Josh Byrd

UWRT-1104-006
November 3, 2015
Assignment Two Revised
Introduction
The majority of people never get the opportunity to make their dreams become reality.
Many lack motivation, doubt their abilities, and receive continuous rejection. Then there are
those who take the step to begin their journey. The journey isnt always easy but despite the hate
and doubt, these people carry on and strive towards their goals. This is what Jacquese Webster
did and towards the end of his journey, he became Travis Scott, one of hip hops hottest artist in
2015.
Travis Scott has been one of my favorite artists since 2013 when I first heard his mixtape,
Owl Pharaoh. There was a clear influence of Kanye West and Kid Cudi in his music. Kanye
West is a hip hop rapper/producer while Kid Cudi is a hip hop/rock artist and producer. As those
are also two artists that I enjoy listening to, Travis Scotts music really impressed me. The
musical composition of the songs is what drew me in. Something about his music just sounded
different. The hooks to the various melodic and beat shifts within his songs were some of the
things that caught my attention to his music. At times his lyrics may seem meaningless but on his
debut album Rodeo, he tells the story of how he became the person who he is today. The word
Rodeo is a reflection of his journey. From dropping out of college to being homeless, Scotts
life was wild and untamed. During this quest, he went through some self discovering and came
into his own. With his first two projects, Owl Pharaoh and Days Before Rodeo, he was searching
for his own sound. By the time he released Rodeo, he had found and mastered the sound he was
searching for and he had formed a style of his own. While his music is categorized as hip hop, he

incorporates many elements of rock and indie into his songs. The combination of his auto-tuned
voice and production is what makes his sound so unique.
Rodeo tells a story of self discovery and in ways it motivates others to do the same. Scott
lives by his own rules and he does things the way he wants to. While most hip hop concerts
involve audience members singing along to the lyrics with the performer, Scotts shows involve
its audience members raging. Is this just reckless behavior, or is there more to it? Scotts life
journey and shows all connect to this term of Rodeo. For this reason, his fan base is able to
relate to his music. The majority of his fans are teenagers or young adults. Scotts music is very
fun, loud, exciting, but it is also motivating and nostalgic in a sense. Audience members and
listeners can party to his music but can also reflect and uplift themselves while listening to his
music. The youth can connect to his story as well as the music itself and the fun vibes his music
creates. Rodeo is an album for the the younger generation to listen to. They can enjoy its sound
and feel empowered and motivated by hearing Travis Scotts story.

Literature Review
On Travis Scotts album, Rodeo, he tells the story of how he became the person he is
today. Today he is Travis Scott but he was once known as Jacques Webster. His journey started in
Missouri City, a suburban town in Houston, Texas. In high school he was involved with and he
played sports. While he enjoyed high school, he knew he was destined for bigger things
(Barshad, 2014). Making music was his passion but his parents wanted him to focus on school.
He turned his room into a studio and he would sleep in a chair. His parents on the other hand did
not approve of this and his father would often shut off the power in Jaqs room. In the song
Grey he raps about how this would lead to fist fights between he and his father. Despite this,

Jaq continued to make music. After graduating High School, he went to the University of Texas
at Austin and then later transferred to the The University of Texas at San Antonio.
But the day came when Jaq had to leave the life he had and begin to pursue his dream. On
the first track of Rodeo, Pornography, he sings about coming to the realization that he wants to
get out of Houston become somebody. So he decided to drop out of college and he used the
money his parents sent him for school on a one-way ticket to New York City. (SwaysUniverse,
Travis Scott Stops By The Sway In The Morning to Talk Days Before Rodeo, Relationship
with Kanye). In New York he began producing and collaborating with various artists in the
local area but things just werent happening the way he planned. By 2011, his parents disowned
him once they found out he had dropped out and they no longer sent him money. He was
homeless and he slept on couches for a few months. On the second track, Oh My Dis Side
Scott sings:
Mama kicked me out the house now, oh my
I might end up on the couch now, oh my
Im on a flight now, oh my
LA at another couch now, oh my
After his time in New York was done, Jaq used the last of his funds on a ticket to Los Angeles,
California. He stayed with a friend who lived in LA as he continued making music. He posted his
content on Myspace and he put it under a new name, Travis Scott.
That name began to get around the music industry. His parents turned off his phone and at
this point Scott didnt have any money so he had to go back home to Houston. Luckily, his friend
was able to buy him a ticket to come back to LA and when he got there his phone service was
back on. When he checked his phone, he saw that he had voicemails and messages from T.I, a

