In the dwindling months of summer 2014, Travis Scott’s obsession with curation began to take shape in the public eye. A few days before his mixtape Days Before Rodeo (a teaser for his official debut, Rodeo) hit SoundCloud on August 18, Metro Boomin posted a behind-the-scenes video chronicling the making of Travis and Young Thug’s song “Skyfall.” Between frenetic camera cuts, you’re treated to shots of Travis and Metro piecing together “Skyfall” as smoke billows in the background. Scott bounces between playful exuberance and meticulous micromanagement, imploring engineer Alex Tumay to remove drums and adjust bass levels, all under the watchful eye of the camera.
It’s not unreasonable to think of Days Before Rodeo as the linchpin for Travis Scott’s massive success. He wanted to be a star; if his next move had been a misfire, he might have had to settle for a spot in the middle of the pack. The 10-year anniversary deluxe edition of Days Before Rodeo, available on streaming and vinyl for the first time in a decade with a slew of new tracks, is a time capsule of Scott’s chameleonic production prowess and his budding curatorial skill, even as it begins to reveal the penchant for vapid spectacle that would lead him astray.
By the time Scott’s buzzy 2013 debut mixtape Owl Pharaoh arrived, his career felt as though it just needed one final push to get over the hump. He’d already secured co-signs from Kanye West and T.I., earning touted placements as an in-house producer for G.O.O.D. Music (credits on Yeezus’ “Guilt Trip” and “New Slaves,” with lingering speculation that Scott was a catalyst behind the album’s angsty tonal shift). He lent his talents to Jay-Z’s Magna Carta, Holy Grail and Wale’s The Gifted. By virtue of association, Scott had strapped on the proverbial jetpack.
Those simmering expectations boil over on the growled refrain of Days Before Rodeo opener “The Prayer”: “I might fuck ’round lose my mind, I gotta break out,” he raps, making the act of saying grace sound more like a warning shot. Compared to later releases, Days Before Rodeo is an exercise in restraint, lacking an extensive list of lyrical features (but full of production assists from FKi 1st, Metro Boomin, and Lex Luger). Still, the tape hits clear highs when Scott rolls out the red carpet for more capable rappers. The marriage between blistering hi-hats and spaghetti Western samples make “Mamacita” feel as though Young Thug and the late Rich Homie Quan are gallivanting through a gunfight at the O.K. Corral, with Scott trailing behind. “Skyfall” sets up a brilliant contrast between Scott’s baritone hums and Thug’s piercing raps, coming off as a slow march to desolation accompanied by play-by-play from vengeful spirits.
“Sloppy Toppy,” a spiritual precursor to epic Rodeo collaborations “3500” and “Nightcrawler,” remains the platonic ideal for when Scott’s grand plans come together. Teeing it off with an expertly chopped 1977 Edna Wright sample (produced by FKi 1st and Mike Dean), Scott assembles Migos and Peewee Longway, some of the era’s greatest Atlanta rappers, for a deliriously raunchy joyride that always seems on the verge of veering off the cliff. It’s a posse cut that wouldn’t have sounded out of place on Migos’ No Label II. Here, Scott is more akin to the coach of the Showtime Lakers, tasked only with bridging the gap, pushing the right buttons to position more talented lyricists to succeed.
He doesn’t always need help from guests: On “Drugs You Should Try It,” arguably the mixtape’s summit, Scott embarks on his version of an emotive ballad, yearning for the numbing effects of substances over FKi 1st’s murky, downtempo production. “I try it if it feels right/This feels nice/I’ve been down and lost for days/Glad I found you on the way,” his raps, his distorted voice eking it way out over the lush guitar composition. The words feel raw, even though he isn’t saying much—a balance that’s a lot easier to strike as a regular guy than it is as a larger-than-life superstar.
But the longer stretches where Scott flies solo on Days Before Rodeo were early evidence that, as a rapper, he generally shouldn’t be left to his own devices. If it weren’t for the intoxicating thrill ride “Backyard,” where his vocals turn the track from a party into a rager, the second half of the project would feel like a slog through harmless, sophomoric boasts. Already on Days Before Rodeo, it feels like Scott is more focused on executing big swings than he is in the more tedious process of coming up with important or interesting things to say. The new edition’s five bonus tracks—all previously unreleased cuts from that era—aren’t appointment viewing. “Yeah Yeah” is a welcome chance to experience another wildly fun Thug appearance; otherwise, it’s strictly fan service.
Perhaps while revisiting Days Before Rodeo, your attention returned to that “Skyfall” behind-the-scenes video. It’s astounding that the clip exists, a mythical shot that almost morphs into a self-fulfilling prophecy of Scott’s trip to the stratosphere. It’s representative of the rapper’s ongoing obsession with creating a ubiquitous moment in pop culture, a historic clip that makes fans imagine that they “had to be there.” Days Before Rodeo wasn’t played off phone speakers in high-school hallways and dingy frat basements solely because it was stocked with bangers and true hits. The tape found its audience because Scott’s evident hunger inspired its own kind of FOMO: The bandwagon had arrived. Could you jump on before it was too late?
