Quavo has one last upbeat record to drop before the summer weather completely comes to an end. Today, he released “Strub Tha Ground,” a fun and twerkable anthem featuring Yung Miami of the City Girls. The track serves as an ode to Freaknik, an annual spring break festival and party that was first launched by HBCUs in Atlanta.
Quavo and Yung Miami admit that they were no more than five years old when Freaknik ’96 took place, but they have vivid memories of their families coming back with many stories to share.
“My sister was pregnant with Takeoff when she went to Freaknik,” Quavo tells Complex.
Some of their listeners might also be too young to remember Freaknik, but the message of the single is simple, Quavo says. “I wanted to say ‘strub the ground’ because that’s what that ass need to be doing when this song come on. You need to scrape—that shit need to strub the ground, like a sponge scrubbing the floor.”
Quavo and Yung Miami agree “Strub Tha Ground” is meant to be a “fun record we wanted to drop before the summer ended.” But they each reveal that they are working on other serious projects at the same time. Though Yung Miami is flying solo on this single, she says that City Girls are working on a new album that will show their versatility.
Coming off the success of Migos’ Culture III, Quavo says he and the rest of the group are focusing their efforts on their solo careers next. Quavo, Offset, and Takeoff each released their debut solo albums in 2018 and 2019. Now, they’re gearing up for the next round.
“I feel like us together, we do a lot… I feel like we individually haven’t,” Quavo explains. “I think this the time to really show y’all where we came from individually. Y’all appreciate the group more right now.”
Quavo and Yung Miami hopped on a call with Complex to discuss the making of “Strub Tha Ground,” what’s next for Quavo’s solo career, City Girls’ album, and more. The interview, lightly edited for clarity, is below.
![How did “Strub Tha Ground” come together?
Quavo: I was sitting in my basement, and I heard this beat that Buddah [Bless] made. He played it, and I started out saying some shit like, “Sweep the ground, sweep the ground.” But I wanted to say “strub the ground” because that’s what that ass need to be doing when this song come on. You need to scrape—that shit need to strub the ground, like a sponge scrubbing the floor. It’s basically cleaning the house with your ass. And so when I was thinking of that, I was like, “Damn, I got a full hook just saying ‘strub to ground,’ I got to put something on it.” Then I went and got the sample. Then I had to grab the “strub the ground” queen herself and put my hands on that thing because her shit be scrubbing.
Were you all in the studio together when recording this single?
Quavo: Oh, no, we wasn’t together. I recorded it and then I pulled up and played it for [Yung Miami] and she loved it. She got to do her verse, but she didn’t want to spit that gangster shit in front of me. So she had to do it by herself… [Laughs.] I’m just playing. It was great, though. It’s a movie.
Why do you think you two were the right pair for the collaboration?
Yung Miami: He’s the biggest. What you mean? That’s Quavo. What are you saying? [Laughs.] It don’t get much bigger than the Huncho, now.
Quavo: Yeah, and vice versa. That’s Miami.
Both of you were no more than 5 years old when Freaknik ’96 happened. How did you first hear about Freaknik?
Quavo: My mom and my sister used to go up there when I was a kid. They used to just talk about it. And actually, my sister was pregnant with Takeoff when she went to Freaknik. So it was just a little thing that they used to go to and I used to just see them do it. I ain’t never went, though.
Yung Miami: Yeah, my mama was a hoochie back then, and my daddy was a drug dealer so they used to be Freanikin’.
What does Freaknik mean for Black culture, even for the younger generation?
Quavo: Oh, this is most definitely important. It started when the HBCU was throwing the parties and then everybody in the city—and everybody in the world—wanted to turn it up. That’s how you know it gets sideways and people want to shut it down. But I think it’s most definitely important to the culture that we all get together and just throw something and then appreciate HBCUs. So it’s a great thing for the culture.
What can we expect from the music video?
Quavo: If you watching it at home, it’s like Freaknik all over again. When you watch it, it’s going to make you feel like you was there. That’s what I get from it.
Yung Miami: It’s crazy. The energy is amazing. It’s just a whole bunch of dancing going on, a whole bunch of ass-shaking. It’s just a vibe. You’ve got to watch the video. We don’t want to give it away too much, but the video is really, really crazy and the energy is real high.](https://img.youtube.com/vi/BL0jEPZ8QUo/mqdefault.jpg)
View this video on YouTube
How did “Strub Tha Ground” come together?
Quavo: I was sitting in my basement, and I heard this beat that Buddah [Bless] made. He played it, and I started out saying some shit like, “Sweep the ground, sweep the ground.” But I wanted to say “strub the ground” because that’s what that ass need to be doing when this song come on. You need to scrape—that shit need to strub the ground, like a sponge scrubbing the floor. It’s basically cleaning the house with your ass. And so when I was thinking of that, I was like, “Damn, I got a full hook just saying ‘strub to ground,’ I got to put something on it.” Then I went and got the sample. Then I had to grab the “strub the ground” queen herself and put my hands on that thing because her shit be scrubbing.
