Credit: Migos / Press

Offset’s rise to fame has been well-documented, and his ascent through the ranks of hip-hop is relatively well-known. However, there are a few things about his past that continue to mystify fans. As part of the Migos, Offset achieved a lot in a very short space of time and is more than familiar with the charts. In fact, for the majority of the 2010s, the Migos were the biggest collective in the world of hip-hop.

Formed in Atlanta, the Migos (short for amigos) shifted culture. All three members were related and managed by legendary Atlanta manager Coach K. In 2013, they had their first breakthrough in the charts with the track ‘Versace’.

In 2014, Migos signed with Warner Bros’ 300 Entertainment. From there, the group grew to take over hip-hop and became the faces of what some dub mumble rap, but others just call rap. Many would even say they are one of the best collectives to come out of Atlanta.

However, before all of the fame, Offset lived with his cousin Quavo and his nephew, the late emcee Takeoff. Although with their incomes combined, the three were not dirt-poor, they were far from wealthy and before their involvement in street activity, they worked odd jobs. Still, Offset had one that surprised fans when they first heard about it.

During an interview with The New York Times, Offset and his mother reflected on the days before rap was even a consideration. However, one fact that his mother, Latabia, unearthed shocked fans. As part of their interview with the newspaper, Offset’s mother unveiled that Offset danced professionally in music videos for Whitney Houston and TLC. In effect, the hardcore lyricist was a backup dancer for soul and R&B acts of the 1990s.

In an interview with Billboard, Offset reminisced about how he entered the field, telling the magazine, “My mama seen a billboard sign saying you could come try out. I pulled up. I remember my mama told I’ll never forget, ‘When the music come on, just go out there and do your thing!'”

Emphasising how young he was at the time, the ‘Versace’ rhymer continued, “I was smaller than everybody. Everybody was 11 or something, and I was like 8. Then I did it.” In fact, Offset insisted that Whitney selected him personally. Recalling how he was selected as the backup dancer for the song ‘Whatchulookinat’, the Atlanta native continued, “I remember she came from the back and pointed me out. When we shot the video, she was just a nice, sweet soul. Bobby Brown was cool, too. He was making us laugh. He was cool. Yeah, both of them. I got a lot of cameos too.”

Although to many, it may seem frivolous, shortly after the interview, Offset proudly shared a photo on Instagram of him backstage at the video shoot.