How Travis Scott’s Days Before Rodeo Pushed Psychedelic Trap into the Mainstream
In the years since it's release, La Flame's second mixtape has reached mythical levels of acclaim amongst music fans. Find out what's behind the magic.
Although it may not seem it, Travis Scott’s ascension to superstardom wasn't overnight. Scott was taken under the wing of many rap superstars like T.I. and Jay-Z before breaking into the mainstream.
Scott’s debut mixtape ‘Owl Pharaoh’ dropped in 2013. There was some standout production and a great lead single in 'Upper Echelon'. Sadly, Owl Pharaoh didn't wow listeners and Scott was still to prove himself.
Scott’s sophomore effort, ‘Days Before Rodeo’ helped build his rep, industry buzz and his early fanbase. Released on August 18th, 2014, the album may as well have been released 50 years from now. Scott’s sonic palette was that of an old southern western mixed with a space-age acid trip.
While released as a free mixtape online, Scott later clarified Days Before stood as more of a free album than a throwaway tape.
In recent years, many of Scott’s fans crown Days Before as their favourite body of work from him. Songs like ‘Drugs You Should Try It’ features mellow guitar riffs with a psychedelic rock edge. On the song, Scott recounts falling in love with a girl while also tripping out on substances.
Days Before’s lead single ‘Don’t Play’ continues the genre-blending. Scott recruits pop-rock band The 1975 and Detroit rapper, Big Sean. Don’t Play’s synths and distorted vocals add to the airy atmosphere of the song.
At the time Days Before was released, trap music arguably still had its training wheels on. Artists like Young Thug, Migos and Future were still on the rise in the mainstream, but not yet superstars. Days Before is significant because it helped trap expand as a sub-genre.
Days Before showed that trap music wasn’t a morphed form of two-dimensional ringtone rap, but an art form to be respected.
2014 was hailed as a bad year for mainstream rap music with many heavy hitters not releasing music. There were bright spots like Freddie Gibbs and Madlib's ‘Piñata' or ScHoolboy Q's 'Oxymoron', however, they were few and far between.
In their place, artists Iggy Azalea dominated the charts. Days Before stands as a strong album, not just from 2014 but from the decade as a whole.
Even to this day, Scott performs songs like the mosh pit inducing ‘Mamacita’ at live shows, cementing its legacy.
Download Days Before Rodeo on Datpiff here. Also, stream Travis Scott on Spotify and Apple Music here.
