''Days Before Rodeo'' is the second mixtape by American rapper

Travis Scott Jacques Bermon Webster III (born April 30, 1991), known professionally as Travis Scott (formerly stylized as Travi$ Scott), is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. Scott has had five number-one hits on the U.S. ''Bil ...

. It was released independently on

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on August 18, 2014. The mixtape features guest appearances from Rich Homie Quan,

Young Thug Jeffery Lamar Williams II (born August 16, 1991), known professionally as Young Thug, is an American rapper. Known for his eccentric vocal style and fashion, he is considered an influential figure in modern hip hop music, hip hop and trap music ...

T.I. Clifford Joseph Harris Jr. (born September 25, 1980), known professionally as T.I. or Tip, is an American rapper and singer raised in Atlanta, Georgia. Harris is credited as a pioneer of the hip hop subgenre trap music, along with fellow Georgi ...

the 1975 The 1975 are an English pop rock band formed in Wilmslow, Cheshire, in 2002. The band consists of Matty Healy (lead vocals, guitar, primary songwriter), Adam Hann (lead guitar), Ross MacDonald (bass), and George Daniel (drums, primary produ ...

Big Sean Sean Michael Leonard Anderson (born March 25, 1988), known professionally as Big Sean, is an American rapper. He met Kanye West as a teenager, and signed with his record label GOOD Music, an imprint of Def Jam Recordings in 2007. He gained popul ...

Migos Migos () were an American hip hop group founded in Lawrenceville, Georgia, in 2008. The group was composed of rapper Quavo, his nephew Takeoff, and their "cousin" friend Offset. Quavo is from Athens, Georgia, while Offset and Takeoff were bo ...

, and Peewee Longway. Production was handled by Scott himself, alongside Mike Dean,

WondaGurl Ebony Naomi Oshunrinde (born December 28, 1996), professionally known as WondaGurl, is a Canadian record producer, songwriter and record executive. Early life Ebony Naomi Oshunrinde was born on December 28, 1996 at the Scarborough Grace Hospital ...

Metro Boomin Leland Tyler Wayne (born September 16, 1993), known professionally as Metro Boomin, is an American record producer and music executive. Widely acclaimed for his dark and cinematic production style, he is regarded as one of the most influential p ...

DJ Dahi Dacoury Dahi Natche (born March 10, 1983), known professionally as DJ Dahi or simply Dahi, is an American record producer, songwriter, disc jockey and singer from Inglewood, California. Working primarily in hip hop and R&B music, he has been ...

, Southside, Lil' C, AudioKlique, Charlie Handsome,

FKi 1st Trocon Markous Robert Jr. (born November 20, 1989), better known by his stage name FKi 1st, $1T or 1st Down, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, DJ, and record producer. He first became known as one half of the Atlanta-based production d ...

Vinylz Anderson Hernandez (born September 2, 1989),Rys, Dan (July 11, 2013)"‘Magna Carta Holy Grail’ Behind The Scenes: Five Producers Who Helped Craft The Album". '' XXL''. Accessed on July 11, 2013. professionally known as Vinylz, is an American ...

Allen Ritter Allen Raphael Ritter (born June 19, 1988) is an American record producer and songwriter. A frequent collaborator of fellow producers Boi-1da, Vinylz, and Sevn Thomas, Ritter has worked in production for high-profile hip hop and contemporary R&B, ...

, Anthony Kilhoffer,

Lex Luger Lawrence Wendell Pfohl (born June 2, 1958), better known by the ring name Lex Luger, is an American retired Professional wrestling, professional wrestler, bodybuilder, and gridiron football player. He is best known for his work with Jim Crocke ...

, Oz, Syk Sense, Tane Runo, and J. Hill. The mixtape serves as the follow-up to Scott's debut mixtape, '' Owl Pharaoh'' (2013), and serves as the prequel to his debut studio album, ''

Rodeo Rodeo () is a competitive equestrian sport that arose out of the working practices of cattle herding in Spain and Mexico, expanding throughout the Americas and to other nations. It was originally based on the skills required of the working vaqu ...

'' (2015). For its tenth anniversary, the mixtape was released through Cactus Jack and

Epic Records Epic Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the American division of Japanese conglomerate Sony is a Japanese multinational conglomerate (company), cong ...

streaming services A streaming media service (also simply called a streaming service) is an online platform that allows users to watch or listen to content, such as film, movies, Television show, TV shows, music, or podcasts, over the internet. Instead of downloadi ...

on August 23, 2024. A few digital vault editions of the mixtape were available exclusively on Scott's website for a short period of time and included ten additional songs in total that did not end up appearing on its original version. With all the vault editions being combined, they feature additional guest appearances from

Quavo Quavious Keyate Marshall (born April 2, 1991), better known by his stage name Quavo (), is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He is best known as the frontman of the now-defunct hip hop group Migos. Formed with his nep ...

as a solo artist and

Playboi Carti Jordan Terrell Carter (born September 13, 1995, or 1996), known professionally as Playboi Carti, is an American rapper. Known for his eccentric vocal style and fashion, he is considered an influential figure in modern Hip hop music, hip hop a ...

