Travis Scott, you probably know his name by now, famed rapper, singer-songwriter, producer, first signed to Epic Records, as well as Kanye West’s “Very GOOD Beats” wing in 2012, appeared on the GOOD Music compilation album “Cruel Summer,” and proceeded to break out further with his first two big mixtapes “Owl Pharaoh” and “Days Before Rodeo” in 2013 and 2014. This was his first studio album, and it helped get him on to the map with quite a bit of critical praise, as well as his first big single “Antidote,” which peaked at #16 on the Billboard Hot 100. He, of course, has followed it up with a pair of popular albums since then, with “Birds In The Trap Sing McKnight” in 2016 and, of course, the recently released “ASTROWORLD,” and he’s had popular singles like “goosebumps” and “Watch” ever since.
Now, as I said, I have very little experience with Travis’s music on its own. I have plenty of experience with him as a feature, as he’s popped up several times on albums I’ve reviewed. He appeared on the Top 10-peaking “Portland” from Drake’s “More Life,” he joined SZA on the excellent song “Love Galore” from “Ctrl,” appeared with Migos on the song “Kelly Price” (one of the better songs off of “Culture”), joined them again for the song “White Sand” (unfortunately, one of the weaker songs on “Culture 2”), buddied up with Drake for “Company” on “If You’re Reading This, It’s Too Late,” helped Kendrick create the amazing song “Big Shot” on the “Black Panther” album, helped Rae Sremmurd bring us “CLOSE” from “SR3MM,” and…unfortunately, had to appear on NAV’s horrendous debut album “Reckless.” Still, even at his worst, I have enjoyed him as a feature, so I was excited heading into this. And speaking of features, man, this album reads like the telephone book. Back in 2015, I wouldn’t have known half of these names, but now…you got Quavo, Future, 2 Chainz, Juicy J, The Weeknd, Swae Lee, Chief Keef, Kanye West, Justin Bieber, Young Thug, AND ScHoolboy Q on your DEBUT ALBUM? Boy, something must be going right. Let’s see:
Pornography: Kicking things off, Travis talks about porn (obviously), but he also enlists the help of T.I. to read off an intro about Travis’s young, rebellious life. Right off the bat, Travis’s style of trap music is really interesting and distinct as, instead of going for a straight turn-up vibe, he goes for something hazier and somewhat trippy. I can actually already see how he influenced a number of other trap rappers that create more nocturnal trap songs. It does become a bit faster towards the end, but it still remains rather dark, Travis’s autotune-assisted vocals are strong, and his flow on the verse is really interesting as well. This is a really strong start to the album!
Oh My Dis Side (ft. Quavo): Another darker (but somewhat more upbeat) trap track, Travis joins up with Quavo for what is a two-part cut, separated into “Oh My” and “Dis Side.” Where “Oh My” sees the two going for something somewhat more aggressive, “Dis Side” appears more reminiscent and, to a degree, sad, as Travis talks about his hometown of Houston, Texas. I was really enjoying Travis and Quavo’s vocal interplay on “Oh My,” but it was “Dis Side” where the song really shined, as Travis’s hook was one of the most captivating choruses on the record. I loved the energetic trap drums throughout both parts, and Quavo’s verse was pretty fun, and it meshed well with Travis’s vocals. Even at nearly 6 minutes, this song keeps itself exciting all throughout.
3500 (ft. Future & 2 Chainz): A nearly 8-minute track, this star-studded cut sees Future and 2 Chainz join Travis to turn up a bit. The title, by the way, refers to a $3,500 fur coat Kim Kardashian West bought for her daughter North, in case you were interested. Anyway, I immediately fell in love with the hook on this one, it’s just so easily catchy and fun, and the production is also really strong, as Travis takes things in a more upbeat, louder direction. The instrumentals still sound rather moody and spacey, and I also found that Future’s vocals meshed nicely with those instrumentals here. 2 Chainz jumps on for a guest verse, and he really comes through on this one with a confident tone, exciting performance, and really strong flow as well. Even at almost 8 minutes, Travis, Future, and 2 Chainz come through with an amazing trap banger.
