Travis Scott has positioned himself as a misunderstood rebel with inflammatory rhetoric and a subversive sound. His major label debut, Rodeo, arrived at #3 on the Billboard 200 despite mixed reviews, showing his commercial success. However, Scott expects to remain a pop pariah due to the perception that his music is overly influenced by its featured guests like Kanye West and Future, though he denies this and says he worked on the album alone. The album discusses drinking and drug use frequently, but Scott denies being a heavy user himself, saying he only smokes weed occasionally and does not do hard drugs. He finds it weird adjusting to constant paparazzi attention but is trying to focus on his music. Justin Bieber

1. Since hisbreakoutmixtape,2013’sOwl Pharaoh,Londonrapper/producerTravisScotthas
positionedhimself asamisunderstoodrebel,withmoshpitfilled shows, andaninflammatory
rhetoricand a subversivesound.The Kanye Westcollaborator(whoplayedakeyrole inYeezus’dark
palette) flauntsthatpersonaall overhismajor-label debut,Rodeo(Epic),whicharrivesatNo.3 on
the Billboard200 with85,000 equivalent albumunits(accordingtoNielsenMusic),despitemixed
reviewsfromcritics.Butevenwithcommercial success,rumorshe’sdatingRihanna(whichhe
refusestocommenton) andsongswithJustinBieber,Scott,23, expectstoremainapop pariah:
“People don’tgive me achance,man.”
Criticshave saidRodeosoundsoverlyinfluencedbyitsmanyfeaturedguests:Kanye,Future,Young
Thug etc.What’s yourresponse tothat?
I don’tthinktheyunderstandme.Because of the “bignames”Iknow,theyfeel thatplays a bigrole
inwhy mymusicis howit is.It’slike acheat code.No,man! I workedonthisalbumbymyself.I
playeditforKanye and T.I.a weekortwobefore Iwas aboutto turn it in.
The albumtalksa lotaboutdrinkinganddrug use.Are youa heavy userof either?
It stressesme outbecause people thinkI’mona lotof drugs,whichfuckingpissesme off.I’mnotat
all.I barelydrinkalcohol andIsmoke weedkindof.ButI don’tdo coke or any of that crazy-assshit.
How hasit beenadjustingtopaparazzi constantlyfollowingyou?
]It’skindof crazy. I’mreallynotintothe whole cameraand all that shit.Soit’skindof weirdbutI
guessthat’sjustwhat comeswithit.I’mjusttryingto focuson what I’mdoing.
How didyouget JustinBiebertosingon“Maria I’m Drunk,”whichalsofeaturesYoungThug?
He reachedoutto me because the songleaked.He hitme on Face Time,Isentthe song and he
calledme the nextday:He alreadyhadit done!Thatdude is talented.Hisvoice isasample onits
own. That’show I thinkaboutthisshit:These people are notfeaturesonmyalbum -- these are
samples.That’swhyonthe back of myalbumsthere are no feature credits.