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You may be reading this days after the two-year anniversary of Travis Scott's Days Before Rodeo, or it could be a week from now. Either way, it'll never take away from how monumental Scott's project was to hip hop in 2014 (and beyond). It's a project that I feel accurately conveys that there's never a wrong time to celebrate.
I can only speak to what Days Before Rodeo means to me. Yes, I believe Days was the best mixtape that year, but those of us who are Travis Scott fans and are fans of this project have special ties to particular songs, to certain settings where DBR was bumpin', so our details won't align. But the sentiment as a whole is something that can bring us together as fans.
Days Before Rodeo was the musical catalyst that ushered me into the new musical space of late 2014-2016. It's the song where I first came across Travis. I encountered Owl Pharaoh (his first tape) later on. Up until that point, speaking strictly on the rap, I was more deeply rooted and passionate about lyricism. In 2014 I was hype on PRhyme's self-titled new joint, Run the Jewels 2, Freddie Gibbs' Pinata, and of course there was J. Cole's 2014 Forest Hills Drive at the tail end of that year. But Days Before Rodeo introduced me to the other side of the spectrum of hip hop like I'd never known before. I was put on game to Migos and Young Thug in a new light. This artist Travis Scott caught me like a true enigma. I wanted to know who this guy was getting notice from Kanye West, working with Mike Dean, Vinylz, DJ Dahi and all those boys. His project through my ears sounded very disturbed, rock-inspired and it moved with experimental trajectory. Reflecting on the project itself, it felt like music chief to pop culture. To put it in layman's terms, DBR feels like how Ye's Yeezy Season 3 felt to watch only a smaller scale. Creativity, expression, sonics, popular culture, and what and who is deemed "the biggest" in their fields are all working in one place. Travis Scott orchestrated that atmosphere around this project and I'm still in awe at that fact.
The songs themselves are so strong. It's a testament to T's longevity. Drugs You Should Try It is still one of my favorite songs in the last three years. The harmonizing Travis does while his voice is beyond distorted sounds like an electric guitar. The sound is creepily calming in a forced sedated kind of way. It coincides with the lyrics and tone of the song. I see dark static when I hear his voice on this joint. And the side effects of the drugs, the sickness/motions of love that's the focal point of the song hits more severely. You adopt that nonchalant attitude. The production (handled be Travis, Charlie Handsome, & FKi) awakens a wonderland space for the song to live in. Electric Folk strings being finger plucked are bellying us up for a fiction-centric night wrapped in enthrall. The razor 808s slice into the raunchy side of the night and the bass is what constantly knocks you on your ass. Drugs You Should Try It is a song with imposing elements that once revealed represents mellow vulnerability. It is the song I remember made me into a Travis Scott fan so I hold it dear.
The entire project is dear to me. I don't need to sit here and tell you the classifications of Days Before Rodeo. I don't need to sit here and tell you the history of the tape, list the bevy of top tier world class producers that worked on it, predict the impact down the line or any of that. All that has been done. People have sat and dissected its importance in hip hop in detail. But I think talking about what the music does for me is more important. I have personal ties with this music. Backyard is that joint. Backyard is that classic from the basement to the top floor music that's so synonymous with rap. Drugs You Should Try It may be my favorite, but this is the best. O.Z & Syk Sense beat and blistered the production. There's a ton of moxie in the beat. Backyard gets me worked up to go be whatever the f*ck I want to be.
And that's genuinely where Days Before Rodeo lands for me. This mixtape gives me the gumption to shoot for celestial highs and become what I want. I see the thought process in the memorable cover art that is iconic in itself. In my opinion, there are no duds on this project. Every song is different than the last. Travis Scott gave us quality music where he established his identity as an artist. Even with the dope Owl Pharaoh and Rodeo this tape is by far my favorite. DBR fits any mood and I'm positive it will still be talked about years from now.
Listen to all things Days Before Rodeo below.