Wasted (ft. Juicy J): Apparently a prelude to the later song “Maria I’m Drunk,” Travis talks on this one about…well, you see the title, what do you think? Getting wasted! I’m not saying that as a point against him, by the way, because not everything has to be super lyrical and super deep, I’m just pointing out that it’s exactly what it says on the tin. In any case, Travis teams up with Juicy J on this one, and also uses a prominent sample of Pimp C's "Havin' Thangs '06" for the hook. I wasn’t totally crazy about the hook on this one, but the production is still interestingly woozy, Travis’s verse had some solid vocals, and Juicy J’s flow was really strong as well. Definitely not my favorite cut on the album, but it’s definitely a solid song, and it might grow on me with a few more listens.
90210 (ft. Kacy Hill): Another two-part song, this one sees Travis talking about a girl from Beverly Hills, California (that’s where the title comes in, “90210” is the postal code for Beverly Hills) who prostitutes herself to pay for her life and for Travis’s drug use. The first part starts off in a way that’s very spacey and somewhat minimal, but it also features very great vocals and flow from Travis and very nice, delicate vocals from Kacy Hill. The second part takes things a bit more personal, as Travis starts rapping from his own perspective over a more upbeat instrumental. I love the slick percussion, and again, Travis’s flow is very strong. Once again, even as a longer track (clocking in at just over 5 and a half minutes), Travis keeps things really interesting throughout with fantastic, varied production and solid vocals.
Pray 4 Love (ft. The Weeknd): My man, one of my favorite artists, and (apparently) frequent Travis Scott collaborator The Weeknd comes through on this one (apparently just a week after “Beauty Behind The Madness,” so The Weeknd was getting on the mainstream map at the time), to help Travis make a very dark, spacey track that samples “Ask The Lonely” by Four Tops. I love The Weeknd’s hook here, for as minimal as it is, it really sticks a lot, Travis’s verse features a very confident performance (and he has some solid vocal interplay with The Weeknd), and I like how, despite the somewhat minimal instrumentals, the beat is still pounding and fantastic. It shouldn’t be shocking that I loved the track that featured The Weeknd, but…yeah, I love the track with The Weeknd.
Nightcrawler (ft. Swae Lee and Chief Keef): Another star-studded track, Travis recruits Chief Keef and Rae Sremmurd’s own Swae Lee for a very emphatic, energetic cut. I wasn’t really in love with Swae’s intro at first (oddly enough, given that Swae is the hook master), but I like Travis’s autotune-assisted vocals and the way they mesh with the very hazy production on this one. And despite that intro, Swae’s vocals on his verse are really chilly and eerie, and I dig them a lot. Chief Keef’s autotune-assisted verse doesn’t sound super distinct, but his performance is still surefire and energetic and I do like the effects on his vocals. Really vibrant song, I really liked this one a lot!
Piss On Your Grave (ft. Kanye West): Recruiting none other Kanye West for this cut (which, at 2:46, is the shortest one on the album), Travis and Ye make a very cutthroat, aggressive track about corporate America and the corrupt executives that try to bring down their hustle, be it in the music industry or (in Kanye’s case) the fashion industry. I love the groovy bassline on this one, the pounding drum beat, and even though the production is loud and a little bit too abrasive and bombastic, I love Travis and Kanye’s confident performances on this one, as they don’t take any prisoners here. I do find some of the lyrics just a little goofy (like, when Kanye says he’s gonna “piss on your bitch, piss on your date”) and again, some of the production is a little too abrasive, but it’s still an energetic cut that might grow on me with time.
Antidote: With all the features on this album, I hope I’m not the only one that finds it at least somewhat ironic that the biggest single off the album didn’t have any features. Although, maybe I’m overthinking that point because, apparently, the song wasn’t meant to be on this album, but it became so popular that Travis decided to add it in. Thanks, Travis. But in any case, this is a really vibrant, nocturnal trap banger with some really solid, somewhat broken-sounding vocals from Travis. The hook is also really strong, and I like the very eerie vibe of the song. Seriously, thanks for including this on the album, Travis, it’s really good!
Impossible: Another very spacey, hazy song, Travis talks on this track about the feeling of being trapped with someone who doesn’t really love him, and how he wants to be able to free himself from the pain of this one-sided relationship. The production is a bit more minimal here, but it’s a really depressing cut thanks to Travis’s very sad inflection on his voice and his sad delivery on the chorus. It’s a very sinister, downbeat cut, but it’s all the better for that, and I love how the song changes feels throughout and just throws all these really strange, sonic elements together into something really great!
