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Days Before Rodeo

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Days Before Rodeo
Mixtape by
ReleasedAugust 18, 2014 (2014-08-18)
GenrePsychedelic trap
Length50:02
LabelGrand Hustle
Producer
Travis Scott chronology
Owl Pharaoh
(2013)
Days Before Rodeo
(2014)
Rodeo
(2015)
Singles from Days Before Rodeo
  1. "Don't Play"
    Released: May 5, 2014
  2. "Mamacita"
    Released: December 2, 2014
  3. "Drugs You Should Try It"
    Released: August 27, 2024

Days Before Rodeo is the second mixtape of the American rapper Travis Scott. It was released independently on his SoundCloud account on August 18, 2014. The mixtape features guest appearances from Rich Homie Quan, Young Thug, T.I., the 1975, Big Sean, Migos, and Peewee Longway. Production was handled by Scott himself, alongside Mike Dean, WondaGurl, Metro Boomin, DJ Dahi, Southside, Lil' C, AudioKlique, Charlie Handsome, FKi 1st, Vinylz, Allen Ritter, Anthony Kilhoffer, Lex Luger, Oz, Syk Sense, Tane Runo, and J. Hill.[1] 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 (2015).[2]

For its tenth anniversary, the mixtape was released through Cactus Jack and Epic Records on streaming media on August 23, 2024.[3] A few digital vault editions of the mixtape were available exclusively on Scott's website for a short period of time and includes 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 as a solo artist and Playboi Carti. Upon the re-release of the mixtape, it debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200, moving 361,000 album-equivalent units, of which 331,000 were pure album sales.[4] 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.[5]

Background and promotion

[edit]

On July 11, 2014, Scott released the lead single of the mixtape, "Don't Play", which features English pop rock band the 1975 and fellow American rapper Big Sean.[6][2] 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.[7] On August 17, 2014, he revealed the cover art, release date, and track listing of the mixtape.[8] "Mamacita", which features fellow American rappers Rich Homie Quan and Young Thug, was released as the second and final single from the mixtape on December 2, 2014.[9] Both singles were also released to streaming media 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 media soon at the Fanatics Fest in New York City.[10] 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.[11][12] 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.[13] Five days later, "Drugs You Should Try It" was released as the third and final single from the mixtape.[14]

Critical reception

[edit]
Days Before Rodeo ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
The 405[15]
Exclaim!7/10[16]
Now8/10[17]
XXL6/10[18]
Days Before Rodeo re-release ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Clash9/10[19]
Pitchfork7.7/10[20]

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 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 and T.I.", while calling it "some great new material that we've been missing from him since his excellent debut, Owl Pharaoh."[21]

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 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".[19] Similarly, Ritchie Matthew for Pitchfork 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.[20]

Year-end lists

[edit]
Select year-end rankings of Days Before Rodeo
Publication List Rank Ref.
Complex The 50 Best Albums of 2014
6
Pigeons & Planes The Best Albums of 2014
16

Commercial performance

[edit]

The 2024 re-release of Days Before Rodeo debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200, earning 361,000 album-equivalent units, of which 331,000 were pure album sales. The album debuted at number one on the US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, marking Scott's fourth consecutive album to debut at the top of the chart.[4] These figures marked the fourth-highest debut of any album during the year and the highest for any rap album.[24]

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.[5] 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.[5] 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.[25] 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

[edit]
Days Before Rodeo track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Days Before Rodeo: The Prayer"3:22
2."Mamacita" (featuring Rich Homie Quan and Young Thug)
4:35
3."Quintana, Pt. 2"
4:59
4."Drugs You Should Try It"
3:29
5."Don't Play" (featuring the 1975 and Big Sean)
4:46
6."Skyfall" (featuring Young Thug)
  • Webster
  • J. Williams
  • Dean
  • Wayne
  • Travis Scott
  • Dean
  • Metro Boomin
5:19
7."Zombies"
4:20
8."Sloppy Toppy" (featuring Migos and Peewee Longway)
  • Dean
  • FKi 1st
4:34
9."Basement Freestyle"
  • Webster
  • Dean
  • Lewis
  • Dean
  • Lex Luger
  • Metro Boomin
4:08
10."Backyard"
  • Dean
  • Oz
  • Syk Sense
4:31
11."Grey"
  • Webster
  • Dean
  • Taji Ausar
  • Joseph Hill, Jr.
  • Dean
  • Tane Runo
  • J. Hill
3:48
12."Bacc" (bonus track)
  • Webster
  • Dean
  • Wayne
  • Dean
  • Metro Boomin
2:13
Total length:47:39
Digital vault edition bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
13."Mo City Flexologist"Honorable C.N.O.T.E.3:33
14."Too Many Chances"
  • Webster
  • Dean
Dean1:57
15."Yeah Yeah" (featuring Young Thug)
4:37
16."Serenade"
  • Webster
  • Dean
Dean3:16
17."Whole Lots Changed"
Hit-Boy3:05
Total length:64:27
Digital vault 2 bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
13."Hold On" (featuring Young Thug and Quavo)
  • Webster
  • J. Williams
  • Marshall
  • Glass
Wheezy2:09
14."Respected"
  • Webster
 3:19
Total length:69:55
Digital vault 3 bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
13."Naughty"
  • Webster
  • Wayne
Metro Boomin3:16
14."Too Many Options" (featuring Young Thug)3:45
Total length:75:23
Digital vault 4 bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
13."Quintana, Pt. 2" (Mike Dean Outro)
  • Webster
  • Dean
  • Luellen
  • Dean
  • Southside
  • Lil' C
  • AudioKlique
3:50
14."Whoudini" (featuring Playboi Carti)1:54
Total length:81:07

