Ever since he dropped his debut mixtape, Owl Pharaoh, in 2013, it's been tough to get a read on Travis Scott. The kid from Missouri City, Texas, has had one of the swiftest rises in recent history. He went from relative obscurity to signing a deal with T.I.'s Grand Hustle imprint and joining Kanye West's Very G.O.O.D. Beats production outfit. Thanks to the latter he notched three production credits on West's Yeezus album. Instead of basking in that achievement he pushed forward, teaming up with one of the hottest rappers (Young Thug) and producers (Metro Boomin, TM88, Southside) in Atlanta to craft the critically acclaimed Days Before Rodeo.
His mercurial come-up has led some people to question his process. The common refrain is that he's a biter; that he has no original ideas and voraciously incorporates everything he finds dope into his artistic arsenal. His debut album, Rodeo, helped quiet those doubts as it shows an artist fully realizing his sound and aesthetic. He's even managed to score a Top 40 hit with the woozy turn-up anthem "Antitode." By all measures, Travis is in a good place for a guy who's been in the game for about three years. To top it all off, he's in a rumored relationship with Rihanna. Where does he go from here?
To answer that question Four-Pins editor Lawrence Schlossman went to track down the fast-moving rap star to find out what exactly is going on within the whirlwind that is his burgeoning career. Travis opens up about his rise, what he thinks about being considered a wave rider, and how he really feels about Ms. Fenty. Photographer Timothy Saccenti captured a young artist assuming the throne in his own beautiful dark twisted fantasy.
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