From No. 1 records to mega-brand collaborations, Travis Scott has established himself as one of the biggest names in the game. And he intends on using his popularity to promote social change.
In the latest issue of The Face, the Houston artist addresses Black Lives Matter, which this year was internationally refueled by the police killing of George Floyd. Scott told journalist Ira Madison III he considers himself a "tool" for the cause and is willing to use his resources and platform to assist the fight for racial justice.
"People are finally seeing the oppression that’s been happening and overlooked, and that we, as a culture, have been fighting through every day. We got a voice to try to make change. Allow me to help in any way," Scott said on set of the cover shoot. "People are listening, you know what I mean? And we want to try to make sure they understand that I’m a tool. Let me know where we got to go show up. It’s a big picture. It’s like a lot of groundwork we got to do. I mean, look how many leaders we have in the Black community."
Scott touched on the ways his spirituality influences his music. “My grandmother and my grandfather always kept me in that. My mom and dad always. For sure, a thousand per cent. I still find faith in everything. I mean, I’ve made records where I don’t curse. Not every song has to have a curse word in it for it to be good. And I think, even in the beginning, [Kanye’s music] was church-inspired, too.”
Trav said he’s excited about his next album, although he’s holding off during quarantine since he needs it to “hit the streets.” He did acknowledge his work’s not all about communal raging. “I got music for the crib, too. You know, just the vibe. It ain’t always just gotta be lit,” he said.
He also lamented missing out on his opportunity to headline Coachella 2020. “I was so looking forward to it, man. I was so ready, so happy. It was two weeks before my birthday. I was like, man, I had it. This Coachella, it felt like it was a little more special, you know?" he said.
Scott's Face feature was photographed by David LaChapelle, who shot the rapper's 2018 ASTROWORLD album cover. Alexandra Rose, Mackenzie Grandquist, and Brett Lannelson styled the shoot.
"[Scott] is the monumental star of the moment," said The Face editor Stuart Brumfitt, according to WWD. "His music is era-defining. He’s a close collaborator of Kanye West. He’s teaming with McDonald’s on Happy Meals and soundtracking Tenet, the biggest movie of the year. His influence on culture can be felt everywhere, but he’s never been known to be hugely political."
Scott's cover story appears in vol. 4, issue 004 of The Face, available on newsstands now.