Maria I’m Drunk (ft. Justin Bieber & Young Thug): Weirdly, this track is not available on Spotify. Apparently, I’ve read that Travis Scott knew that Justin Bieber’s fanbase was so in love with him that they’d buy the album off of the strength of the fact that he had a feature, so he decided to make it exclusive to people that paid for the album. Sneaky devil. Either way, this very trippy, hazy cut sees Travis, Young Thug, and Justin Bieber talking about getting drunk and taking drugs. I love the very vibrant, dark, spacey production on this one, Travis’s lowkey vocals are very solid, and the features are very strong here as well: Young Thug’s hook is really catchy and his performance is very energetic, and Bieber’s sing-rapping, surprising as it is, is really strong as well! His verse is melodic and filled with great flow as well. I’m kinda sad that this isn’t on the free version of Spotify now (I had to find the song on YouTube) because even if I throw this one into the playlist, I won’t be able to hear it much, and that’s a shame because it’s a sweet, nocturnal trap banger!
Flying High (ft. Toro y Moi): A song where Travis talks about “flying high” on drugs, this cut takes on a less nocturnal, more turn-up-flavored vibe, with brighter instrumentals and a more sunny vibe. I liked Toro Y Moi’s flow on the hook, but I wasn’t super crazy about Travis’s performance, because it honestly just read to me like he was trying to a Kanye impression. And while the production is solid enough, I kinda feel like the sunnier, less moody vibe doesn’t really play quite as well to Travis’s strengths as a vocalist. Maybe I just need to give it a few more listens to let it grow on me, but for right now, it’s probably my least favorite track on the album.
I Can Tell: Taking things back to the more dark, moody feel, this track still retains a more uptempo feel, with some really sweet, interesting percussion and Travis’s faster delivery on his verse. I like his energy on his verse, and I like the way that he blends his singing and his rapping on the song. I also think that, for as repetitive as it might seem, the hook on this one is pretty fun, and I think the energetic, pounding production keeps the song constantly interesting. Like a lot of Travis’s other songs, it takes so many sonic elements and blends them all so well. I really like this one.
Apple Pie: The final song off of the Standard Edition of the album, Travis talks on this cut about the story of him jumping off of his mom’s porch. It’s a rather reflective track, as he basically talks to his mom about how he’s made his way in the world. The production is somewhat more uptempo, with lively keys and solid click-clack percussion throughout. I love Travis’s vocals on the hook (a hook that is very catchy and sticky), and his rapid-fire flow on the second verse is really strong as well. As I hear this, I can actually see how Travis influenced a number of rappers (actually, I wouldn’t be shocked if an artist like Lil Uzi Vert took inspiration for his sound from Travis). It’s a strong finisher to the Standard Edition of the album.
Ok Alright (ft. ScHoolboy Q): The first of two bonus tracks, this is another two-parter, divided into “Ok” and “Alright.” Travis parties it up on this one with ScHoolboy Q, and his tone throughout “Ok” is a lot more aggressive than usual, though his sing-rapping on the hook actually does a nice job juxtaposing Q’s very aggressive “OK” chants. Q’s flow throughout his verse is also really strong, and the song does a nice job of mixing a turn-up beat with some very ethereal keys. When we get to “Alright,” things become far less aggressive, as things end up being more moody and atmospheric. I like Travis’s somewhat more sad inflection on his verse, the more ambient instrumentals are very great, and I like SZA’s uncredited vocals are very heavenly and gorgeous as well. Really dig this song.
Never Catch Me: The final track on this album is also one of the shortest, ten seconds shorter than “Piss On Your Grave,” making it one of only two cuts on the album to fall under the three-minute mark. Things get really dark, with grinding, pumping guitar riffs, and synth-driven production, as Travis is very confident here, rapping about how his “15 seconds of fame” have lasted longer than they should, and how you’ll never see Travis “falling off.” I like the lyrical themes throughout, the aforementioned dark production is stellar, and I once again like how Travis mixes some strong, rapid-fire flow on his verses and smooth, autotune-assisted vocals on the hook. Really great cut, and a great ending to the album.
