While barely over the age of 30, Travis Scott has already made milestones in his rap career. From record-breaking Billboard streaks to a former high-profile romance with a Jenner-Kardashian, the Houston-born rapper continues to make headlines. Some of those headlines may be controversial, such as concert mishaps, but many also showcase the icon’s seemingly never-ending musical and fashion innovation.
Early career
Like Kanye West — whose label Travis once worked under as an in-house producer — Scott dropped out of college and had a meteoric rise in the rap game. By the age of 20, he would have a debut mix already featuring heavyweights. His musical prowess had a more humble start when his father bought him his first drum set when he was three.
‘Owl Pharaoh’ release
On May 21, 2013, Scott released his debut mixtape “Owl Pharaoh.” He released it for free under Epic and Grand Hustle Records. Some notable appearances on the mix include T.I., 2 Chainz and Meek Mill. The song list includes:
- ‘Bad Mood’
- ‘Upper Echelon’ (Owl Pharaoh Version) (Ft. T.I.)
- ‘Uptown’ (Ft. A$AP Ferg)
- ‘Bandz’ (Ft. Meek Mill)
The EP name has a special meaning, as Travis told Complex:
“Owls are my whole life man. When I was in Stadium Red in New York, we used to go to that [explective] from 10 PM to like 10 AM. That was my everyday life. …All my homies from Houston to New York, they just call me like a [f..expletive] owl.”
The rapper further humorously explains the second half of the album name by stating:
“Pharaohs, if they were here today….would come out on Travi$ drums like, ‘I need Travi$ in Egypt cooking this shit for when I come out to talk to the peasants.’ [Laughs.] I feel like I’m [next] to rule and take over.”
‘Days Before Rodeo’ mixtape
Scott released his second mixtape on August 18, 2014, for free. Ten years later, it made history by going from #106 to #1 on the Billboard 200 after being released on streaming. It was also a hit for old-fashioned vinyl, as it marked the sixth-largest week for vinyl sales ever. In a savvy business move, Scott allowed fans to pre-order standard or deluxe vinyl options and box sets.
Breakthrough albums
Travis Scott’s collaborations, videos and performances helped him make musical history. An album named after Brian McKnight and another after an amusement park helped Scott achieve unheard-of song views and multi-platinum sales.
‘Birds in the Trap Sing McKnight’
Scott released his second full album on September 2, 2016, with more characteristic collaborations with other artists like Kendrick Lamar and Andre 3000. This time, the title was concocted by rapper Quavo as a reference to R&B singer Brian McKnight. So, what does Brian McKnight have to do with this Travis Scott rap album? It’s likely the range of vocals showcased here and on other works by the rapper — with some distortion and autotune mixed in, of course.
With over 1 billion page views on YouTube, the most popular song from the album is “Goosebumps.” Upon the song’s release in 2016, it stayed on the Hot 100 chart for 35 weeks.
‘Astroworld’ success
“Astroworld” took Travis Scott to another level by selling 537,000 units in the first week, eventually going multi-platinum. The anthem, “Sicko Mode” — which stayed on the Billboard 100 chart for 52 weeks — helped such sales and led him to become an international star. This time, he worked with The Weekend, Kid Cudi and Frank Ocean. The artist got the album’s name from a closed amusement park in his home state Texas.
Collaborations and features
Huncho Jack is a duo consisting of Travis Scott and rapper Quavo. Together, they made their only studio album named “Jack Huncho,” which came out on December 21, 2017, to good reviews. Migos members Offset and Takeoff are also on the album that peaked at the third position on the US Billboard 200.
While collaborations are a standard aspect of Travis Scott’s albums, he has also lent his talents to other people’s work in and beyond the hip-hop genre. So far, Travis Scott has contributed to:
- “Biebs in the Trap” by NAV’s, which discusses excess and fame
- The flute-heavy “Portland” from Drake’s “More Life” album, which combines Scott’s energy with Drake’s laid-back flow
- “Love Galore” is one of his most popular and iconic collaborations, where he shows off his R&B vocals with SZA
- “Sky Walker” by Miguel, in which Travis blends hip-hop with R&B even further
- “Piss on Your Grave” by Kanye West, which combines a rock and hip-hop sound
- “ZeZe,” a playful track with Kodak Black and Offset
- “Down in Atlanta,” a funky southern-inspired production with Pharrell Williams
- “Fair Trade” with Drake, characterized by its hypnotic feel
Brand diversification
Scott continues to prove he’s a man of many talents. He brings his creative flair to professional fashion collaborations and sneaker designs that include designing jackets and graphic T-shirts, updating the famous Air Jordans as well as making appearances on the catwalk.
Fashion ventures
Travis Scott’s icon fashion status comes from his influence in the world of both high fashion and streetwear. That’s why he has frequently collaborated with high-end designers from Dior to Yves Saint Laurent.
Sneaker collaborations
Scott has several sneaker collaborations with Nike and Jordan Brand. So far, the rapper has released almost 30 sneaker designs with the brand. Some notable ones include:
- AF 100: It was the first one produced in 2017
- Cactus Jack: This one featured the colors of his hometown Houston Oilers before they moved to Nashville
- Air Jordan 33: After coming out in 2019, it’s the last Air Jordan Scott designed
- Nike Dunk Low: This sneaker was a three-way collaboration that included PlayStation in 2020
Partnerships with major brands
The Houston native’s apparel collaborations are just as extensive as his musical ones. He got the ball rolling on such fashion partnerships as far back as 2014 when he worked with fashion conglomerate Been Trill. This partnership involved the release of a long-sleeved T-shirt featuring a camouflage design that paired up with the album art for his song “Upper Echelon.”
