Clout

## Single by Offset featuring Cardi B

### Songwriters

Kiari Cephus • Belcalis Almanzar • Joshua Luellen • Kevin Gomringer • Tim Gomringer

## Music Video

**"Clout"** is a song by Offset featuring Cardi B. It was released on March 15, 2019, by Quality Control Music, Motown Records and Capitol Records, as the second single from Offset's album *Father of 4*.

Lyrically, "Clout" is a song that criticises those who use others for fame, including social climbers or "clout chasers", with the lyrics calling out those who have "the Instagram disease". "Clout" marks Offset and Cardi's fifth collaboration, following "Um Yea", "Lick (Remix)", "MotorSport" and "Drip" (the latter two with Migos)

"Clout" peaked at 39 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming Cardi's 17th Top 40 hit and Offset's fifth as a solo artist. The song received a positive reception from critics.

## Background

"Clout" marks Offset and Cardi's fifth collaboration, following "Um Yea", "Lick (Remix)", "MotorSport" and "Drip" (the latter two with Migos). The song was released as the second single from Offset's album *Father of 4* on March 15, 2019. The song is a criticism of those who use others for fame, including social climbers or "clout chasers", with the lyrics calling out those who have "the Instagram disease".

## Critical reception

Writing for AllMusic, Fred Thomas opined that the song "is made by Cardi's high-energy, high-confrontation cameo." Charles Holmes of Rolling Stone found Cardi's performance "brutal, swift and nimble" and considered it among the best on the album; he noted the song features her "dismantling a variety of unnamed detractors: rappers, blogs, trolls." In NME, Sam Moore opined that Cardi demonstrates "her show-stopping prowess" in her verse. HotNewHipHop stated that "hip-hop's power couple" delivers "the hardest-hitting banger on the project, blasting the opps while they're at it." In Exclaim!, Kyle Mullin described it as a "swaggering, ominous keys peppered" song, where Cardi B sounds "like the biggest rapper in the world as she nimbly mocks gossipy, nosy haters trolling her in vain." Similarly, Highsnobiety's Thomas Hobbs said that her verse delivers "a necessary dose of energy." Brian Josephs of Entertainment Weekly deemed the song "a gem", "anchored by a Cardi B verse" to "express her indignation," and noted the hook "features a relatable amount of deadpanned disgust".

## Music video

The Daniel Russell-directed music video was announced by Cardi on April 16 and released on April 17, 2019. Offset and Joseph Desrosiers Jr. served as creative directors. It features Offset and Cardi delivering their verses in a yellow and black hall of mirrors. Offset plays piano while wearing a couture hockey mask, and then uses a bright-yellow chainsaw to cut a black cake. Cardi is shown in an all-yellow outfit in a pile of lemons, and also wearing all-black leather bondage outfit giving a lap dance to Offset in another scene. It was inspired by Busta Rhymes' video for "*What's It Gonna Be?!*" featuring Janet Jackson (1999). For Stereogum, Tom Breihan praised it saying "the whole thing rules" and called it "a really great music video."

## Live performances

Cardi and Offset both performed "Clout" at the 2019 BET Awards, along with a performance of "Press". They also performed "Clout" on Jimmy Kimmel Live! on July 17, 2019.