Lead Photo Cred: soundcloud.com
You may be reading this days after the two-year anniversary of Travis Scott's Days Before Rodeo, or it could be a week from now. Either way, it'll never take away from how monumental Scott's project was to hip hop in 2014 (and beyond). It's a project that I feel accurately conveys that there's never a wrong time to celebrate.
I can only speak to what Days Before Rodeo means to me. Yes, I believe Days was the best mixtape that year, but those of us who are Travis Scott fans and are fans of this project have special ties to particular songs, to certain settings where DBR was bumpin', so our details won't align. But the sentiment as a whole is something that can bring us together as fans.
Days Before Rodeo was the musical catalyst that ushered me into the new musical space of late 2014-2016. It's the song where I first came across Travis. I encountered Owl Pharaoh (his first tape) later on. Up until that point, speaking strictly on the rap, I was more deeply rooted and passionate about lyricism. In 2014 I was hype on PRhyme's self-titled new joint, Run the Jewels 2, Freddie Gibbs' Pinata, and of course there was J. Cole's 2014 Forest Hills Drive at the tail end of that year. But Days Before Rodeo introduced me to the other side of the spectrum of hip hop like I'd never known before. I was put on game to Migos and Young Thug in a new light. This artist Travis Scott caught me like a true enigma. I wanted to know who this guy was getting notice from Kanye West, working with Mike Dean, Vinylz, DJ Dahi and all those boys. His project through my ears sounded very disturbed, rock-inspired and it moved with experimental trajectory. Reflecting on the project itself, it felt like music chief to pop culture. To put it in layman's terms, DBR feels like how Ye's Yeezy Season 3 felt to watch only a smaller scale. Creativity, expression, sonics, popular culture, and what and who is deemed "the biggest" in their fields are all working in one place. Travis Scott orchestrated that atmosphere around this project and I'm still in awe at that fact.
The songs themselves are so strong. It's a testament to T's longevity. Drugs You Should Try It is still one of my favorite songs in the last three years. The harmonizing Travis does while his voice is beyond distorted sounds like an electric guitar. The sound is creepily calming in a forced sedated kind of way. It coincides with the lyrics and tone of the song. I see dark static when I hear his voice on this joint. And the side effects of the drugs, the sickness/motions of love that's the focal point of the song hits more severely. You adopt that nonchalant attitude. The production (handled be Travis, Charlie Handsome, & FKi) awakens a wonderland space for the song to live in. Electric Folk strings being finger plucked are bellying us up for a fiction-centric night wrapped in enthrall. The razor 808s slice into the raunchy side of the night and the bass is what constantly knocks you on your ass. Drugs You Should Try It is a song with imposing elements that once revealed represents mellow vulnerability. It is the song I remember made me into a Travis Scott fan so I hold it dear.
The entire project is dear to me. I don't need to sit here and tell you the classifications of Days Before Rodeo. I don't need to sit here and tell you the history of the tape, list the bevy of top tier world class producers that worked on it, predict the impact down the line or any of that. All that has been done. People have sat and dissected its importance in hip hop in detail. But I think talking about what the music does for me is more important. I have personal ties with this music. Backyard is that joint. Backyard is that classic from the basement to the top floor music that's so synonymous with rap. Drugs You Should Try It may be my favorite, but this is the best. O.Z & Syk Sense beat and blistered the production. There's a ton of moxie in the beat. Backyard gets me worked up to go be whatever the f*ck I want to be.
And that's genuinely where Days Before Rodeo lands for me. This mixtape gives me the gumption to shoot for celestial highs and become what I want. I see the thought process in the memorable cover art that is iconic in itself. In my opinion, there are no duds on this project. Every song is different than the last. Travis Scott gave us quality music where he established his identity as an artist. Even with the dope Owl Pharaoh and Rodeo this tape is by far my favorite. DBR fits any mood and I'm positive it will still be talked about years from now.
Listen to all things Days Before Rodeo below.
Lead Photo Cred: soundcloud.com
Travis Scott never fail us, his fans. I like his music style so much. He's so famous now compare back then. Please visit Ford Powerstroke injectors
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