. Upon the re-release of the mixtape, it debuted at number two on the US ''Billboard'' 200, moving 361,000

album-equivalent unit The album-equivalent unit, or album equivalent, often shortened to just unit, is a sales metric in the music industry that defines the number of streaming media, songs streamed and music download, songs downloaded equal to one Record sales, tradi ...

s, of which 331,000 were pure album sales. In its fourth tracking week, it ascended to the top position on the chart, moving an additional 156,000 album-equivalent units, 149,000 of which were vinyl copies.

Background and promotion

On July 11, 2014, Scott released the lead single of the mixtape, "Don't Play", which features English

pop rock Pop rock (also typeset as pop/rock) is a fusion genre and form of rock music characterized by a strong commercial appeal, with more emphasis on professional songwriting and recording craft, and less emphasis on attitude than standard rock musi ...

band

and fellow American rapper

. Big Sean’s verse was rumored as Big Sean’s best verse of 2014. The following month, he took to social media to announce that he would be releasing 10 new songs within a month. On the same day, he also tweeted the title of the mixtape, before marketing the countdown every day until it stopped on August 10, 2014. Scott described it as a "free album" on social media although he made it clear that it is a mixtape. On August 17, 2014, he revealed the cover art, release date, and track listing of the mixtape. "Mamacita", which features fellow American rappers Rich Homie Quan and

, was released as the second and final single from the mixtape on December 2, 2014. Both singles were also released to streaming services the day they were released, unlike the other songs on the mixtape until over ten years later. On August 17, 2024, Scott announced that ''Days Before Rodeo'' would finally be released to streaming services soon at the Fanatics Fest in New York City. The next day, which was the tenth anniversary of the mixtape, he took to social media to announce the re-release, where he also shared that the digital deluxe edition of the mixtape is exclusively on his website, which would include tracks that he recorded for it that did not end up appearing on it. On August 22, 2024, Scott performed a special sold-out concert for over one thousand people for the tenth anniversary of ''Days Before Rodeo'' at the Heaven stage at the Masquerade in Atlanta, Georgia, where he performed most of the songs from the mixtape along with some of his other songs. Five days later, " Drugs You Should Try It" was released as the third and final single from the mixtape.

Critical reception

''Days Before Rodeo'' received highly positive reviews. Jacob Roy from '' The 405'' wrote: "While some may feel he opts for style over substance, all the distorted baselines and 'straight up' ad-libs play a purpose and a role. Days Before Rodeo proves Travis does everything for a reason. When listening to the album each song plays a role and as a whole it makes for a incredibly engrossing experience. While his lyrical ability may be questioned, it doesn't really cross your mind when you are in awe of the piece that he has painted for you. He has a mission statement and he is going to stick by it. 'We will understand it if they don't, we don't want they bullshit no more.' It wouldn't be a stretch to say Travis Scott could be at the forefront for a new generation of

hip-hop Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hi ...

that have their eyes on the bigger picture". Eric Diep of '' XXL'' commented that the album "displays the Houston rapper's eclectic production style, as well as his boastful raps that are similar to his mentors

Kanye West Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer and record producer. One of the most prominent figures in hip-hop, he is known for his varying musical style and polarizing cultural and political commentary. After ...

and

", while calling it "some great new material that we've been missing from him since his excellent debut, '' Owl Pharaoh''." In a positive review of the album following its re-release, '' Clash''s Robin Murray wrote that "listening to 'Days Before Rodeo''in 2024 is a kind of

Möbius strip In mathematics, a Möbius strip, Möbius band, or Möbius loop is a Surface (topology), surface that can be formed by attaching the ends of a strip of paper together with a half-twist. As a mathematical object, it was discovered by Johann Bened ...

experience", stating that when listening, the "past and present are folded into one". Murray added that the album's bonus cuts were "preserved for posterity". Similarly, Ritchie Matthew for ''

Pitchfork A pitchfork or hay fork is an agricultural tool used to pitch loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. It has a long handle and usually two to five thin tines designed to efficiently move such materials. The term is also applie ...

'' wrote that the mixtape "is a time capsule of Scott’s chameleonic production prowess and his budding curatorial skill". He stated that "compared to later releases, ''Days Before Rodeo'' is an exercise in restraint, lacking an extensive list of lyrical features", while praising its production.

Year-end lists

Commercial performance

The 2024 re-release of ''Days Before Rodeo'' debuted at number two on the US ''

Billboard 200 The ''Billboard'' 200 is a record chart ranking the 200 most popular music albums and EPs in the United States. It is published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists. Sometimes, a rec ...