Notes

  • ^[a] signifies a co-producer
  • "Quintana Pt. 2" originally featured uncredited vocals from T.I., which were removed streaming media release of the mixtape
  • "Grey" features background vocals from James Fauntleroy

Sample credits

Personnel

[edit]

Musicians

Technical

Charts

[edit]
Chart performance for Days Before Rodeo
Chart (2024) Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[26] 9
Australian Hip Hop/R&B Albums (ARIA)[27] 1
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[28] 10
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[29] 26
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[30] 19
Canadian Albums (Billboard)[31] 9
Danish Albums (Hitlisten)[32] 19
Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista)[33] 21
French Albums (SNEP)[34] 16
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[35] 17
Hungarian Albums (MAHASZ)[36] 18
Icelandic Albums (Tónlistinn)[37] 7
Irish Albums (OCC)[38] 23
Italian Albums (FIMI)[39] 28
Lithuanian Albums (AGATA)[40] 17
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[41] 12
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[42] 10
Polish Albums (ZPAV)[43] 19
Portuguese Albums (AFP)[44] 10
Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE)[45] 53
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[46] 38
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[47] 4
UK Albums (OCC)[48] 15
UK R&B Albums (OCC)[49] 1
US Billboard 200[50] 1
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[51] 1

Release history

[edit]
List of release dates and formats for Days Before Rodeo
Region Date Format(s) Version Label(s) Ref.
United States August 18, 2014 Streaming Original [2]
Various August 23, 2024
[3]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Album Stream: Travis Scott 'Days Before Rodeo'". Vibe. Retrieved August 24, 2014.
  2. ^ a b c "NEW MIXTAPE: TRAVIS $COTT – 'DAYS BEFORE RODEO'". Rap-Up. Retrieved 24 August 2014.
  3. ^ a b Iasimone, Ashley (2024-08-18). "Travis Scott Announces 'Days Before Rodeo' 10-Year Anniversary Re-Release". Billboard. Retrieved 2024-08-20.
  4. ^ a b Anderson, Trevor (September 5, 2024). "Travis Scott's 'Days Before Rodeo' Debuts at No. 1 on Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Chart". Billboard. Archived from the original on September 6, 2024. Retrieved September 7, 2024.
  5. ^ a b c Caulfield, Keith (September 22, 2024). "Travis Scott's Days Before Rodeo Rises to No. 1 on Billboard 200". Billboard. Retrieved September 22, 2024.
  6. ^ "Listen to Travi$ Scott's "Don't Play" f/ Big Sean". Complex. Retrieved 24 August 2014.
  7. ^ "Travi$ Scott "Days Before Rodeo" Cover Art, Tracklist, Album Stream". HipHopDX. Retrieved 24 August 2014.
  8. ^ "Here's the Artwork and Tracklist for Travi$ Scott's "Days Before Rodeo" Album". Complex. Retrieved August 24, 2014.
  9. ^ "Mamacita (feat. Rich Homie Quan & Young Thug) - Single by Travis Scott on Apple Music". iTunes. Retrieved February 18, 2017.
  10. ^ Iasimone, Ashley (August 18, 2024). "Travis Scott Announces 'Days Before Rodeo' 10-Year Anniversary Re-Release". Billboard. Archived from the original on August 19, 2024. Retrieved August 19, 2024.
  11. ^ Horowitz, Steven J. (August 18, 2024). "Travis Scott to Re-Release 'Days Before Rodeo' Mixtape to Streaming Services for 10th Anniversary". Variety. Archived from the original on August 18, 2024. Retrieved August 18, 2024.
  12. ^ Elibert, Mark (August 19, 2024). "Travis Scott Re-Releasing 'Days Before Rodeo' Alongside Commemorative Merch Collection". Complex. Retrieved August 19, 2024.
  13. ^ Price, Joe (August 22, 2024). "Travis Scott Announces One-Night-Only Show in Atlanta for 'Days Before Rodeo' Anniversary Re-Release". Complex. Retrieved August 23, 2024.
  14. ^ Mier, Tomás (August 27, 2024). "Travis Scott Drops 'Drugs You Should Try It' Video After 10th Anniversary Re-Release". Rolling Stone. Retrieved August 27, 2024.
  15. ^ "Travi$ Scott - 'Days Before Rodeo' Mixtape". 2014-08-28. Archived from the original on 2014-12-18. Retrieved 2014-12-17.
  16. ^ Zaworski, Eric (August 18, 2014). "Travi$ Scott – Days Before Rodeo". Exclaim!. Archived from the original on April 5, 2015. Retrieved September 22, 2024.
  17. ^ Sowunmi, Jordan (May 1, 2014). "Travis Scott – NOW Toronto". Now. Archived from the original on September 22, 2024. Retrieved September 22, 2024.
