Three years ago, Quavo released his sophomore solo record, Rocket Power — a cathartic, therapeutic trap tribute to his late nephew and Migos bandmember, Takeoff. The album was the Atlanta rapper’s first solo project following the loss, balancing mourning with braggadocious melodic trap, rapping bars like: “I couldn’t do it without the greatest nephew in the world,” and “I might took a loss, but I’m not done winning”, while simultaneously juggling superstardom and the dissolution of the familial rap group. 

After a turbulent, reflective ride on the “Rocket Power rocket,” and with the production of longtime collaborator Pharrell, Quavo is pushing his catalog into new territory for his third solo project, QRÖMELIFE, with what he calls a new “hypersonic vibe” — brighter synth textures, heavy low-ends, and crisp percussion. Dropping on October 2nd, Quavo’s upcoming project is a 14-song, energetic, futuristic home base for fans, and in his words, “a reflection of everything I’ve been through, wrapped in a chrome casing”. 

“HAAVIN”, the first single released from the upcoming album, debuted a few months ago as the opening track of Pharrell’s Louis Vuitton Spring/Summer 2027 Men’s show at the Cité Internationale Universitaire in Paris on June 23rd. Hearing his track as he watched Louis Vuitton surfboards and leather jackets go down the runway, “just makes the picture even bigger,” said the rapper. Collaborating with Pharrell on the entirety of the project, almost a decade after 2017’s multi-platinum-certified “Stir Fry”, marks his territory at the intersection of music and fashion, evolving Quavo and Pharrell’s relationship from occasional creative partners to a full-scale artistic collaboration. 

After debuting “HAAVIN” alongside Pharrell’s latest Louis Vuitton collection, the second single on QRÖMELIFE, “Trance (Walk It Down)”, was released in mid-August. Sampling Shannon’s 1980s dance-pop record, “Let the Music Play” — supplying the track with its melodic hook and nostalgic sound, the track is club-ready with sharp percussion and deep 808s. “Trance (Walk It Down)” pushed the rapper out of his comfort zone, adding a maximalist versatility to Quavo’s energetic, melodic flow; a true reflection of his perseverance and solo artistic evolution.  

Following a summer of teasers, Quavo officially announced QRÖMELIFE with the project’s leading track, “Backwards”, featuring Atlanta legend T.I.. The high-energy party anthem first appeared during WWE’s Sunday Night’s Main Event broadcast on September 6th before being released for streaming the following Friday. Syncopated 808 basslines and ad-libs from Atlanta legend, rapper, and producer Jermaine Durpi ground the track in the city’s signature bounce, bringing together three legendary artists from different eras of Atlanta’s rap scene, paying tribute to the undisputed capital of modern-day hip-hop. 

“HAAVIN”, “Trance (Walk It Down)”, and “Backwards” signal an elevated, matured, more “buttoned-up” next chapter for Quavo, with Pharrell’s production shifting his sound from his signature rapid-fire trap delivery into a smoother, more intentional, melodic pocket. Three years after Rocket Power, and Quavo’s first solo project since, the upcoming QRÖMELIFE is the aftermath of “riding the Rocket Power rocket”, and is “all aspects of Quavo.”

Between a game of HORSE and a chopped cheese during NYFW, Quavo talked to Hypebeast about building QRÖMELIFE with Pharrell, bringing every version of himself under one roof, and why, at this stage in his career, “you can’t make a 100 mil without a suit and tie.”

Elaina Bernstein: What’s the QRÖME mindset? I know it goes beyond just the music.

Quavo: The QRÖME mindset is a reflection of everything I’ve been through, wrapped in a chrome casing. It’s like a Topps pack of cards, and you’re the only card in the pack [that is] holographic — glowing off of your legacy and the pain you’ve been through. You just givin’ off colors. 

How does QRÖMELIFE build on Rocket Power? 

I had to get to the hypersonic vibe, I had to ride that Rocket Power rocket. I had to look out the window and cry, and go through those emotional states, and just watch music and my life change. I wanted to do something about it. That’s what QRÖME is about — carrying that, wearing that, knowing you have it, but you don’t got to speak on it because it’s reflective.

Working with Pharrell — that’s crazy. You recorded it at the Louis Vuitton headquarters?

Half LV [headquarters], half in the middle of the ocean on a yacht. Studio sessions are very interesting. 

I remember watching the stream of Louis Vuitton’s Spring/Summer 2027 show, hearing ‘HAAVIN’ come on. What was that like, and how is working with Pharrell?

Just makes the picture even bigger, makes the vibe that much more important, and it’s just crossbreeding that — music and fashion. 

How would you describe this new sound? 

It’s all aspects of Quavo. It’s versatile. I wanted to put what the people enjoy about me and my artistry on one project. I feel like I have a lot of those records elsewhere as features, so I wanted to put it on my project and make it home. That’s what we drew in on when it came to QRÖME, just the versatility and the melodic Quavo. The one that got people going diamond — that Quavo, diamond Quavo. 

How did you choose which songs were going to be singles?

Everything’s singles, the whole album, every last song. It’s 14 songs. Every last song is a single, I guarantee.

What about the album cover? Were you involved? 

The album cover is crazy; we wanted to just tap into me. It’s up close and personal. I just put that QRÖME right in your face because it’s in you, not on you.

I want to talk more about the fashion behind this era. 

It’s elevated. In this one lyric, I say, ‘You can’t make a 100 mil without a suit and tie.’ For this phase of my life, transitioning to the next level, I just feel like I’m buttoning up. 

We coming with our own merch, QRÖMELIFE merch, [points to his T-shirt and wallet chain]. It’s called 530 Chrome. 

You designed this merch?

Me and my dog Malcolm [Ransome]. He did the [QRÖMELIFE] glasses. He came from Dover Street [Market]. I picked him up because he had made the Air Forces with the chrome toes, and I was just like, ‘Yo, I gotta have him [be] a part of the whole thing.’ We hit it off, and ever since then, he a part of the team. [He’s] got like a baby Virgil [Abloh] mindset. I just know he’s gonna go do great things, it’s just the start.