'', earning 361,000

s, of which 331,000 were pure album sales. The album debuted at number one on the US

Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a music chart published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine that ranks R&B and hip-hop albums based on sales in the United States and is compiled by Luminate. The chart debuted as Hot R&B LPs in the issue dated January 30, ...

chart, marking Scott's fourth consecutive album to debut at the top of the chart. These figures marked the fourth-highest debut of any album during the year and the highest for any rap album. On August 23, the album competed with

Sabrina Carpenter Sabrina Annlynn Carpenter (born May 11, 1999) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She first gained prominence starring on the Disney Channel series ''Girl Meets World'' (2014–2017). She signed with the Disney Music Group, Disney ...

's '' Short n' Sweet'', which released the same day. In the album's fourth week, during the chart week ending September 19, 2024, the album ascended to number one on the US ''Billboard'' 200 chart, earning 156,000 album-equivalent units, of which 150,000 were pure album sales. The album accumulated a total of 7,94 million on-demand official streams of the album's songs in the charting week. The album's vinyl sales comprised 149,000 units, the largest for any rap album, and the sixth largest week on vinyl across all genres, since Luminate began tracking sales in 1991. Furthermore, the album saw a 1,295% increase in sales, jumping from #106 to #1 on the chart; an increase attributed to the fact that pre-ordered vinyl editions shipped that week. Following this week at #1, it became the first album ever to drop entirely off the US ''Billboard 200'' chart from the #1 position.

Track listing

Notes * signifies a co-producer * "Quintana Pt. 2" originally featured uncredited vocals from

, which were removed from the streaming media release of the mixtape * "Grey" features background vocals from James Fauntleroy Sample credits * "Days Before Rodeo: The Prayer" contains a sample of

Philip Glass Philip Glass (born January 31, 1937) is an American composer and pianist. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential composers of the late 20th century. Glass's work has been associated with minimal music, minimalism, being built up fr ...

's original composition "Music Box (Opening Theme)". * "Don't Play" contains an interpolation of "M.O.N.E.Y.", written by George Daniel, Matthew Healy, Adam Hann and Ross MacDonald, as performed by

The 1975 The 1975 are an English pop rock band formed in Wilmslow, Cheshire, in 2002. The band consists of Matty Healy (lead vocals, guitar, primary songwriter), Adam Hann (lead guitar), Ross MacDonald (bass), and George Daniel (drums, primary produ ...

. * "Mamacita" contains a sample of "

(If Loving You Is Wrong) I Don't Want to Be Right "(If Loving You Is Wrong) I Don't Want to Be Right" is a song written by Stax Records songwriters Homer Banks, Carl Hampton, and Raymond Jackson. Originally written for The Emotions, it has been performed by many singers, most notably by Lu ...

", written by

Homer Banks Homer Banks (August 2, 1941 – April 3, 2003) was an American songwriter, singer and record producer. Although best known by many for his songwriting for Stax Records in the 1960s and 1970s, some of his own releases from the 1960s are considere ...

, Carl Hampton and Raymond Jackson, as performed by

Bobby "Blue" Bland Robert Calvin Bland (born Robert Calvin Brooks; January 27, 1930 – June 23, 2013), known professionally as Bobby "Blue" Bland, was an American blues singer. Bland developed a sound that mixed gospel with the blues and R&B. He was describ ...

. * "Sloppy Toppy" contains a sample of "Spend the Night With Me", written by Greg Perry, Angelo Bond and Terrance Harrison, as performed by Edna Wright. * "Backyard" contains a sample of " Distant Lover (Live at Oakland Coliseum, CA, 1974)", written by

Marvin Gaye Marvin Pentz Gaye Jr. (; April 2, 1939 – April 1, 1984) was an American Rhythm and blues, R&B and soul singer, songwriter, musician, and record producer. He helped shape the sound of Motown in the 1960s, first as an in-house session player an ...

Gwen Fuqua Gwen Fuqua (born Gwendolyn Gordy; November 26, 1927 – November 8, 1999) was an American businesswoman, songwriter and composer, most notably writing hit songs such as " Lonely Teardrops", " All I Could Do Was Cry" and "Distant Lover". She acq ...

and Sandra Greene, as performed by Gaye.

Personnel

Musicians * Travis Scott – vocals (all tracks) * Rich Homie Quan – vocals (2) *

– vocals (2, 6) *

– vocals (3) *

– vocals (5) *

– vocals (5) * Offset – vocals (8) *

– vocals (8) *

Takeoff Takeoff is the phase of flight in which an aerospace vehicle leaves the ground and becomes airborne. For aircraft traveling vertically, this is known as liftoff. For aircraft that take off horizontally, this usually involves starting with a tr ...

– vocals (8) * Peewee Longway – vocals (8) Technical * Mike Dean – mastering, mixing (4, 5, 8-10, 12) * Alex Tumay – mixing (1-3, 6, 7, 11) * Travis Scott – mixing

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Release history

References