Overall, Travis Scott’s “Rodeo” is a very strong showcase not only of Travis’s skills as a rapper and singer, but as a producer. Taking things a bit different from the typical trap sound and dodging a “turn-up” feel for the most part, Travis instead spends the album putting together some very moody, nocturnal trap bangers that play more on his emotions and his personal experiences. The result is an album that sees the rapper in top form, with strong autotune-assisted vocals and great rap flows that mesh extremely well with those nocturnal trap instrumentals. Furthermore, I think that the influence of this album is clear, and I feel like this is an album that definitely helped inspire many other rappers today (I’m kinda thinking Lil Uzi Vert, to a degree). Travis’s debut album sees him in consistent, strong, and exciting form, and I think its place as such a well-regarded hip-hop album is much deserved.
Next up, we’re gonna review “Birds In The Trap Sing McKnight.” I’ve heard very mixed things about it, so let’s just see, I guess.
Favorite tracks: Pornography, Oh My Dis Side, 3500, 90210, Pray 4 Love, Nightcrawler, Antidote, Impossible, Maria I’m Drunk, I Can Tell, Apple Pie, Ok Alright, Never Catch Me
Least favorite tracks: Flying High (but only if I REALLY had to pick one)
Rating: Excellent
Nightcrawler (ft. Swae Lee and Chief Keef): Another star-studded track, Travis recruits Chief Keef and Rae Sremmurd’s own Swae Lee for a very emphatic, energetic cut. I wasn’t really in love with Swae’s intro at first (oddly enough, given that Swae is the hook master), but I like Travis’s autotune-assisted vocals and the way they mesh with the very hazy production on this one. And despite that intro, Swae’s vocals on his verse are really chilly and eerie, and I dig them a lot. Chief Keef’s autotune-assisted verse doesn’t sound super distinct, but his performance is still surefire and energetic and I do like the effects on his vocals. Really vibrant song, I really liked this one a lot!
Piss On Your Grave (ft. Kanye West): Recruiting none other Kanye West for this cut (which, at 2:46, is the shortest one on the album), Travis and Ye make a very cutthroat, aggressive track about corporate America and the corrupt executives that try to bring down their hustle, be it in the music industry or (in Kanye’s case) the fashion industry. I love the groovy bassline on this one, the pounding drum beat, and even though the production is loud and a little bit too abrasive and bombastic, I love Travis and Kanye’s confident performances on this one, as they don’t take any prisoners here. I do find some of the lyrics just a little goofy (like, when Kanye says he’s gonna “piss on your bitch, piss on your date”) and again, some of the production is a little too abrasive, but it’s still an energetic cut that might grow on me with time.
Antidote: With all the features on this album, I hope I’m not the only one that finds it at least somewhat ironic that the biggest single off the album didn’t have any features. Although, maybe I’m overthinking that point because, apparently, the song wasn’t meant to be on this album, but it became so popular that Travis decided to add it in. Thanks, Travis. But in any case, this is a really vibrant, nocturnal trap banger with some really solid, somewhat broken-sounding vocals from Travis. The hook is also really strong, and I like the very eerie vibe of the song. Seriously, thanks for including this on the album, Travis, it’s really good!
Impossible: Another very spacey, hazy song, Travis talks on this track about the feeling of being trapped with someone who doesn’t really love him, and how he wants to be able to free himself from the pain of this one-sided relationship. The production is a bit more minimal here, but it’s a really depressing cut thanks to Travis’s very sad inflection on his voice and his sad delivery on the chorus. It’s a very sinister, downbeat cut, but it’s all the better for that, and I love how the song changes feels throughout and just throws all these really strange, sonic elements together into something really great!
Maria I’m Drunk (ft. Justin Bieber & Young Thug): Weirdly, this track is not available on Spotify. Apparently, I’ve read that Travis Scott knew that Justin Bieber’s fanbase was so in love with him that they’d buy the album off of the strength of the fact that he had a feature, so he decided to make it exclusive to people that paid for the album. Sneaky devil. Either way, this very trippy, hazy cut sees Travis, Young Thug, and Justin Bieber talking about getting drunk and taking drugs. I love the very vibrant, dark, spacey production on this one, Travis’s lowkey vocals are very solid, and the features are very strong here as well: Young Thug’s hook is really catchy and his performance is very energetic, and Bieber’s sing-rapping, surprising as it is, is really strong as well! His verse is melodic and filled with great flow as well. I’m kinda sad that this isn’t on the free version of Spotify now (I had to find the song on YouTube) because even if I throw this one into the playlist, I won’t be able to hear it much, and that’s a shame because it’s a sweet, nocturnal trap banger!
