Migos Perform “Hannah Montana” With a Full Orchestra

Somewhere between De La Soul's vicious court battles and the music-recognition software that has killed the game today, there was a sweet spot where labels figured out how to sample. Maybe you had to forego the biggest names, maybe you had to replay the instruments on some songs, maybe you were an indie label and you just decided to risk it. In any event, hip-hop's long tradition of sampling was fully intact on the genre's biggest and most acclaimed commercial releases. But when the lawyers start swirling--or, to be certain, when stylistic trends change--producers have to regroup. Migos' breakthrough 2013 mixtape, Young Rich Niggas, is proof positive of that, the culmination of maximalist Atlanta production that could be sourced entirely from inside the bando. But thanks to Audiomack, one of that tape's standout tracks, "Hannah Montana," is getting a decidedly different treatment.

The music streaming service linked the trio (well, duo, as OffSet is sorting out his legal issues) with an orchestra to perform the cut with live instruments. Though only a couple of the players had heard of Migos, the drums were hard, the strings were full, with Quavo and TakeOff sharp as ever. Migos are ramping up for their retail debut, the newly-minted Yung Rich Nation, due out at the end of this month. The Fader recently published an inquisition into Audiomack and its star-making capabilities; as other free streaming platforms like Soundcloud attempt to make the jump into the paid-subscription world, Audiomack hopes to grow its user base, but maintain its identity as a champion of little-heard hip-hop.