southern rapper who is the founder and CEO of Grand Hustle Records (Rolling Stone). In 2012,
T.I and Scott collaborated on their first song Animal (Twum-Barima, Travis Scott: Get
Familiar). While the song wasnt a hit single, it signified the beginning of the future success he
would have. In the following verse of Oh My Dis Side, he sings:
Bout to get some cash now, oh my
Got my momma that new house now, oh my
Now she cannot kick me out now, oh my
At this point, Jacques Webster had become Travis Scott and he was beginning to get contacts
with some of the biggest hip hop artists in the industry. Although he wasnt as big as it may
seem, that verse symbolizes his success along with the acceptance of his parents. Also, it shows
how he wanted to take care and provide for his family. In an interview given by Mouloud Achour
in 2015, Scott states, Were just here for the love and shit. We wanna inspire other black kids. I
got a little sister. I got a little brother. I got an older brother thats autistic, man. That was my
mentor. He cant talk, and he taught me how to walk. I do it for him, man. It comes from that, my
whole drive. My mom, she can barely walk. Scott still had some work to do but the fact that he
was becoming a star at just the age of 19 is incredible, and while he was there, he didnt forget
his family.
Now that he was starting to establish himself, his parents realized that their son had a
future as a hip hop artist. He was working with some of the likes of T.I, Kanye West, and Jay Z.
In 2012 he co-produced songs on GOOD Musics Cruel Summer and on Kanye Wests album
Yeezus which realesed in 2013. He even produced and featured on Crown, a song from Jay Zs
Magna Carta album which also released in 2013. (Hot 97, Travis Scott on black peoples
problems, diversity & Houston) Meanwhile, he released his first project in 2013, Owl Pharaoh

and then in 2014 he released Days Before Rodeo. During all this, young Travis was living the fast
life; from partying to spending extravagantly, he did as he pleased. On tracks such as 3500 and
Wasted, Scott raps about this lifestyle. Whether it was spending thousands of dollars on
clothing or partying to his bodys breaking point, Scott did it all during this time. Scott doesnt
just live this way, but he brings this wild lifestyle to his live shows. In an interview with DJ
Drama on Gangsta Grillz Radio, Scott talks about how he wants to be a complete performer and
really perform how he lives. He states, I just try to bring the music to lifeIm a big advocate
of 360 performances and 360 artists. By 360 he means complete and he refers to artists such
as T.I and Kid Cudi as some of his influences on how they perform and make music in a way that
reflects how they actually live.
Travis Scotts live performances are fun and exciting but at the same time they are very
chaotic. In Frazier Tharpe article about his first hand experience at a Travis Scott show, he states,
He (Scott) was raps agent of chaos, aiming to make his show as hectic as possible while he
prowled around inhumanly across the stageThe organic fan base was very real, yelping every
word and going way way way up to even his mellower songs or features that bore his
distinguishable mark. (The response to Company was as insane as it was unexpected). In
tracks such as Nightcrawler and Antidote, Scott really embeds the energy and madness that
is present at his shows into these songs. The party themed lyrics along with the production and
musical composition of the songs calls for raging. Raging is basically a form of having fun and
in this case it is at a concert or show. It involves jumping, dancing, crowd surfing, and more. In
an interview conducted by GQ, Scott explains the term raging and the environment placed for
his shows by stating, Raging, having fun, and expressing good feelings is something I plan on
spreading across the globe. We dont like people that just standYou find anything youre gonna

use to consume that will get you lit, that will get you ready to go, whether its your drugs, water,
orange juice, alcohol, do whatever you want to do man, get it in and you just have fun. This
type of environment is very wild. The combination of his on stage energy and the music is what
makes his shows so different and exciting. Mouloud Achour asks Scott, Whats going on in your
head when youre on stage? and Scott replies, Chaos, man. I mean just seeing, like, the
extreme. Just seeing a congregation, a group of individuals, whether young, old, middle-aged
just seeing them for-what, 15 minutes, 30 minutes? lose their fuckin mind to some music
Thats like the best feeling ever. Its better than any drug. The entire atmosphere of his shows is
rampant and the energy he puts into each song is unbelievable.
While he is labeled as a hip hop artist, his music sounds different to other artists. Early in
his career, he was often criticized for taking the musical styles of other artists. While he is highly
influenced by Kid Cudi, Kanye West, and southern hip hop culture, by time he had finished
making Rodeo, he had mastered his own sound (MTV, Travis Scott Talks About Collaborating
w/Kanye West & Drake and His New Tour | MTV News). On the track, Piss on Your Grave,
Scott address the haters and sings:
My, my, my, my, look at little Scotty now
The same fuckers that used to doubt
All preaching that they proud
This track shows how he proved the doubters wrong. While there will always be those who have
negative criticism, Scott has been able to excel through the hate.
Now that Scott has made a name for himself, he is finally receiving his well deserved
praise. On the track, 90210, Scott described the first part of the song as him reflecting while he