Flying High (ft. Toro y Moi): A song where Travis talks about “flying high” on drugs, this cut takes on a less nocturnal, more turn-up-flavored vibe, with brighter instrumentals and a more sunny vibe. I liked Toro Y Moi’s flow on the hook, but I wasn’t super crazy about Travis’s performance, because it honestly just read to me like he was trying to a Kanye impression. And while the production is solid enough, I kinda feel like the sunnier, less moody vibe doesn’t really play quite as well to Travis’s strengths as a vocalist. Maybe I just need to give it a few more listens to let it grow on me, but for right now, it’s probably my least favorite track on the album.
I Can Tell: Taking things back to the more dark, moody feel, this track still retains a more uptempo feel, with some really sweet, interesting percussion and Travis’s faster delivery on his verse. I like his energy on his verse, and I like the way that he blends his singing and his rapping on the song. I also think that, for as repetitive as it might seem, the hook on this one is pretty fun, and I think the energetic, pounding production keeps the song constantly interesting. Like a lot of Travis’s other songs, it takes so many sonic elements and blends them all so well. I really like this one.
Apple Pie: The final song off of the Standard Edition of the album, Travis talks on this cut about the story of him jumping off of his mom’s porch. It’s a rather reflective track, as he basically talks to his mom about how he’s made his way in the world. The production is somewhat more uptempo, with lively keys and solid click-clack percussion throughout. I love Travis’s vocals on the hook (a hook that is very catchy and sticky), and his rapid-fire flow on the second verse is really strong as well. As I hear this, I can actually see how Travis influenced a number of rappers (actually, I wouldn’t be shocked if an artist like Lil Uzi Vert took inspiration for his sound from Travis). It’s a strong finisher to the Standard Edition of the album.
Ok Alright (ft. ScHoolboy Q): The first of two bonus tracks, this is another two-parter, divided into “Ok” and “Alright.” Travis parties it up on this one with ScHoolboy Q, and his tone throughout “Ok” is a lot more aggressive than usual, though his sing-rapping on the hook actually does a nice job juxtaposing Q’s very aggressive “OK” chants. Q’s flow throughout his verse is also really strong, and the song does a nice job of mixing a turn-up beat with some very ethereal keys. When we get to “Alright,” things become far less aggressive, as things end up being more moody and atmospheric. I like Travis’s somewhat more sad inflection on his verse, the more ambient instrumentals are very great, and I like SZA’s uncredited vocals are very heavenly and gorgeous as well. Really dig this song.
Never Catch Me: The final track on this album is also one of the shortest, ten seconds shorter than “Piss On Your Grave,” making it one of only two cuts on the album to fall under the three-minute mark. Things get really dark, with grinding, pumping guitar riffs, and synth-driven production, as Travis is very confident here, rapping about how his “15 seconds of fame” have lasted longer than they should, and how you’ll never see Travis “falling off.” I like the lyrical themes throughout, the aforementioned dark production is stellar, and I once again like how Travis mixes some strong, rapid-fire flow on his verses and smooth, autotune-assisted vocals on the hook. Really great cut, and a great ending to the album.
Overall, Travis Scott’s “Rodeo” is a very strong showcase not only of Travis’s skills as a rapper and singer, but as a producer. Taking things a bit different from the typical trap sound and dodging a “turn-up” feel for the most part, Travis instead spends the album putting together some very moody, nocturnal trap bangers that play more on his emotions and his personal experiences. The result is an album that sees the rapper in top form, with strong autotune-assisted vocals and great rap flows that mesh extremely well with those nocturnal trap instrumentals. Furthermore, I think that the influence of this album is clear, and I feel like this is an album that definitely helped inspire many other rappers today (I’m kinda thinking Lil Uzi Vert, to a degree). Travis’s debut album sees him in consistent, strong, and exciting form, and I think its place as such a well-regarded hip-hop album is much deserved.
Next up, we’re gonna review “Birds In The Trap Sing McKnight.” I’ve heard very mixed things about it, so let’s just see, I guess.
Favorite tracks: Pornography, Oh My Dis Side, 3500, 90210, Pray 4 Love, Nightcrawler, Antidote, Impossible, Maria I’m Drunk, I Can Tell, Apple Pie, Ok Alright, Never Catch Me
Least favorite tracks: Flying High (but only if I REALLY had to pick one)
Rating: Excellent
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