists. These artists often talk about subjects that were previously not talked about outside of Three 6’s discography like use of party drugs, used trap production that clearly developed out of Three 6’s early sound, used obnoxious and repetitive hooks that were reminicient of Three 6’s own signature hook style, and reference Three 6 in their music. The relationship between Three 6 and New Atlanta is further shown by the numerous collaborations Juicy J has had with New Atlanta artists, including The Migos
While Three 6 was gaining momentum in the south, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony were blowing up in the Midwest. Their debut EP Creepin on ah Come Up ( released in 1994) went two times platinum and put the group on a national stage. The EP was rife with triplets, which were most importantly used on their hit “Thuggish Ruggish Bone” and “1st of tha Month”

Their use of triplets as well as their more hardcore style drew the ire of Three 6 members and started a small feud where Three 6 accused Bone Thugs of jacking their style. In reality, Bone Thugs and Three 6 had both developed the style independently of each other, which is why the beef was quickly squashed and Krayzie Bone was later featured on Project Pat’s 1998 song, “Up There”

Although Bone Thugs had more commericial success than Three 6 early on and influenced mid 2000’s stars like Chamillionaire, their influence among the south’s new school is not as wide spread. Especially in New Atlanta where it seems lyrical techniques and flows used by both Three 6 and Bone Thugs are mostly credited to Three 6 by the artists that use them. New York’s new school seemed to take to Bone Thugs better, with their influence over A$AP Mob, especially A$AP Ferg being very obvious

In 2009, Atlanta’s burgeoning trap scene began to shift away from the traditional flows and lyric techniques that had kept it tied down to traditional hip hop. This shift was mostly pushed by Gucci Mane, who began to innovate on albums like The Burrprint 3D, and signed artists like Waka Flocka, who had styles completely different from anyone else in rap at the time.

Waka Flocka himself actually denoted the change when he chanted “Shawty, we the New Atlanta” on “Flexin” in 2009, just a year before he dropped his culture-shifting album, Flockaveli. With Flockaveli and the commercial rise of 2 Chainz, New Atlanta was born, where the triplet flow thrived

The triplet flow didn’t take hold immediatly of course, although on  Lil Wayne’s smash hit, “Steady Mobbin”,  Gucci used a cadence that sounded similar to the Migos’ Versace flow –  it took an influx of younger artists who grew up listening to Three Six Mafia’s hits to make it a staple of the movement. There are numerous examples of New Atlanta artists using triplets, from Skooly to Roscoe Dash, but the main players here are Future, The Migos, and Young Thug. In the pre-Versace period, Future used the triplet flow a bit, most notably on “I’m Trippin”, while Young Thug made use of the flow on the explosive WW3 Intro around the time Versace dropped

The Migos in particular are important because their variation of Three 6’s triplets became the face of the flow, which is made evident by the fact that the flow is best known as the “Migos flow” or “Versace flow”. In 2013 they released the song “Versace”, which made extensive use of their own take on the triplet flow, the song, already going viral the song was then remixed by Drake and exploded, leading to its eventual charting in the Billboard Hot 100.

Soon after this, Drake released his own triplet fueled song, “The Language”, which became a hit as well. These two songs, along with the groundwork laid by artists like Three Six, gave the triplet flow a foothold in mainstream music, where it colloquially became known as the “Versace flow”. Since the release of Versace, New Atlanta’s sounds and styles, including the tripet flow, have spilled into every region of rap - you can now see the flow being used by midwest artists like King Louie, New Yorkers like A$AP Rocky, and even superstars like Kanye West

The triplet flow is here to stay and although the Migos may not have invented it, or were even really the first to bring it back, they definitely played an unforgettable role in solidifying its place in hip-hop
Write the lyrics for a rap song made in 2016, titled "Is it the Migos’ flow? Tracing the use of triplet flows in Hip-Hop", by artist "QueenOfCoplaints".