On Friday (May 20), the Atlanta natives debuted their new collaboration “Hotel Lobby,” the first offering from their newly-announced side duo Unc & Phew. The name is a nod to Quavo and Takeoff’s familial ties, despite the small age gap between the 31-year-old and 27-year-old rappers.
Adding cinematic flair to their inaugural offering, Quavo and Takeoff let loose in Las Vegas in the song’s accompanying video, juxtaposing their finely-tuned triplet-flow chemistry with psychedelic drugs, free-flowing alcohol and comedic performances.
The zany video draws heavily from the 1998 movie Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, which itself was based on “gonzo journalism” godfather Hunter S. Thompson’s 1971 novel of the same name. Quavo channels Johnny Depp’s Raoul Duke character — a fictionalized version of Thompson — while Takeoff plays Benicio del Toro’s Dr. Gonzo.
This isn’t the first time Quavo has drawn inspiration from Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. In 2017, Quavo and Travis Scott commissioned the man behind the novel’s artwork, British illustrator Ralph Steadman, to design the cover for their joint album Huncho Jack, Jack Huncho.
