When he first began his annual Astroworld Festival,Travis Scott definitely aspired to make it something his fans wouldn’t forget. With each passing year, the event grew substantially, though 2021 was unfortunately when it all fell apart. In November of that year, 10 attendees (aged 9 to 27) lost their lives in a massive crowd crush. Their official cause of death was declared as “compression asphyxia,” which has been compared to being crushed by a car. Scott was hit with several lawsuits as a result of the fatal chaos, and while many of those have since been settled, on Monday (November 6), another legal case against La Flame came to light.
As The Blast reports, Ceremony of Roses is taking legal action against the father of two for “substantial financial harm” caused by the Astroworld Fest. The company previously provided Scott and Co. with carnival games and other amusements for the deadly event. According to them, the “SKELETONS” artist is responsible for the lack of safety measures implemented. When all was said and done, Ceremony of Roses claims they were left with no feasible way to recoup $700K worth of out-of-pocket expenses.
November 2023 Marks Two Years Since Travis Scott’s Deadly Astroworld Festival
“At the very minimum, Defendants owed COR a duty to exercise ordinary care in maintaining a safe and secure environment for COR’s business activities and Festival attendees,” the newly filed lawsuit, which also names Live Nation, declared. “Defendants negligently and willfully breached this duty in numerous respects.” Currently, Ceremony of Roses is seeking an unspecified amount in damages from Scott.
November 5 was a traumatic day to relive for anyone who was at Travis Scott’s Houston festival in 2021. As the lives of those who succumbed to their injuries from the crowd crush are mourned by their loved ones, La Flame has been focusing on moving past the incident while on his Circus Maximus Tour. While taking over SoFi Stadium this past weekend, Trav brought out his firstborn, Stormi Webster, to perform “MAFIA” with him. Catch that adorable moment at the link below, and check back later for more hip-hop/pop culture news updates.
Two sources told the publisher that the deposition lasted nearly eight hours. In a statement shared with the outlet, Scott’s spokesperson, Ted Anastasiou, addressed the matter.
“Travis Scott’s deposition is typical legal procedure,” said Anastasiou. “What is not typical is how the media continues to focus on him despite being cleared of any wrongdoing by extensive government investigations, including by the Houston Police Department. Travis is fully cooperating with the legal process while still remaining committed to his tour in support of his record-breaking album, Utopia, and his charitable efforts to support at-risk communities.”
The tragic incident, which supposedly led to thousands of injuries and nearly a dozen deaths, sparked an investigation by Congress to ensure public safety at future large-scale music events. Several families have quietly reached a settlement with Scott and the event’s promoter, Live Nation. However, Billboard revealed that there could still be upwards of 1,500 remaining active cases.
The first trial of the lawsuits is scheduled for May 6, 2024.
Travis Scott’s UTOPIA reigns atop the Billboard 200 albums chart once again, cinching its third week at the No. 1 spot. Moreover, this reflects continued interest and playback for the long-awaited project, which didn’t please everyone but certainly provoked a lot of conversation. In fact, if it goes number one for another week, then La Flame will beat his personal best when it comes to chart-topping albums. His previous full-length, ASTROWORLD, also spent three straight weeks dominating the charts, so we’ll see if UTOPIA beats it out within another week or so. While it hasn’t matched the sheer sales numbers of the 2018 LP during their first weeks, it would still be quite impressive.
Also, many might point out that Travis Scott doesn’t necessarily have a whole lot of albums to compete with in his work. After all, there are only four studio albums to work with, all of which garnered astonishing commercial success. Regardless, this plays with the narrative of which one is his best, a debate that will likely never cease to intrigue fans. You might not love UTOPIA, but the “I KNOW ?” MC definitely created a moment with it that he keeps turning into a milestone.
Meanwhile, if you look at UTOPIA‘s physical record sales, then this Billboard dominance should come as no surprise. Furthermore, the album beat its own record that it set just weeks prior for the biggest vinyl sales week (93K copies) for a hip-hop album in recorded history. The conversation around bundles inflating these numbers and other considerations hasn’t died down, which slightly taints these accomplishments in many’s eyes. Still, with five covers to collect, Travis Scott isn’t exactly making that subtle.
