The album was originally speculated to be Blame It on Set until Offset later said that it never was and was originally scheduled to be released on November 11, 2022, but it was postponed due to the passing of his cousin, late fellow American rapper Takeoff, who was shot and killed in late 2022, and the two were both a part of the hip hop trio Migos.[3] In May 2023, in an interview with Variety, Offset played the songs from the album that are collaborations with Travis Scott, Future, Chlöe, Latto, and Cardi B, and spoke about the album:
This is me going full-fledged into my solo career. The objective is to do it fully and smash shit and fuck the game up as a solo artist. I'm coming through, bustin' through the door. It's all set, my next chapter. It's my time.[4]
The lead single of the album, "Jealousy", a collaboration with Offset's wife, Cardi B, was released on July 28, 2023.[5] Offset revealed the new title, cover art, and release date of the album along with a pre-order on September 14, 2023.[6] The second single, "Fan", was released the following day.[7] The tracklist was revealed in collaboration with Spotifyhip hop playlist RapCaviar on October 4, 2023.[8] The third single, "Worth It", a collaboration with American rapper and singer Don Toliver, was released on October 12, 2023, one day before the album was released.[9] The fourth single, "Say My Grace", which features Travis Scott, was released along with the album the following day.[10]
Artwork
The artwork for Set It Off depicts an image of a burning city with Offset falling out of it, suggesting that he stands out in the burning rap industry. Rolling Stone's Mosi Reeves compared the cover art to American record producerMetro Boomin's (a producer on the album) debut studio album, Not All Heroes Wear Capes, in which Offset was a feature on.[1]
Set It Off received a score of 67 out of 100 on review aggregator Metacritic based on eight critics' reviews, indicating "generally favorable" reception.[11] Robin Murray from Clash felt that the album is a "21-track blockbuster" and is a "spark by love and grief". He noted that the album is "fuelled by braggadocio and a desire to set things right," stating that the album is Offset's "testament, and it's the closest we've come to the real Offset". Concluding the review, he stated that the album "underlines Offset's status as one of American rap's MVPs" and that "very often the finest moments on this album are its most humble".[13]Financial Times' Ludovic Hunter-Tilney noted that the album "demonstrates the musicality of today’s rappers".[14]
Writing for MusicOMH, Ben Devlin noted that "Set It Off is the work of a talented rapper with an interesting taste in production", but however, "Offset just needs a bit more consistency to stick the landing".[17]Rolling Stone's Mosi Reeves stated that on the album, "Offset tries to shift the spotlight back to the music" following the drama of the split up of the Migos alongside Cardi B cheating rumors. Comparing it to Offset's debut studio album, Father of 4 (2019), Reeves wrote that "Set It Off is a much more confident solo project," noting that Offset "sounds hungry and driven to prove his relevance beyond Migos and Cardi B". Reeves concludes his review by noting that throughout the project, Offset "seems conflicted about where his current path may lead," stating that Set It Off "achieves a modest goal of being erratic yet diverting" and that "it may even establish Offset as a solo star instead of just a former Migo".[1]
Variety's Todd Gilchrist stated that Set It Off "shows major artistic growth for the Atlanta rapper and sets a new course for him as a solo artist" while writing that "not every track is a classic, but the best moments find this fiery artist at the absolute top of his game". He concludes his review by noting that "Offset takes a lot of big swings here and while not all of them connect" while also stating that it is "exactly the place where an artist carving a new path for themselves should be".[20]
NME's Kyann-Sian Williams called Set It Off an "melancholic-tinged turn-up", where "a more mature, reflective Offset was what was expected." They wrote, at first, the record was "tinged with dejection where lyrical maturity is scarce compared to the supercilious rhymes of the 31-year-old," and that Set It Off "doesn't reflect the legacy" the rapper has as a trap pioneer. In the conclusion, Williams referred to Offset and Metro Boomin's six-time platinum-selling 2017 single ‘Ric Flair Drip’, writing "Offset alludes that he’s in the same league as the 16-time wrestling champion – perhaps he’s more like Jeff Hardy; a beloved solo figure, but at his best with his brothers" – suggesting that the album doesn't touch his prior work with Migos.
Commercial performance
Set It Off debuted at number 5 on the Billboard 200 with first week sales of 70,000 units (including 25,000 in pure sales). The album accumulated 59.1 million on-demand streams.[21]
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