is on a flight heading to Los Angeles (Mouloud Achour, Clique X Travis Scott). In the second
part of the song, Scott sings about making it as an artist and what that means for him. He sings:
What happened? Now my daddy happy, mama called me up
That money coming and she love me, I done made it now
I done found lifes meaning now
All them days her heartd break, her heart not in pieces now
This symbolizes how his family is proud of him and basically how his mother can now fully
support him. Apple Pie is the final track of the album and it symbolizes Scott becoming his
own person and him discovering who he is. During the hook of the song, he sings:
I dont want your apple pie no more
I need my own pepper pepper, please, pepper, pepper seeds
Need my own reme-remedy, my own legacy
Yeah I dont want your apple pie, mama
I need my own pepper please
My own legacy, my own recipe
He knows who he is now and through his journey he has learned about himself. This song
signifies both self discovering and a sense of coming of age since he no longer needs the
immediate support of his nurturing mother. Scott completes his journey of the Rodeo and he
seems ready for lifes next chapter.
Entering the Conversation
Travis Scotts story is similar to the story of many kids with dreams and high aspirations.
The youth can relate to how he wanted to do big things in life but his parents told him other wise.
There are plenty of kids out there who have great ideas, talents, and abilities, but there are

obstacles in their way of getting to where they want to be in life. For example, ones parents,
family members or friends could advise them not to reach their goal due to the low probability of
them reaching it. On the track, Grey Scott describes a fight he got into with his father. His
family did not support his music. They wanted him to focus on school rather than making music
all day. This lack of encouragement and the doubt can be something that hinders the youth from
reaching their goals. But at the same time, this could be what pushes one to go to take charge and
prove the doubters wrong just as Jaq did.
While Jaq was in high school he turned his bedroom into a studio and he slept in a chair.
This is a sign of the dedication he had. Being dedicated is something difficult some people may
have. The expectations held by others along with being involved in multiple areas can prevent
one from focusing on the one thing that could get them far. Primary and secondary education are
important, but being too involved with too many extra curricular activities may harm a student
who has a great amount of potential in one specific area. For example, if a student who is
involved with school politics, Model UN, the choir, a National Honors Society member, pitcher
for the baseball team, and a crucial player of the soccer team, but hed like to focus on soccer,
why should he continue to balance his time between all of the other activities? Because his
parents want him to? Because you need to be well rounded to get into college?
If a student has both the abilities and a passion in a certain area, he or she should focus
on this area and pursue it. I understand that high school is structured to help students prepare for
college, but if this student has the potential to be something special in one area, why can't they do
so. Many students worry about being accepted into college so they end up taking certain courses
and getting involved in extra curricular activities to enhance their application. Instead of having
genuine interest in these areas, students just get involved so it looks good when applying to

college. Being involved is beneficial and it does contribute to a student's growth, but what about
fulfilling the growth in the key areas that are needed. After graduating high school, I believe
students who are gifted and serious about their passion or area of interest should follow a path
that leads to their success in that area. For example, if a high school student is serious about
soccer and has the potential to play professional, he should attend an academy Dover program to
help prepare him. The academy would offer more training and a higher level of competition than
a college soccer program would. At he same time, the academy would have courses for the
players to take while they're not training. While this example mainly relates to a athletes, it could
also apply to aspiring artists, singers, dancers, musicians, music and film producers, along with
other fields that aren't always offered at college.
A college education seems to benefit those going into the medical and engineering work
force but for this looking to do something different, their college may not have strong programs
in those areas. Jaq attended The University of Texas at Austin and then transferred to The
University of Texas at San Antonio but the time came when he realized he was going to do
bigger things, so he dropped out. The money his mother would send him for school, he used on a
plane ticket to New York. That was the beginning of his journey.
School is important but it isn't for everyone. Students would gain much more experience
in their fields if there were specific programs or internships to help prepare them. In some sense,
this was Jaq's internship. He went out on his own to make a name for himself. He began working
with artists in New York and was improving his skill set. He was homeless and slept on couches
for a few months until he decided to go to LA. While he was in LA his parents found out that he
dropped out of school so they shut off his phone along with all funds and money going his way
that was suppose to be spent on school. This is a clear indication of the risk and difficulty that

comes with taking a different path and choosing not to attend school. Due to the lack of funds
and no way of communicating, Jaq had to go back to Houston and stay with his parents for a
while.
Despite their lack of support and approval, he continued to produce songs and he would
post them on Myspace. He worked day in and day out, and finally one of his friends was able to
get him a ticket to LA. By then, his phone service got turned back on and he had messages from
the Grand Hustle Records rapper, T.I. Not everyone will get the opportunity to excel to that level
in their specific field but for those that do, being in the right setting and hard work is necessary.
If he were to continue school, he wouldn't have been able to focus on making music to the same
capacity he was able to when he dropped out. Also, his name got out and he gradually built a
reputation for himself and his music. His life story is very unique, but those looking to pursue a
field that doesn't have much opportunity in a college setting should look for alternatives so they
can turn their dreams into a reality.
Conclusion
Rodeo is an album for the youth to listen to for both pure enjoyment and inspiration.
Travis Scott shares many similarities with kids who have dreams of doing big things when they
grow up. The structures of society and circumstances of individuals lead kids to doubt and not
believe that they can achieve these goals. I believe kids who are both talented and very
passionate in certain areas that are excluded from college programs should look for alternatives
in trying to pursue their dreams. College is a great place but it isnt for everyone. For those
looking to become professional athletes, singers, dancers, or any other field in the art world
should look for specific programs that can significantly benefit them and lead them closer to
reaching pursing their dreams.

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