Travis Scott Beats His Own Vinyl Sales Record
.@trvisXX‘s ‘UTOPIA’ earns the biggest vinyl sales week for a rap album in Nielsen history with 93K sold, breaking its own record. pic.twitter.com/rLpA4C7j6e
As such, a lot of conversation among fans surrounding UTOPIA is focused on the music itself, because commercial success kind of comes with the territory. Tracks like “MY EYES” and “DELRESTO (ECHOES)” make for some of the most unique in his discography, although many compared the tracklist to many other artists’ work. People are still debating about their favorites and revisiting them, and that longevity’s starting to show up in the charts in a big way. With that in mind, come back to HNHH for the latest news and updates on Travis Scott.
Back in 2018, Travis Scott came out with an incredible album called Astroworld. In the eyes of many, this is his magnum opus. However, there are others who would argue that Rodeo is the better project. Either way, Astro turned five years old on Thursday, and fans have been running the album back. Sure, Utopia just came out last week. However, Astroworld still needs to be replayed so we can get the full scope of Travis and his evolution as an artist.
While speaking to Rap Caviar recently, Scott spoke about Astroworld and his thoughts when he was in the midst of dropping it. As he revealed, his Lollapalooza performance is when he really became aware of how big this album could be. “When I walked out in Chicago and I just remember like the energy that was out there. That’s when I was like, ‘Damn, it might be alright,’” Travis Scott explained. “At this moment with Lollapalooza, I was just like I think people could like understand what like I’m trying to do musically.”
Not even @trvisXX could predict how massive ASTROWORLD would be. Happy 5th anniversary to the album that solidified Travis Scott as one of hip-hop’s biggest stars! pic.twitter.com/3X9mruEaa8
Moreover, Scott noted that there was a specific sound that he was going for on Astroworld. He wanted fans to connect with it, and as it so happens, that is exactly what they did. “I didn’t know how it was gonna be perceived. I will always wanna hear my album for the first time and fans after that make it feel way better,” Travis revealed. “This the album that people really fuck with. And this the album people really understand. You know what I mean? It’s kinda crazy.”
Five years later and Astrworld is still considered one of the best hip-hop records of the last 10 years. It brought a lot of fans into the world of La Flame, and with Utopia, fans are eager to continue listening. Let us know your favorite song from Astroworld, in the comments section down below. We will always be sure to keep you informed.
Travis Scott is currently in the news thanks to the release of his brand-new album, Utopia. Overall, this has proven to be a polarizing album. Some people love it, and others absolutely hate it. With that being said, many are looking back at Scott’s output to see what his best album truly is. While we maintain that it is Rodeo, Astroworld would have to be a close second. In fact, today marks the fifth anniversary of the latter’s release. This project was a tour de force when it dropped, and it is still making an impact.
When you look at the 17-track runtime of Astroworld, you will immediately see a ton of great tracks. Of course, “Sicko Mode” and “Stargazing” are huge standouts. However, you cannot talk about this album without also mentioning “Skeletons” with the likes of Tame Impala and The Weeknd. Overall, this track brings forth a gorgeous psychedelic sound that puts Scott and The Weeknd’s voices front and center. Meanwhile, that iconic Tame Impala guitar tone reigns supreme.
Astroworld was always going for a psychedelic sound to begin with. However, on this track in particular, we get the culmination of these psych-trap elements. Moreover, it is probably one of the few instances on the album where Scott is able to stand out when compared to his features. When you look back at Travis and his discography, this is a song that has to be considered one of his top 10 efforts.
Let us know what you think of this Astroworld cut, in the comments section down below. Additionally, tell us your favorite song from the album, in the comments section down below. You can also stay tuned to HNHH for the latest news and updates from around the music world. We will always be sure to keep you informed on the biggest releases from the biggest artists.
Quotable Lyrics:
We just rocked Coachella, I gave her half of the check It was good sex, honorable mention to the neck (Just let this wash on me) Didn’t pass the loud, that was out of respect
Travis Scott’s new album UTOPIA is finally here, and it’s already seeing a lot of incredible success. Moreover, it’s the fifth biggest opening streaming day for an album in Spotify’s history. Obviously, it’s the biggest one so far in 2023. With over 128 million first-day streams, the album joins the ranks of Drake’s Certified Lover Boy and Scorpion, Taylor Swift’s Midnights, and Bad Bunny’s Un Verano Sin Ti as the platform’s largest album streaming debuts, standing behind all of those. In addition, this is double what his last album ASTROWORLD garnered day one on Spotify. Every song on UTOPIA landed in the top 19 of Spotify’s U.S. chart.
