Travi$ Scott's 'Birds in the Trap Sing McKnight' Album Is Finally Here

Travi$ Scott, who will be performing at our inaugural ComplexCon, has been teasing his new album Birds in the Trap Sing McKnight all week and on Friday shares what fans have been waiting for on his .Wav radio show on Beats 1 with co-host Chase B.

"It's been a rodeo man. I can say that to the T, man. I've been on these motherfucking tours...I've been not inspired by shows. I've been frustrated because I had ideas I couldn't execute," Travi$ began to tell Chase B. at the opening of the show. He said this longtime frustration is why Birds took so long—because he had big ideas and he wanted to "make sure that shit was right."

The opening track "The Ends" kicked things off with some major heat courtesy of an assist from Andre 3000. Then, Kid Cudi himself jumped on the harmonies on album cut "Way Back." According to Travi$, Cudder also has a verse for "Way Back," which he may still drop at a later date. It should also be known that Scott cooked up "Way Back" with Hit-Boy and Starrah while Steph Curry was in the room. "I was gonna put Steph Curry in 'Way Back' but it's Rockets for life." Fortunately, Cudi has a straight feature on the album's fourth track, "Through the Late Night." "The stars have aligned finally, man. Scott and Scott have linked up on a moon at an all-time high," he told his .Wav listeners.

Album slapper "Biebs in the Trap" featured mysterious Toronto rapper and producer Nav. "I heard 'Ten Toes Down.' I heard 'Myself.' I was like, yo this shit is hard...These people really hold the tone from the streets and they put that soul in it." If you're wondering, the female voice on the "SDP Interlude" is Cassie. "She's on that and a song later in the album. I always thought Cassie's voice is just the illest shit." Next in line came Travi$' self-declared favorite track on the album, "Sweet Sweet," before the album made a seamless transition into "Outside" with 21 Savage.

Then, Kendrick Lamar and La Flame completely destroyed everything with "Goosebumps." "It's crazy how we got these legends on the album. It's so dope how they came to Trav world and turned up. Kendrick turned up...This is the illest rapper in the fucking game."

Bryson Tiller showed up on "First Take" and Travi$ connected on the hook with Young Thug on the previously released "Pick up the Phone."  

The pair discussed Travi$' year of touring with the Weeknd and Kanye West. "The Weeknd taught me how to make big songs. I love that type of show," Travi$ admitted before noting that he actually finished the album while on the road with West. "We finished this album on the Saint Pablo tour. I mixed and mastered this on the bus. We went from rehearsals with Kanye during the day and then go and mix the album," he explained. However, it's unlikely you are going to see Travi$ open for anyone anymore because he is ready for his own tours.

Travi$ announced the project back in the early spring, but details about it have been hard to come by ever since. He hinted that the album would drop in early July, but that date passed without any news. Then, during a concert in Coney Island, N.Y., he shared the release date of Aug. 5. "I want everyone to lock in a date right now in their brains," he said. He missed that date also, and then promised and missed another release date of Aug. 26. Now, after weeks of waiting and speculation, we finally get to hear the album.

Scott recently inked a deal with Apple Music to distribute his work. He discussed it with the Shade 45 crew, saying "I just did my partnership with Apple Music and shit...Larry’s fucking amazing. That dude, he believes. He’s always talked to me when I was like beginning off. He always gave me that advice. You know, just to figure out where I’m going. So, I'm glad he's down to take this trip with the kid and with this album; it’s super good." He also announced an accompanying Birds in the Trap Sing McKnight short film, but there's no word on when that will be dropping. 

Interestingly enough, Travi$ got the inspiration for the title from Quavo, who is featured on "Pick Up the Phone" rapping "Birds in the trap sing Brian McKnight." 

With his third album ASTROWORLD already announced, it seems that fans are in for a steady stream of new Travi$ music for the foreseeable future. Listen to Travi$ Scott and Chase B. play Birds in the Trap Sing McKnight on Beats 1 and break down the album here and grab your copy of the album out now exclusively on Apple right here. You can also catch Travi$ Scott at the first ever ComplexCon going down this November.

Travi$ was also nice enough to share "Ra Ra," a collaboration with Lil Uzi Vert that didn't make the album. You can check that out below.

Want to experience Complex IRL? Check out ComplexCon, a festival and exhibition on Nov. 5-6, 2016 in Long Beach, Calif., featuring performances, panels, and more. For ticket info, click here.