Other notable fashion brands Scott collaborated with include:
- Diamond Supply Co. — created a graphic T-shirt in 2016
- Bape — produced T-shirts that featured a Baby Milo version of Scott in 2016
- Maharishi — the brand produced a collection of trousers, sweatshirts, hats and tour jackets in 2016
- For Helmut Lang — Scott designed a collection inspired by urban cowboys in 2017
- Ksubi — the Australian label paired with Scott in 2017 for a series of bomber jackets, hoodies and T-shirts
- Nike — 2017 saw the start of an ongoing partnership with his take on the Air Jordan 1
- Reese’s Puffs — produced limited edition cereal boxes, spoons and bowls in 2019 and included a pop-up event in Paris when Travis appeared to sign boxes for fans
Innovative concert experiences
Scott continues to get high marks and impress fans with his innovative live performances. In addition to bold visuals, energy and sound, his concerts have changed the game by creating a sense of community, fun and non-stop interactivity like crowd surfing.
Fortnite concert phenomenon
Fortnite has already become a cultural phenomenon since the immersive game where people create their own environments and fight zombies debuted in 2017. Travis Scott placed his own stamp on it by hosting a virtual concert from April 23 to 25, 2020. Over 12 million people hopped on Fortnite for the interactive debut of his new song “Astronomical.”
Live streaming of the event took place across Twitch and YouTube. Scott even joined it on the live Twitch, livestreaming with his friends. It was a groundbreaking way to bring people together when everyone was stuck at home during the pandemic.
Unique live show productions
Travis Scott’s live shows have become a stuff of legend. The insanely large productions include oversized stages, colors, lights, sound, visuals, technical interactivity, marsh pits and crowdsurfing to create a constant explosion of the senses. His atmospheric sound, which is transparent on his albums, is even more engaging in a large live format.
Scott’s performances have gained praise for their energy and spectacle. Many can often easily blur the line between reality and fantasy due to the advanced visuals and sound.
Due to his live reputation, Scott can command a fee of $2,500,000-$6,000,000 for a live performance. He reportedly earned as much as $6,000,000 to perform in Saudia Arabia.
Influence on contemporary culture
It’s simply hard to compare Travis Scott to anyone, as he has solidified himself as a unique and highly influential figure in a short time. His cultural influence is a combination of his musical artistry on albums and live performances, fashion flare, marketing and connection with fans. His sound is authentic and shows range as he blends hip-hop beats, rock, R&B vocals and atmospheric elements.
He has continued to work on refining his sound and not simply moving from trend to trend. By blending rock, hip-hop and psychedelic influences, he has made a connection with youth worldwide while also attracting the attention of high-level brands that have helped him build an empire. While showing a rebellious streak in his work, he also clearly has a sense of camaraderie showcased in his constant energetic collaborations with other talented artists.
Travis Scott’s concerts are particularly popular among young adults and teens due to his music style being in line with contemporary culture. Following some previous concerts, there are no age restrictions to attending Scott’s performances, so people of all ages can attend.
Controversies and challenges
Despite meteoric success across markets, Travis Scott’s career hasn’t been without controversy — most notably due to what happened at the AstroWorld music festival on a fateful day in November 2021. Ten people were crushed to death and hundreds more were injured at an AstroWorld concert.
Unfortunately, this incident happened after people, including event workers, reportedly expressed safety concerns. Investigation into the incident cited that workers saw a crush of people before Travis Scott started performing.
However, Scott reportedly said he didn’t see serious issues beyond one person getting medical attention, and no one said to end the show while he was performing. Drake, who also performed at the concert, concurred that it was difficult to see into the crowd, and he also wasn’t told to stop.
Plaintiffs filed over 500 lawsuits, mostly against Live Nation or Travis Scott. Most have been settled afterward.
According to reports, the Houston police tried to warn Live Nation that the venue hosting AstroWorld was way too large to handle without reinforced fencing. Another source of conflict about the show is how much Travis Scott and the team knew regarding what was happening during the concert. There are conflicting reports that say the rapper knew before going on stage that some people had already died, contrasted with Drake and Scott saying that they were uninformed.
One of the largest lawsuits from the case was for $750 million. In addition to having to pay to settle these many lawsuits, Scott also suffered in terms of his image and branding. He almost immediately began to lose sponsorships and relationships with brands he had an extensive history with. Scott was removed from the 2022 Coachella lineup that he was set to headline. His seltzer brand was canceled by Anheuser-Busch. Nike even paused their extensive collaboration at the time.
In June 2023, a Texas grand jury decided not to indict Travis Scott and others on the festival crush. As Scott continues to revise his career and attempt to get back to normalcy, he has already set out on tour for 2024 and will likely play more dates in 2025. His collaboration with Nike is still on track and as popular as ever.
So, will his music and performance style continue to evolve? Based on history, the answer is likely yes. Learn more about Travis Scott by checking out other theGrio articles.
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