Were you all in the studio together when recording this single?
Quavo: Oh, no, we wasn’t together. I recorded it and then I pulled up and played it for [Yung Miami] and she loved it. She got to do her verse, but she didn’t want to spit that gangster shit in front of me. So she had to do it by herself… [Laughs.] I’m just playing. It was great, though. It’s a movie.
Why do you think you two were the right pair for the collaboration?
Yung Miami: He’s the biggest. What you mean? That’s Quavo. What are you saying? [Laughs.] It don’t get much bigger than the Huncho, now.
Quavo: Yeah, and vice versa. That’s Miami.
Both of you were no more than 5 years old when Freaknik ’96 happened. How did you first hear about Freaknik?
Quavo: My mom and my sister used to go up there when I was a kid. They used to just talk about it. And actually, my sister was pregnant with Takeoff when she went to Freaknik. So it was just a little thing that they used to go to and I used to just see them do it. I ain’t never went, though.
Yung Miami: Yeah, my mama was a hoochie back then, and my daddy was a drug dealer so they used to be Freanikin’.
What does Freaknik mean for Black culture, even for the younger generation?
Quavo: Oh, this is most definitely important. It started when the HBCU was throwing the parties and then everybody in the city—and everybody in the world—wanted to turn it up. That’s how you know it gets sideways and people want to shut it down. But I think it’s most definitely important to the culture that we all get together and just throw something and then appreciate HBCUs. So it’s a great thing for the culture.
What can we expect from the music video?
Quavo: If you watching it at home, it’s like Freaknik all over again. When you watch it, it’s going to make you feel like you was there. That’s what I get from it.
Yung Miami: It’s crazy. The energy is amazing. It’s just a whole bunch of dancing going on, a whole bunch of ass-shaking. It’s just a vibe. You’ve got to watch the video. We don’t want to give it away too much, but the video is really, really crazy and the energy is real high.
“We most definitely coming out with all our solo projects.” – Quavo
Could “Strub Tha Ground” be prepping up for a new compilation project for Quality Control?
Quavo: It’s most definitely a Quality Control compilation project coming, but I think this record right here is going to come on my album.
Yung Miami, this is your first solo feature. Although City Girls has no plans of splitting up, have you and JT ever discussed dropping solo projects?
Yung Miami: No, we never got that far.
What are the City Girls working on right now that we should know about?
Yung Miami: We currently got a lot of songs. Right now, we’re just trying to focus on our next single. And after we do our next single release, we plan on putting out an album.
What can we expect from the next City Girls project? Are you all trying anything new or different?
Yung Miami: Yes, we’ve got all types of vibes. We’ve got a little R&B vibes, we’ve got a little turn-up vibes. We still got that fuck-that-nigga vibe. We have a lot of different emotions and different things that we’re working with for this new album.
Quavo, are you and the rest of Migos looking to release another round of solo projects next, or moving on to the next group project?
Quavo: We most definitely coming out with all our solo projects.
What can we expect from your second solo project? Are you experimenting with any sounds this time?
Quavo: A lot of melodies. [Migos] tended to put a lot of rap records on our albums, on Culture III this year. And we kind of missed some of that Kelly Price-type of vibes, some of them old melodic vibes. So that’s where I probably will come in. Of course, I’m going to hit them folks some of them “Straightening” records, but more melodies.
In 2019, you told us you guys made over 50 songs with Drake on tour. Do you have plans to release any of those soon?
Quavo: Sometimes they just be good vibes that you just hold on to. We kind of feel like it’s outdated, so I don’t know. Maybe we’ll get some new ones. That’s my dog, so it ain’t no pressure on him.
What is the next era of Migos looking like?
Quavo: I feel like us together, we do a lot. We have done a lot. I feel like we individually haven’t. Our first album out was always successful. And at the same time, we was on the Migos tour. So I think this is the time to really show y’all where we came from individually. Y’all appreciate the group more right now.
Do you have a timeline for your solo albums?
Quavo: Not yet. We’re still working. We just having fun right now. “Strub Tha Ground” is a fun record and we wanted to drop it before the summer ended. We wanted to end the summer with some good “Strub Tha Ground,” ass-shaking type of vibe, and we’re just going to keep dropping good music. I don’t think we’re directing it towards anything. I don’t necessarily want to call it a hit single because we’re just having fun. So I just want to drop these hits and keep dropping hits every week, every month. Get that flow going, kind of like that Migos Monday feel.
