Travis Scott’s latest album is a trip inside of a madman on a mission to be different at all costs. And on September 4th the Kanye West protégé and Grand Hustle affiliate stayed true to his aim. Rodeo is an album very appropriately titled, as it is plastered with highs and lows and an array of soundscapes sure to take you for a ride.
On the first track of note, “Oh My Dis Side”, he talks about his rise to his current stature and fame from the struggles that bred him in his hometown, with the help of Quavo of Migos. The second half of this track is especially exceptional with its transition to a more smooth and soulful sound. “3500” is one of the standouts of the album featuring heavy hitters Future and 2Chainz and a nice hook that is infectious to say the least. The production, courtesy of Metro Boomin, is top notch and is a classic infusion of the rap-rock sound that Travis Scott is known for. Following this is “Wasted” featuring Juicy J, this track is decent, but was not really to the level that one would expect from such a combination of artist that you’d think would mesh so well. However, I did take a liking to the Pimp C sample used throughout the track, as Travis Scott pays homage in a way to the deceased Texas bred legend.
Turning up the heat a notch, “P### On Your Grave” is a cesspool of rage and abrasiveness that is sure to make you want to mosh your troubles away. This song, a collab with his sensei Kanye West, sounds more fitting for an industrial rock album than the typical hip hop, but then again when has Travis Scott’s music or Kanye for that matter ever been typical? This is definitely a track that I could have heard on Yeezus with Kanye’s production, but it’s very fitting on this album. The unorthodox production and brash, aggressive delivery come together to create a great example of malice personified in sound. This is immediately followed by “Antidote”, another one of my favorites off of the album. On this track La Flame tag teams with Swae Lee of the hit machine Rae Sremmurd, who very catchily sings on the hook layered over quality trance-like production from Wondagurl.
One of the brightest and upbeat tracks on the album “Flying High” is definitely a standout on the album with its beautiful jazzy production courtesy of legend Pharrell. This track features Toro y Moi who is probably in competition with Justin Bieber for most atypical feature on the project. “OK Alright” is a solid track with Schoolboy Q, a collaboration which I’m rather shocked hasn’t occurred more often, as they both have rabid, unbound energy to get the crowd rocking.
Overall I‘d say this album offers an exceptional pallet of hazy, drug influenced, head banging trap music. La Flame makes it clear with this effort, if it wasn’t already, that he has no fear of stepping outside of the box to make quality music. His great sense of production, conceptualization and the quality of artist he surrounds himself with puts him in an optimal position for continued success, in spite of his lack of lyrical depth and content on a consistent basis.
Lyrics: 6/10
Production: 8/10
Cohesiveness: 7/10
Replay Value: 7/10
Overall Rating: 7/10
Standout Tracks: “3500”, “P### On Your Grave”, “Antidote,” “Flying High”