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Travis Scott is a worldwide phenomenon in the rap community. His atypical musical approach and his eccentric concert style led to his rise to fame, but a lot of fans are not aware of one his earlier projects, Days Before Rodeo.

This is not Scott’s debut studio album, but rather his second mixtape following Owl Pharoah’s release in 2013. This mixtape was meant to give insight into his debut studio album project, Rodeo, which came two years after the release of Days Before Rodeo. 

` The experimental aspect of this mixtape, which challenges the boundaries of rap, makes this album nearly perfect. It has aged quite a bit since its release in 2014, yet the sound is so far ahead of the music in that given period.

At the time, the mixtape expanded on Scott’s genre-bending combination of the psychedelic, experimental, and trap aspects of rap. This consists of heavy 808s, distorted vocals, unusual flows, and heavy synths. His style is drawn heavily from veteran rappers like Kid Cudi and Kanye West, which is pretty transparent throughout the album. 

A highlight of this album is “Days Before Rodeo: The Prayer.” The distorted adlibs and the timing of Travis’s flows to the abnormal beat gives it a very uncanny vibe. But in a way that pulls listeners in, which makes it the best song on the mixtape. 

“Backyard” displays his unique approach to rap. While the lyrics may not be that deep, his way of adding the energy to a song through his lyric delivery shows off his versatility, despite being earlier on in his career. 

This piece provided glimpses into the future of rap, along with the future of Scott’s music. It is also interesting to observe the transformation of Scott’s music throughout the years, and the progression from this sound into the present.

Overall, this album goes unappreciated not only to the rap community, but to many fans of Travis Scott’s discography.