However, allegations emerged that the final police report on the 2021 Astroworld Festival tragedy came out on the same day as UTOPIA in order to hurt these sales. Furthermore, these came from Travis Scott’s attorney Kent Schafer, who remarked to TMZ that this is no mere coincidence. For example, he explained that the rollout led specifically to this date, and that they informed people of such Also, he denied claims that the Houston artist was responsible for, or aware of, deaths and injuries at the concert. After this news broke, representatives for the “DELRESTO” MC issued a statement to the publication responding to these conclusions.
“The timing of the Houston Police Department report’s release, coinciding with the launch of Travis Scott’s highly anticipated album, is anything but coincidental,” they expressed. “Travis Scott and his team were, as anticipated, fully cleared of any wrongdoing associated with the Astroworld tragedy by a grand jury based on the very report released today. It is outrageous that HPD has chosen to resort to tactics that attempt to discredit Travis and his team, casting doubt on how the unfortunate events at Astroworld actually transpired while deflecting blame from their own critical failures.
More Impressive Streaming Accomplishments For UTOPIA
Travis Scott occupies the entire top 19 on the US Spotify chart with every song from ‘UTOPIA’ pic.twitter.com/FKHHzXC4fU
— TRAVIS SCOTT FAN PAGE (@dailytrvisxx) July 29, 2023
‘UTOPIA’ (128m) 𝗗𝗢𝗨𝗕𝗟𝗘𝗦 the opening day streams that ‘ASTROWORLD’ received (64m) on Spotify
“Travis’s commitment to his audience’s safety and well-being is well-documented,” the statement continues. “As reported countless times, he actively stopped the show three separate times. Contrary to the HPD report’s inaccuracies, the concert did end at the exact time communicated to Travis. Meanwhile, Houston police officers present at the event did not intervene during the unfolding situation. They were observed throughout the show standing by idly, buying merch and even filming the concert in its entirety. We encourage the Houston PD to make peace with the fact that Travis Scott and his team were found innocent of any wrongdoing and to focus on what really matters – making sure tragedies like Astroworld never occur again under their watch.” For more news and the latest updates on Travis Scott, keep checking in with HNHH.
Travis Scott is feeling fired up. The rapper was recently cleared of all wrongdoing from the 2021 Astroworld Festival tragedy, in which multiple people were injured and killed due to a swelling crowd. The civil and criminal charges were dropped, letting Travis move on with his life and career. His latest stunt: Hyping the crowds up yet again, this time jumping and performing on an SUV at Openair Frauenfeld. The biggest European hip-hop festival kicked things off with a bang, with Scott turning everything up to eleven.
Openair Frauenfeld 2023 goes from July 6th to the 8th, which means Travis Scott was the main opening act. Fans were over-the-moon with Scott’s performance. This makes sense, considering he’s always been a tremendous live performer. And while many speculated whether he’d dial it back due to the Astroworld tragedy in Houston a few years back, that wasn’t the case Thursday night. Travis is back to being 100 percent himself.
Travis Scott isn’t just driving the masses wild with his stage antics. He is ramping up marketing for his upcoming album, UTOPIA. His most recent tease comes via a new tour bus with the album title in big letters. He’s also been filming an album commercial all over the world, tagging the name on random buildings in Europe and other places. It’s been a minute since a new Scott tracklist surfaced, so UTOPIA is anticipated with wild expectations, for sure.
In other Travis Scott news, he was partying with Quavo and a ton of other music celebrities at Michael Rubin’s white-out party. The night featured everybody donning all-white clothing and cutting loose. Guests included Tom Brady, Kevin Hart, French Montana, Meek Mill, Odell Beckham, and James Harden. Mobbing with the stars and leaping on cars; it’s safe to say Travis is all the way back to his fast-life, go-wild self.
Earlier on Thursday (June 29), fans everywhere expressed shock at the news that a Houston grand jury would meet to determine whether they would criminally chargeTravis Scott for the ten deaths and many injuries as a result of a crowd crush at the 2021 Astroworld Festival. Moreover, his attorney Kent Schaffer informed the press of the jury’s upcoming decision. Now, we know that the court did not find sufficient evidence to formally indict La Flame for the tragedy. Furthermore, Schaffer stated that no articulation on what the specific charges would be came forward. According to court documents obtained by KHOU 11, Scott was no billed on an involuntary homicide charge.
Of course, this news shocked fans not because of the severity and criminal prosecution of the case, but because it took so long for the court to discuss this issue. Still, Travis Scott never took the witness stand for his testimony, but reports indicate that he did participate in police interviews to shed light on the disaster. “Nothing Travis did or failed to do fits within the Texas criminal code,” Schaffer had stated in relation to this case. Regardless, prosecutors made their case before the grand jury, but the parties involved ultimately decided that it would be a fruitless endeavor.
