The apology vibes run deep on Offset's debut solo album Father of 4. The cover art alone sets the tone, with Offset pictured among his four children, including his daughter with Cardi B. From there, the album—the release date for which was announced via a birth video—gets decidedly more direct.
In addition to Offset's mentions of Cardi and his family on "North Star," "Came a Long Way," and the title track, there's also a certain meta sample found right at the beginning of the Metro Boomin-produced "Don't Lose Me." Indeed, those opening moments are taken from a public apology video Offset previously sent to Cardi over Instagram. In that clip, Offset conceded to being a "selfish, messed up husband" who was trying to better himself.
Most notably, however, is how Offset spends the rest of the song. In the first verse, Offset shouts out his tattoo tributes to Cardi:
You done put it on me, I done put your name on me
A few lines later, Offset laments missing "her" and vows to grant wishes "only for the Mrs." The chorus drives this home even further, with Offset—who never explicitly says Cardi's name in the track—recalling a woman telling him "don't lose me." The chorus also opens with a reference to "KK," a.k.a. Offset and Cardi's daughter Kulture Kiari Cephus.
After a bit about wanting to "come home" (as well as a styrofoam admission that inspired at least one hilariously misguided takeout-themed interpretation), Offset resumes the task at hand:
I ain't do it for the clout or the trolls
Number one, it's a loyalty code
Temptation, had the devil in my soul
I wanna be with you when we old
Just before the final chorus, Offset praises someone—Cardi, quite presumably—for a multitude of qualities:
I love your attitude, moody
I love when you call a n***a stupid
I love that you're ratchet not boujee
I love your ass-shots it's a movie
When you leave by my side, I get woozy
When you won't stay twerkin' in your two piece
Starin' on the ground, you know you amuse me
Father of 4, which also features a new Cardi collab, is out now everywhere.
A recent interview with Esquire included a post-Grammys update from Offset to writer Lakin Starling about the current status of his relationship with Cardi. "It’s been good," Offset said. "We're being more open to each other, raising our baby, and taking things slowly."
