Travis Scott’s potential was very noticeable throughout “Days Before Rodeo.”
TOP 5
5. Sloppy Toppy (Ft. Migos & Peewee Longway)
Don’t you miss the days when Migos were cheat codes for tracks?
In “Sloppy Toppy,” a track driven by an explosive trap beat that stutters like Biden during a speech, Travis Scott, Quavo, Takeoff, Offset, and Peewee Longway dive into the money they’re stacking and celebrate women who swallow more than Kirby. Quavo’s contributions almost sound operatic, while the others deliver high-octane verses packed with relentless flows (Peewee Longway and Takeoff especially), sly deliveries (mostly Offset), random yelling (all of them), and signature alien-like effects from Travis Scott. Simply put, it sounds like they’re all seriously fiending for some sloppy toppy.
4. Skyfall (Ft. Young Thug)
I’m convinced that Travis Scott and Young Thug are demented.
“Skyfall” features a spooky, mad scientist-like beat that makes me feel like if I opened one of these closed doors, I’d find some green substance bubbling in a pot. Meeting the beat at the rim like a great shot-blocker, Travis Scott hits us with demented and slow-burning rap styles that perfectly match his lyrics about slutting girls out and balling until you can’t anymore. As for Young Thug, surprisingly, he sounds pretty normal (although his normal isn’t really normal), blending some hypnotizing singing with cocky rapping. The song takes an interesting turn when he comes in.
3. Don’t Play (Ft. Big Sean & The 1975)
I miss G.O.O.D. Music.
“Don’t Play” brings back memories of “Antidote,” with both tracks featuring rage-fueled beats and Travis Scott’s signature huffs, puffs, and unapologetic flexing. What sets “Don’t Play” apart is the inclusion of a Big Sean verse. While Sean delivers solid bars and flows smoothly, his moodier tone feels somewhat out of sync with the track’s wild energy. Whatever the case may be, this s**t is fun as hell to listen to.
2. Mamacita (Ft. Rich Homie Quan & Young Thug)
It’s funny how saying “Mamacita” sounds smooth, but if I walked up to someone and said “Hey, hot momma” in English, I’d probably catch a case.
With its dark, trap-Western vibes, this song’s beat might be my favorite on the album.
Travis Scott really goes for it in this track, right? I love his aggressive delivery, which I’m sure resulted in mad spit ending up on his mic, and how, lyrically, he talks about being harder to contain than Wemby. Travis sets the tone well.
Don’t you miss the days when Rich Homie Quan and Young Thug were friends? Their chemistry was outstanding back then and is outstanding here. I love how Thugger f**ks with this choppy flow that is harder to catch than a dollar on a fishing pole and how Quan switches between sounding grandiose and gentle in his verse. Quan also drops a hella catchy chorus and says “Mamacita” the best out of the three. As I think about it, Quan won MVP of this track.
1. Drugs You Should Try It
What’s the worst that can happen if you try drugs? (B*tch, stop looking at pictures of Lil Wayne)
My favorite thing about “Drugs You Should Try It” is the combination of the emo-rock beat, which changes faces more than Vivica Foxx as the song plays on, and the hella drowsy chorus. I also enjoy how Travis Scott’s verses provide some normalcy, as he raps with a style that is easy to comprehend and lyrics that should remind you of the good ole days—when you and your shawty’s faces were on the verge of falling off because y’all were indulging in some shaky s**t. Ah, the good old days.
SONG-BY-SONG RATING
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OVERALL RATING
(B) (83%)
Did you think Travis Scott would turn into a megastar when Days Before Rodeo came out? Be honest.
I feel like Travis Scott isn’t as focused on delivering hard-hitting bars as he used to be, and honestly, I’m cool with that because when he leans into his melodic side, he’s nearly unstoppable. That said, on Days Before Rodeo, you catch plenty of moments where Travis shows off his ability to drop punchy bars and channel some boom-bap energy. But really, what makes this project such a great listen are those moments when he randomly alters his voice and tone, delivering highly intoxicating vocal performances. It’s those exact moments that pushed him into superstardom.
Speaking of intoxicating, Days Before Rodeo leans heavily into drug themes. It feels like Travis’ team was pushing him to embrace this druggy persona, probably because everyone was riding that stoner wave back then. While he dials down the drug talk in his later projects, on this album, he dives in headfirst, speaking about drugs from a junkie’s perspective. Interestingly, he does less flexing about what he has and instead talks about women in almost an endearing way (except for in tracks like “Sloppy Toppy”). It’s wild how much Travis has evolved since then.
You could argue that the production is the most impressive thing about Days Before Rodeo. Travis Scott flows over a range of beats—from smooth, debonair hip-hop beats to Cudi-inspired vibes, TDE-like atmospheric sounds, and explosive trap anthems. The versatility in production is impressive.
I loved the guest appearances on this album. Young Thug was fantastic on tracks like “Mamacita” and “Skyfall,” Big Sean killed it on “Don’t Play,” and Migos delivered standout performances on “Sloppy Toppy.” Everyone fed off Travis’ energy, which made the collaborations even more enjoyable.
I believe Days Before Rodeo is better than Rodeo. Don’t you hate when s**t like that happens (BTW, this is my first time hearing this project)?
Quincy is the creator of Ratings Game Music. He loves writing about music, taking long walks on beaches, and spaghetti that fights him back.