  18. ^ Robertson, Darryl (August 25, 2014). "Travi$ Scott Is Ambitious And Experimental On Days Before Rodeo Mixtape". XXL. Archived from the original on October 25, 2020. Retrieved September 22, 2024.
  19. ^ a b Murray, Robin (August 23, 2024). "Travis Scott – Days Before Rodeo". Clash. Retrieved September 22, 2024.
  20. ^ a b Ritchie, Matthew (September 14, 2024). "Travis Scott: Days Before Rodeo Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved September 22, 2024.
  21. ^ "Stream And Download Travi$ Scott's 'Days Before Rodeo'". XXL. Retrieved August 24, 2014.
  22. ^ "The 50 Best Albums of 2014". Complex. December 18, 2014. Archived from the original on December 27, 2014. Retrieved September 22, 2024.
  23. ^ "The Best Albums of 2014". Pigeons & Planes. December 22, 2014. Archived from the original on December 26, 2014. Retrieved September 22, 2024.
  24. ^ Caulfield, Keith (September 3, 2024). "Sabrina Carpenter's 'Short n' Sweet' Debuts at No. 1 on Billboard 200". Billboard. Archived from the original on September 9, 2024. Retrieved September 7, 2024.
  25. ^ Horowitz, Steven J. (2024-10-01). "Why Did Travis Scott's 'Days Before Rodeo' Plummet From No. 1 on the Billboard 200 to… Off the Albums Chart Entirely?". Variety. Retrieved 2024-10-05.
  26. ^ "ARIA Top 50 Albums Chart". Australian Recording Industry Association. September 2, 2024. Retrieved August 30, 2024.
  27. ^ "ARIA Top 40 Hip Hop/R&B Albums Chart". Australian Recording Industry Association. September 2, 2024. Retrieved August 30, 2024.
  28. ^ "Austriancharts.at – Travis Scott – Days Before Rodeo" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved September 4, 2024.
  29. ^ "Ultratop.be – Travis Scott – Days Before Rodeo" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved September 1, 2024.
  30. ^ "Ultratop.be – Travis Scott – Days Before Rodeo" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved September 1, 2024.
  31. ^ "Travis Scott Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved September 4, 2024.
  32. ^ "Hitlisten.NU – Album Top-40 Uge 35, 2024". Hitlisten. Retrieved September 4, 2024.
  33. ^ "Travis Scott: Days Before Rodeo" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved August 31, 2024.
  34. ^ "Top Albums (Week 35, 2024)". Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Retrieved September 2, 2024.
  35. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Travis Scott – Days Before Rodeo" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved August 30, 2024.
  36. ^ "Album Top 40 slágerlista – 2024. 35. hét" (in Hungarian). MAHASZ. Retrieved September 5, 2024.
  37. ^ "Tónlistinn – Plötur – Vika 35 – 2024" [The Music – Albums – Week 35 – 2024] (in Icelandic). Plötutíðindi. Archived from the original on August 31, 2024. Retrieved August 31, 2024.
  38. ^ "Official Irish Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 30, 2024.
  39. ^ "Album – Classifica settimanale WK 35 (dal 23.08.2024 al 29.08.2024)" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved August 31, 2024.
  40. ^ "2024 35-os savaitės klausomiausi (Top 100)" (in Lithuanian). AGATA. August 30, 2024. Retrieved August 30, 2024.
  41. ^ "NZ Top 40 Albums Chart". Recorded Music NZ. September 2, 2024. Retrieved August 30, 2024.
  42. ^ "Album 2024 uke 35". VG-lista. Retrieved August 30, 2024.
  43. ^ "OLiS - oficjalna lista sprzedaży - albumy" (in Polish). OLiS. Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Note: Change the date to 23.08.2024–29.08.2024 under "zmień zakres od–do:". Retrieved September 5, 2024.
  44. ^ "Portuguesecharts.com – Travis Scott – Days Before Rodeo". Hung Medien. Retrieved September 6, 2024.
  45. ^ "Spanishcharts.com – Travis Scott – Days Before Rodeo". Hung Medien. Retrieved September 2, 2024.
  46. ^ "Veckolista Album, vecka 35". Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved August 30, 2024.
  47. ^ "Swisscharts.com – Travis Scott – Days Before Rodeo". Hung Medien. Retrieved September 1, 2024.
  48. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 30, 2024.
  49. ^ "Official R&B Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 30, 2024.
  50. ^ "Travis Scott's Days Before Rodeo Rises to No. 1 on Billboard 200". Billboard. Retrieved September 22, 2024.
  51. ^ "Travis Scott Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved September 4, 2024.