Rodeo (Travis Scott album)

Rodeo is the debut studio album by American rapper Travis Scott. It was released on September 4, 2015, through Grand Hustle Records and distributed by Epic Records. The album features guest appearances from Quavo, Future, 2 Chainz, Juicy J, Kacy Hill, The Weeknd, Swae Lee, Chief Keef, Kanye West, Justin Bieber, Young Thug, Toro y Moi and Schoolboy Q, while the production was provided by Scott himself, alongside several high-profile record producers such as Allen Ritter, Mike Dean, Metro Boomin, Frank Dukes, Sonny Digital and WondaGurl, among others.

Rodeo
Studio album by Travis Scott
Released	September 4, 2015 (2015-09-04)
Studio	Chalice Conway (Los Angeles) Mike Dean's House of Hits (SoHo) No Name (California) PatchWerk (Atlanta) Playback (Santa Barbara) Premier (New York City) Sarm West Coast Serenity West (Los Angeles)
Genre	Hip hop trap
Length	65:26
Label	Grand Hustle Epic
Producer	Allen Ritter Ben Billions Charlie Heat DJ Dahi Eestbound FKi Frank Dukes Illangelo Kanye West Maneesh Bidaye Mano Metro Boomin Mike Dean Pharrell Williams Sonny Digital Southside TM88 Travis Scott The Weeknd WondaGurl
Travis Scott chronology
Days Before Rodeo (2014) Rodeo (2015) Birds in the Trap Sing McKnight (2016)
Deluxe edition cover
Singles from Rodeo
"3500" Released: June 8, 2015 "Antidote" Released: July 29, 2015

Rodeo was supported by two singles: "3500" and "Antidote". The latter became his highest-charting single in the US Billboard Hot 100 at the time, peaking at number 16. The album received generally positive reviews from critics and debuted at number three on the US Billboard 200. In May 2017, the album was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).

Background

Travis Scott announced the release date for Rodeo through social media on July 17, 2015.[1] In the CR Fashion Book, Scott stated his life was like a rodeo and he feels like he is trying to stay on a bucking animal:

It's like a Beyoncé concert. The carnival, the livestock, and the show are all parts of the event. I feel like that's how my life is. The carnival is like my imagination—it's the drive behind my vision. Even though I don't feel like I'm at a point where my shit is at an all time high, we're working to get there. We are working to get to the level of where your magazine is and to stand on that level. The livestock show is the road to get to where I'm going. At this point, I'm riding a bull for just eight seconds and it's hard as fuck. But we made it.[2][3]

Promotion

On January 26, 2015, to support the album, Scott announced he would embark on The Rodeo Tour with Young Thug and Metro Boomin.[4] On January 27, the following day, Scott released two new songs; "High Fashion" featuring Future, and "Nothing But Net" featuring Young Thug and PartyNextDoor. However, neither of them ended up being on the final version of the album.[5] On June 12, 2015, a track titled "Drunk" featuring Young Thug, leaked online.[6]

Singles

On June 8, 2015, Scott released the album's lead single, "3500", which features guest appearances from American rappers Future and 2 Chainz.[7][8] It peaked at number 82 on the US Billboard Hot 100.[9]

On July 29, 2015, Scott released the album's second single, "Antidote".[10] The song peaked at number 16 on the Billboard Hot 100.[9] On April 14, 2017, the song was certified triple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).[11]

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
Album of the Year	62/100[12]
AnyDecentMusic?	5.5/10[13]
Metacritic	64/100[14]
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[15]
Clash	6/10[16]
Complex	[17]
Consequence of Sound	C[18]
Exclaim!	6/10[19]
HipHopDX	3.5/5[20]
Pitchfork	6.0/10[21]
Rolling Stone	[22]
Spin	5/10[23]
XXL	4/5[24]

Rodeo was met with generally positive reviews. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 64, based on 15 reviews.[14] Album of the Year assessed the critical consensus as 62 out of 100, based on 16 reviews.[12]

Roger Krastz of XXL stated, "Overall, Rodeo has plenty of bangers and noteworthy collaborations that help bring out a fantastic trap sound that could bleed into the mainstream of hip-hop in no time."[24] Jason Bisnoff of HipHopDX stated, "Rodeo's back end after "Antidote" begin to mesh together and gets repetitive.... Nonetheless, the originality of Scott's sound within this new movement provides for a strong rookie effort leaving the listener excited for a career that is just getting started."[20] Trazier Tharpe of Complex stated, "Travis Scott made an enjoyable album for his fans peppered with undeniable bangers for his detractors."[17] David Jeffries of AllMusic stated, "With Rodeo, Travis Scott becomes a designer drug."[15] Steve "Flash" Juon of RapReviews stated, "Somewhere beneath all the hype and production he does shine through."[25] Martin Caballero of The Boston Globe stated, "His versatility, combined with a high-profile guest list, conspires against him; among 14 tracks, Scott conjures just a handful of moments that hint at untapped reserves of talent."[26]

Matthew Cooper of Clash stated, "Yes, the production is razor sharp, the beats are skewed and often very loud which makes them feel important, but in reality, it's all a façade; an image."[16] Kevin Ritchie of Now stated, "Scott goes for spacey sounds, stoner vibes and vocal filters, but despite the eclecticism, he's too elusive and bland for Rodeo to amount to a stylistic--let alone a subversive--statement."[27] Sheldon Pearce from Pitchfork stated, "He is most effective when he harshly distorts his vocals to create texture, and in the company of others he can serve as a welcome change of pace."[21] David Turner from Rolling Stone stated, "Left on his own, Scott can grow tiresome. "I Can Tell" sounds monochromatic without another voice to push this astute curator. Some rock stars are better leading bands than going solo."[22] Matthew Ramirez of Spin stated, "This is a cold, calculated record lacking in personality, though it certainly tries to deliver something that Scott is incapable of."[23]

Accolades

Year-end lists

Publication	Accolade	Rank	Ref.
Clash	Albums of the Year 2015	24	[28]
Complex	Best Albums of 2015	36	[29]
HipHopDX	The Top 25 Albums of 2015	N/A	[30]
Pigeons & Planes	Best Albums of 2015	29	[31]
XXL	20 of the Best Albums of 2015	N/A	[32]

Commercial performance

Rodeo debuted at number three on the US Billboard 200, moving 85,000 album-equivalent units, of which 70,000 are pure album sales.[33] As of November 2015, Rodeo has sold 110,000 copies in the United States.[34] In May 2017, the album was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for combined sales and album-equivalent units of over one million units.[35]

Track listing

Credits were adapted from the album's liner notes.[36]

Rodeo track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
1.	"Pornography"	Jacques Webster Leland Wayne Sonny Corey Uwaezuoke Mike Dean Torsten Olafsson Finn Olafsson Peter Mellin Glen Fisher	Sonny Digital Metro Boomin Travis Scott Dean	3:51
2.	"Oh My Dis Side" (featuring Quavo)	Webster Quavious Marshall Allen Ritter Adam Feeney Tommy Paxton-Beesley Dean	Ritter Travis Scott Frank Dukes Dean^[a]	5:51
3.	"3500" (featuring Future and 2 Chainz)	Webster Nayvadius Wilburn Tauheed Epps Wayne Dean Emmanuel "Mano" Nickerson Xavier Dotson Ritter	Metro Boomin Dean Travis Scott Mano Zaytoven^[a] Ritter^[a]	7:41
4.	"Wasted" (featuring Juicy J)	Webster Jordan Houston Wayne Feeney Larry Price Michael Barnett Will Barnett Chad Butler George Clinton, Jr. T. Noporat Dean	Metro Boomin Travis Scott Frank Dukes^[a] Dean^[a]	3:55
5.	"90210" (featuring Kacy Hill)	Webster Kacy Hill Dacoury Natche Ritter Ebony "WondaGurl" Oshunrinde Glenda "Gizzle" Proby Chantel Jeffries Dean	DJ Dahi Ritter Dean Travis Scott WondaGurl^[a]	5:39
6.	"Pray 4 Love" (featuring The Weeknd)	Webster Abel Tesfaye Carlo Montagnese Dean Ritter Feeney	Illangelo The Weeknd Dean Ben Billions Travis Scott Ritter^[a]	5:07
7.	"Nightcrawler" (featuring Swae Lee and Chief Keef)	Webster Khalif Brown Keith Cozart Aaquil Brown Dean Wayne Joshua Howard Luellen Bryan Simmons Ritter	Metro Boomin Dean Travis Scott Southside TM88 Ritter^[a]	5:21
8.	"Piss on Your Grave" (featuring Kanye West)	Webster Kanye West Charlie Heat Dean Noah Goldstein Darren Charles King Price Cydel Young	West Heat Goldstein^[b] Dean^[b] Travis Scott^[a]^[b] King^[b]	2:46
9.	"Antidote"	Webster Oshunrinde Bryan Van Mierlo Thomas Brenneck David Guy Leon Michels Nicholas Movshon Homer Steinweiss	WondaGurl Travis Scott Eestbound	4:22
10.	"Impossible"	Webster Ritter Dean	Ritter Dean Travis Scott	4:02
11.	"Maria I'm Drunk" (featuring Justin Bieber and Young Thug)	Webster Justin Bieber Jeffery Williams Feeney Ritter Maneesh Bidaye	Ritter Travis Scott Frank Dukes Bidaye Dean^[a]	5:49
12.	"Flying High" (featuring Toro y Moi)	Webster Chazwick Bradley Bundick Pharrell Williams Ritter Floyd Miller Tom Lockett, Jr. Carter Bradley Mark Adams Mark Hicks Danny Webster Orion Wilhoite Tim Dozier Dean	Pharrell Dean^[a] Travis Scott^[a] Ritter^[a]	3:28
13.	"I Can Tell"	Webster Ritter Trocon Markous Roberts Dean	Dean Travis Scott Ritter FKi	3:55
14.	"Apple Pie"	Webster Dean Olubowale Akintimehln	Travis Scott Dean Terrace Martin^[b] 1500 or Nothin'^[b]	3:39
Total length:				65:26

Deluxe edition (bonus tracks)

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
15.	"Ok Alright" (featuring Schoolboy Q)	Webster Quincy Hanley Solana Rowe Wayne Uwaezuoke Dean Hill	Metro Boomin Sonny Digital Dean	6:57
16.	"Never Catch Me"	Webster Uwaezuoke Ritter Oshunrinde Proby	Sonny Digital Ritter WondaGurl^[a]	2:56
Total length:				75:19

Track notes

• ^{^[a]} signifies an additional producer
• ^{^[b]} signifies a co-producer
• All tracks are stylized in lowercase on the physical back covers. For example, "Oh My Dis Side" is stylized as "oh my dis side".
• "Pornography", "Wasted" and "Apple Pie" feature narration by T.I.
• "Oh My Dis Side" features additional vocals by River Tiber
• "90210" features background vocals by Chantel Jeffries
• "Flying High" features background vocals by Pharrell Williams
• "Ok Alright" features additional vocals by SZA and Kacy Hill
• "Never Catch Me" features additional vocals by Tinashe

Sample credits

• "Pornography" contains a sample of "Expectation", performed by ACHE.
• "Oh My Dis Side" contains a sample of "Flashbulbs", performed by Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson.
• "Wasted" contains samples of "Havin' Thangs '06", performed by Pimp C featuring Big Mike; and "Let Your Life Be Free", performed by T. Zchien and the Johnny.
• "Pray 4 Love" contains a sample of "Ask the Lonely", performed by Four Tops.
• "Antidote" contains a sample of "All I Need", performed by Lee Fields and the Expressions.
• "Flying High" contains a sample of "Slide", performed by Slave.

Personnel

Credits adapted from the album's liner notes.[36]

Musicians Travis Scott – vocals Quavo – vocals (track 2) 2 Chainz – vocals (track 3) Future – vocals (track 3) Juicy J – vocals (track 4) The Weeknd – vocals (track 6) Swae Lee – vocals (track 7) Chief Keef – vocals (track 7) Kanye West – vocals (track 8) Justin Bieber – vocals (track 11) Young Thug – vocals (track 11) Toro y Moi – vocals (track 12) T.I. – narrator Mike Dean – guitar, keyboards Darren King – bass, drums, guitar Larrance Dopson – keyboards Jordan Lewis – guitar Terrace Martin – keyboards Allen Ritter – keyboards Zaytoven – keyboards Additional personnel Kevin Amato – photography Chiki Uno – set design, art direction Corey Damon Black – art direction, design Chris Feldmann – art direction Dan Chung – design Anita Marisa Boriboon – creative direction Marc Kalman – creative direction

Technical personnel Travis Scott – executive production, production Mike Dean – executive production, production, additional production, assistant, drum programming, engineering, mixing, mastering Jason Geter – executive production Allen Ritter – production, additional production Metro Boomin – production (tracks 1, 3, 4, 7, 15) Frank Dukes – production (tracks 2, 11), additional production (track 4) WondaGurl – production (track 9), additional production (tracks 5, 16), programming Noah Goldstein – co-production (track 8), engineering, mixing, assistant The Weeknd – production (track 6) Illangelo – production (track 6), vocal engineering Ben Billions – production (track 6) Darren King – co-production (track 8) Kanye West – production (track 8) Charlie Heat – production (track 8) Eestbound – production (track 9), programming Pharrell Williams – production (track 12) Terrace Martin – co-production (track 14) 1500 or Nothin' – co-production (track 14) Zaytoven – additional production (track 3) FKi – production (track 13) Maneesh Bidaye – production (track 11) Apex Martin – additional drum programming (track 5) Jimmy Cash – engineering Thomas Cullison – engineering Blake Harden – engineering Stuart Innis – engineering, mixing assistance Jordan Lewis – engineering Ari Raskin – engineering Alex Tumay – engineering Finis White – engineering Seth Firkins – vocal engineering Kez Khou – mixing assistance Albert Chee – assistance

Charts

Weekly charts Chart performance for Rodeo Chart (2015) Peak position Australian Albums (ARIA)[37] 30 Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[38] 53 Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[39] 50 Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[40] 52 Canadian Albums (Billboard)[41] 5 Danish Albums (Hitlisten)[42] 23 Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[43] 33 French Albums (SNEP)[44] 54 German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[45] 60 New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[46] 22 Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[47] 14 UK Albums (OCC)[48] 22 UK R&B Albums (OCC)[49] 4 US Billboard 200[50] 3 US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[51] 2 US Top Tastemaker Albums (Billboard)[52] 10

Year-end charts 2015 year-end chart performance for Rodeo Chart (2015) Position US Billboard 200[53] 154 US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[54] 40 2016 year-end chart performance for Rodeo Chart (2016) Position US Billboard 200[55] 131 US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[56] 69

Certifications

Certifications for Rodeo

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[57]	Gold	40,000
Denmark (IFPI Denmark)[58]	Gold	10,000
United States (RIAA)[35]	Platinum	1,000,000
^*sales figures based on certification alone ^^shipments figures based on certification alone sales+streaming figures based on certification alone

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