Even though this is a win for Travis Scott, it doesn’t diminish the horrible and avoidable events that went down at the 2021 Astroworld Festival. Whether you attribute that blame to the 32-year-old, larger event planners, or city organizers is another question entirely. In addition, the families of the victims or injured victims themselves still presented lawsuits against the rapper and those involved in Astroworld’s planning. As such, we’re sure that this is a big legal sidestep, but not the only obstacle in his path regarding this tragedy.
Meanwhile, this news comes as hype for his next album UTOPIA is at an all-time high. New billboards point towards a July 21 release date, although considering release patterns these days, anything could happen. Perhaps the Cactus Jack frontman will actually address some of these themes on wax, however unlikely that seems given legal liability. For more news and the latest updates on Travis Scott, keep checking in with HNHH.
Reuters reports that today (June 29), a grand jury in Houston is meeting about bringing criminal charges against Scott. Kent Schaffer, Scott’s lawyer, confirmed the news and noted it was unclear if the jury’s decision would arrive today. Schaffer attested, though, “Nothing Travis did or failed to do fits within the Texas criminal code.”
As Reuters notes, “Prosecutors will present evidence to grand jurors and ask them whether there is probable cause to support criminal charges. The proceeding does not necessarily mean any charges will be filed.”
The impact of the crowd crush was wide-ranging: A court filing from last year revealed that there were nearly 5,000 claims of injuries stemming from the incident. Overall, the crowd crush resulted in 10 documented deaths. One woman trapped in the crowd crush also claimed it caused her to have a miscarriage.
Travis Scott has been teasing his next album UTOPIA in an extensive fashion as of late. Overall, this is good timing when you consider how it has been almost five years since the release of Astroworld. At the start of Scott’s career, he came out with five projects in the span of five years. During that time, he went through various stylistic shifts. From the raw energy of Owl Pharoah to the psychedelic musings of Astroworld, Travis has never shied away from experimenting with his sound.
Consequently, fans are expecting a huge shift on UTOPIA which has been in production for years at this point. However, with UTOPIA on the way, now is as good of a time as ever to look back at his first five projects, and rank them from worst to best. The albums in question are simply his solo endeavors. That means Jackboys and Huncho Jack, Jack Huncho won’t be considered.
5. Owl Pharoah (2013)
Firstly, we have Travis Scott’s first full-length project, Owl Pharoah, which dropped back in 2013. At this time in his career, Scott was still trying to figure out what kind of artist he wanted to be. He had writing credits on Yeezus, which suggested he was all about creating new sounds. Upon listening to Owl Pharoah, this experimentation became evident. Tracks like “Quintana” and “Upper Echelon” had a maximalist quality to them that proved to be exciting. From the big choruses to the anthemic production, these songs felt like the first stages of a superstar in the making.
Unfortunately, the rest of the album isn’t able to live up to the singles mentioned above. Much of this has to do with the songwriting and production, which oftentimes feel unfinished. A good example is “Bad Mood/Sh*t On You,” which contains a jarring beat switch halfway through the song. Beat switches are a key feature in Travis Scott’s music; however, these days, he is much more clever about how he does it. Furthermore, the rest of the album can feel clunky thanks to out-of-place features, songs that overstay their welcome, and some glaring attempts at doing Kanye cosplay.
4. Birds In The Trap Sing McKnight (2016)
Birds In The Trap Sing McKnight might be in the lower half of Travis Scott’s discography, but it is by no means a bad album. Overall, BITTSM is an album that helped cement Scott as a hitmaker in hip-hop. From “Goosebumps” with Kendrick Lamar to “Wonderful” with The Weeknd, this album had bangers from front to back. Not to mention, this is also the project that helped turn Nav into a household name, thanks to “Biebs In The Trap.”
At this point, it had been one year since Travis had released Rodeo. Therefore, it can be said that his sound was well-established. The key selling point for Travis at this time was his ability to craft catchy tracks that contained moody yet progressive trap production. Moreover, his autotuned vocals and signature ad-libs were beloved and imitated by many. That said, Travis had all of the ingredients to create a memorable album.
For the most part, he did just that. After all, the first track, “The Ends,” contains a feature from Andre 3000, which is always going to garner attention. Unfortunately, there are times when the album feels like “Travis Scott By The Numbers.” Sure, the songs are good, but at the time of this release, many of these tracks contained ideas we had already heard. It’s easy to see how a fan could listen to Rodeo and then feel like BITTSM is a leftover album.
3. Days Before Rodeo (2014)
Just a year after the release of Owl Pharoah, Travis Scott began preparing for his 2015 album, Rodeo. Part of his rollout was a mixtape called Days Before Rodeo. Much like Owl Pharoah, this album is full of energy and a version of Travis that is still trying to find his sound. However, a couple of things are different here. Firstly, Scott sounds infinitely more confident here. Secondly, the production choices and vocal performances align with what makes Scott such a phenomenal artist.
Starting with the opener, “The Prayer,” we see Travis deliver some of his best verses yet. The production also comes with some significant improvements. This is especially true on the Young Thug-assisted tracks “Skyfall” and “Mamacita.” Perhaps the best part of the album is Travis’s use of guitars on “Drugs You Should Try It” and “Don’t Play,” which actually contains a sample of The 1975’s “Money.” It is in these moments that we see what makes Scott stand out amongst his peers. While his vision hadn’t been fully realized yet, you could see the seeds growing rapidly.
Additionally, there are some truly off-the-wall records on this project that were a product of their time. Albeit, they make for some of the best moments. Examples are “Sloppy Toppy” with Migos and Peewee Longway, where we get some of these artists’ most graphic verses. You also can’t forget “Basement Freestyle,” filled with some of Scott’s most progressive and ridiculous production choices to date. Sure, it may be a raw listen, but this is the project that turned a lot of skeptics into believers.
2. Astroworld (2018)
Travis Scott dropped arguably a modern classic back in 2018 with Astroworld. Overall, this is an album that came with a ton of hype. The artist had been teasing the project for quite some time, and there was this sense that it would be an ambitious endeavor. After all, Scott wanted to make the listener feel like they were at an amusement park. Fans were curious about how he would pull something like that off, but in the end, he somehow succeeded.
From the jump, we are met with “Stargazing,” an ambient delight that eventually devolves into debauchery. As mentioned before, no one likes a good beat switch better than Travis Scott. With “Stargazing,” it is a malfunctioning rollercoaster that transitions us into one of the best verses Travis has ever put to tape. As the album goes on, we are given a barrage of different sounds that are both goosebump-inducing and sometimes even shocking. “Skeletons” with Tame Impala and The Weeknd is a delightful experiment that did wonders for the future of hip-hop and psychedelic rock crossovers. “Stop Trying To Be God” is a beautiful ballad that offers introspection, which Travis doesn’t always provide. Not to mention, who can forget when he introduced us to Don Toliver on “Can’t Say.”
Perhaps the most beautiful moment on the album comes with Astroworld‘s closer, “Coffee Bean.” The production is unlike anything else on the album. All while Travis professes about “being bad news.” Overall, the chord progressions and strings at the song’s end tell a story. It’s as if a night of heavy partying has ended, and now all the partygoers are walking home with the sun slowly rising. Sadness sets in as the joy ride has come to an end.
1. Rodeo (2015)
The number one Travis Scott album on our list is Rodeo. Now, we get it. Some of you will argue for Astroworld. Some may even say Days Before Rodeo is his best. But there is something about Rodeo that is simply too special to discount. In many ways, this is Travis Scott’s “aha” moment. From his vocals to the production to songwriting, you can point to this album and say, “This is quintessential Travis Scott.”
From the jump, this album is presented by T.I., who gives us an introduction reminiscent of Nicki Minaj’s soliloquy on My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. The opener, “Pornography,” provides the listener insight into Travis’s mind as he is presented with numerous vices he can’t escape. He subsequently gets introspective on “Oh My Dis Side,” where he delivers perhaps one of the best songs of his entire career. From the hedonistic bars on the “Oh My” section to his adoration of Houston on “Dis Side,” we get a real sense of who Travis is and the internal conflicts fame has presented him with.
As for the rest of the album, we get a plethora of moody bangers and some undeniable hits. “3500,” “Antidote,” “Pray 4 Love,” 90210,” and “Maria I’m Drunk” are all 10/10 songs. Furthermore, songs like “Impossible,” “I Can Tell,” and “Apple Pie” are deliberate closers to the album that ensures there is no filler to be found. This is Scott’s most cohesive project, and it’s hard not to put it number one. If it were not for this album, it’s hard to imagine Scott being the star he is today. That said, you have to give it its due.
Let us know your favorite Travis Scott album in the comments section down below.
