“I ain’t playing with these n—,” Travi$ Scott proudly proclaims on his latest mixtape’s lead single, “Don’t Play” featuring The 1975 and fellow G.O.O.D. Music rapper, Big Sean.
Scott isn’t lying when he makes this bold statement on the song’s hook because this mixtape is as cohesive and quality filled as an actual album. It is clear he isn’t playing around.
The album’s first half is layered in dark and eerie production with a trap influence. He commonly uses beat switches and hard hitting bass as some of his signature elements. The production contains familiar elements, but the dark feeling it creates is something new and is one of Scott’s key pieces of his own new musical identity he has struggled in the past to find.
On the first track, “Days Before Rodeo : The Prayer,” Scott sets the tone of the album by rapping “Man, I might f— round, loose my mind, I gotta break out,” signaling both his heavy drug use and his desire to break the mold of a typical rapper and create music that stands the test of time. The eerie “Mamacita” featuring Rich Homie Quan and Young Thug contains a western feel playing into the rodeo theme Scott has embrace.
On “Drugs You Should Try It,” Scott blends a slow tempo and auto toned vocals to create one of the best tracks of the album. It shows his diversity as something more than just a rapper who sticks to hard hitting trap tracks.
The second half of the album abandons the night time, comatose feel the first half uses so well for an upbeat one. Scott drenches his verse in vocal effects while collaborating with Migos and Peewee Longway on “Sloppy Toppy” who’s hilariously vulgar metaphors and similes create a memorable track. “Backyard” is a superb track for weekend in the suburbs as he flows about what he does with his friends on a chill afternoon. He slows it down even more on “Grey” where he pays tribute to a locked up friend who was a basketball talent and to Kid Cudi through his musical style.
Scott creates his own sound on Days Before Rodeo while still remaining true to his musical influences. Scott offers variety yet cohesiveness while finding his own identity, an issue for his debut mixtape, Owl Pharaoh. “Basement Freestyle” and “BACC***” feel like generic trap songs. While still quality tracks, these two take away from the surprisingly overall high quality of the rest of the songs on the mixtape.
Overall, Scott has progressed since his first project in finding identity, creating a cohesive project and improving his rapping ability. Hopefully, we are only days before Rodeo, his upcoming debut album.
Album Title: Days Before Rodeo
Content: Explicit
Release date: Aug. 18, 2014
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Best songs: