Getting DAYS BEFORE RODEO on streaming is already a win, but also receiving a deluxe version with extra tracks is even better. Travis Scott revealed that this was going to be a real possibility when he announced the rerelease on his social media. When he did, the Houston, Texas artist said that it would be a “couple”. However, he went above and beyond, delivering five of them. Four of them are tracks that have been on the internet in some capacity. But Travis Scott was able to keep “Mo City Flexologist” under wraps, for the most part.
According to Genius, it got two separate previews, once on May 27, 2014, and again on the 28. Additionally, online forums claim that the instrumental was sold to another rapper. Thankfully, we now know that Travis Scott had “Mo City Flexologist” in his clutches still. The track can only be heard if you buy the DIGITAL DELUXE on his website for $4.99. However, fans are making sure everyone has a chance to hear it, as platforms like YouTube already have the audio files. As for how the song sounds, it’s quite incredible. Scott and Honorable C.N.O.T.E. cooked up an equally hype, dark, and woozy cut. It has a stadium-like feel to instrumental and Scott’s short but effective auto-crooned chorus add an extra hypnotic element. Additionally, the flows he rocks on the verses display his natural knack for creating sticky patterns. It has all of the quintessential elements of what makes Travis Scott tick in all the best ways.
Run back them simmers I caught through the night I done dirtied the Sprite, I done crushed up the ice Who knew LaFlame make it bigger than life? On the come up, I had to find faith through the lights (Lit) How to book me? They gotta go bigger the price Rock a kilo of gold just to dip it in ice
LET’S RAGE! Travis Scott fans can now finally listen to his 2014 mixtape, DAYS BEFORE RODEO. La Flame, at various points throughout the time in between now and the original release, had pondered doing this. However, at Fanatics Fest a few days ago, Scott went full send days after its 10-year anniversary. To pay homage to this point in his career, he even hosted a one-time show in Atlanta at The Masquerade with a strict 1,500 capacity to celebrate the rerelease. Fans who weren’t aware or around for this era of his are certainly in for a treat this weekend. However, we would argue that longtime supporters are eating even more so thanks to the DAYS BEFORE RODEO – DIGITAL DELUXE ALBUM.
Yes, in addition to getting the original 12-track set, Scott promised to polish up a “COUPLE DBR SONGS FROM THAT ERA FROM THE VAULT.” Well, he did that and then some, as there are actually five in total. They include “Mo City Flexologist”, “Too Many Chances”, “Yeah Yeah” (with Young Thug), “Serenade”, and “Whole Lots Changed”. As we said, die-hards are going to recognize these titles as they have been floating on Soundcloud, YouTube, and torrenting websites.
Unfortunately, some people were misled/confused because they are nowhere to be found on DSPs. To hear these songs, you have to head to travisscott.com and buy the DIGITAL DELUXE for $4.99. It is still available as we speak, so click the link here. You may also be able to hear them on the deluxe vinyl if you were a buyer of that as well. Overall, this is one heck of a time to be a Travis Scott fan, new or old.
What are your thoughts on Travis Scott including these specific tracks on the DAYS BEFORE RODEO – DIGITAL DELUXE ALBUM? Are you going to purchase it now that you know it’s only available on his website? Do you think La Flame should have included other past recordings, or are these valid enough? We would like to hear what you have to say, so leave your thoughts in the comments. Additionally, always keep it locked in with HNHH for all of the latest news surrounding Travis Scott. Finally, stay with us for everything else going on in the music world.
Travis Scott has been a superstar for over a decade. Days Before Rodeo is a snapshot of the rapper before he became said superstar. It dropped in 2014, and provided the first real glimpse of the Scott’s psychedelic trap sound. There were pieces of it on Kanye West’s Yeezus, which Scott helped produce, but Days Before Rodeo was different. It married the experimentalism and grandiosity of Yeezus with the rapper/producer’s own unique sound. It paved the way for Travis Scott’s acclaimed debut, Rodeo. And it’s finally on streaming. Huncho Jack fans have won.
Days Before Rodeo, like Drake’s So Far Gone or Chance the Rapper’s Acid Rap, sounds fresh as the day it came out. It maintains the spark of an artist on the cusp of greatness. There’s a hunger to the mixtape that Scott’s later projects simply can’t match. Anybody who listens to “Drugs You Should Try It” in 2014 knew that the Houston rapper was special. And they were right. Days Before Rodeo sounds incredible a decade removed, thanks to the trippy anthems like “Mamacita” and “Quintana Pt. 2.” There’s definitely a rudimentary quality, but it only adds to the tape’s appeal. It’s revelatory to hear mixed and CGQ mastered versions of “Backyard” and “Grey,” especially with the knowledge of where Travis Scott would eventually take this sound. Sit back, listen, and enjoy. Then throw Rodeo on.
Travis Scott is finally doing something that his die-hard fans have been asking him to do for years. On August 23 at midnight, the Houston megastar is going to be bringing his second mixtape, Days Before Rodeo, to streaming services. The fan-favorite 2014 release has strictly been on Soundcloud or downloaded onto people’s phones illegally for just over a decade. Those days are now over and also for the first time, physical music buyers can relive the magic on vinyl or CD. What’s also so amazing about this is that he will also be dropping some extra tracks from around that time that never got to see the light of day. With all of this excitement, we are going back to DBR to relisten to some of its biggest bangers. Undoubtedly, one of those is “Don’t Play”, the collab between Travis Scott, The 1975, and Big Sean.
The lead single to this 12-track mixtape, “Don’t Play” features one of La Flame’s hungriest rapping performances in his entire discography. While this collection of songs was more so a building block for his debut album Rodeo a year later, there were some fairly consistent themes on DBR. With Scott learning so much from the likes of Kanye West and more, he felt that he was on the cusp of stardom. That’s why there so many songs on here about believing in yourself and having that ambitious mindset. “Don’t Play” is certainly one of those cases, especially with bars like these. “Up at 5 A.M., still workin’, but I treat it like it’s one / I’m never actin’ like I got it / B****, I’m actin’ like I won it on these n****s“. Relive “Don’t Play” with the music video link down below.
Go, n****, go, n****, grab my bottles Go, n****, go, n****, grab my chronic (Bando) Keep ya head up in the air, my n**** Niggas gon’ be billionaires, my n**** (Straight up) F*** how much time that s*** might take N****s, ain’t playin’ with ’em (Playin’ with ’em, playin’ with ’em, playin’ with ’em)
Newer Travis Scott fans are in for a treat from earlier in his discography this Friday (August 23), but for the rest of us… this isn’t our first rodeo. La Flame will drop his 2014 mixtape Days Before Rodeo on digital streaming platforms for the first time this week, celebrating its tenth anniversary and teasing the inclusion of more tracks from that era’s vault. All this excitement around this re-release led many die-hards to look back at the DBR days quite fondly. The project has some of this catalog’s most beloved tracks to this day, and as its title suggests, it proved crucial to the development and massive success of its successor, the 2015 studio album Rodeo.
As such, we’re taking a look today at just five of Travis Scott’s songs on Days Before Rodeo that paved the way for what he achieved on Rodeo, although you could say that about the whole mixtape. Of course, there’s a very specific and connected lineage to highlight: DBR owes much of its identity to the Houston superstar’s first tape, 2013’s Owl Pharaoh. Thus, Rodeo is an even more extended development of many of those original ideas. But when it comes to rapping performances, production styles, and the psychedelic aesthetics that Travis is so renowned for today, DBR is what really started to nurture these key elements of his discography and artistry. His 2015 album sent these elements into the stratosphere of mainstream hip-hop. But these five tracks, in no particular order, are what made them compelling in the first place.
“The Prayer”
Ever since this intro track kicked off Days Before Rodeo, Travis Scott has had an undeniable penchant for amazing opening cuts. “The Prayer” sets up this precedent instrumentally with cinematic organs, string arrangements, regal keys, sharp percussion, and a disorienting but intoxicating outro. His performance, unencumbered by Owl Pharoah‘s pitched-down vocal doubling, also points to more clear and cold-blooded verses on his 2015 studio album. Perhaps most importantly, this record also parallels many of the thematic and structural opening motifs of Rodeo‘s opener, “Pornography.” “The Prayer” opens with the following line: “Midnight awaking, hyper ventilating / Drunk laps running around the globe, wild goose chasing / After three number one albums, would’ve thought I’d feel amazing.” It previews the hedonistic but ambitious concept behind Rodeo before refining his vivid picture-painting even more on that LP.
However, one of the best things about Rodeo isn’t just its loosely assembled but nevertheless compelling subject matter. It’s also full of absolute ragers, and before “Antidote” took over the rap world, “Mamacita” proved for the first time how far Travis Scott could go. It’s by no means his first big commercial and cultural “banger,” as the star-studded “Upper Echelon” landed on Owl Pharaoh. But where that 2013 track chose to be bombastic and overblown, this Rich Homie Quan and Young Thug collab meld that moshpit mentality with the darker, woozier, and more nocturnal vibes that Rodeo would fully embody a year later. This is thanks to Metro Boomin’s striking sample flip of an electric guitar line, atmospheric synth pads, and tough-as-nails drums and bass. If that isn’t enough for you, then look at how Cactus Jack continues to electrify crowds with this anthem to this day.
Speaking of collabs, this Days Before Rodeo cut is actually not one of the best on the mixtape, but it’s most certainly one of its most important. For starters, this kickstarts Travis Scott’s crucial collaborative history with Quavo and the Migos. More broadly, it’s a lofty and audacious attempt to meld vintage soul samples, cavernous synth bass, eerie keys, and grand strings together into a cohesive and progressive song that evolves and molds as it goes along. This would prove to be a key songwriting formula for Rodeo tracks like “3500,” “Nightcrawler,” and many more. It’s something that Travis eventually perfected in 2015 and beyond, but better execution down the line doesn’t diminish the weight of “Sloppy Toppy.” Fortunately, he also got much better at picking song titles.
While Rodeo‘s more summery and light moments don’t always see the same retrospective appreciation as its shadowy trap highlights, Travis Scott has always tried to balance out his sonic directions. “Backyard” represents this warmer side on Days Before Rodeo (along with cuts like “Grey”) thanks to a simple but tender sample flip, paired explosively with a crisp snare, live-sounding hi-hats, and a carefree chorus. It would fit well in a playlist with Rodeo‘s “Flying High,” but it’s more directly related to the impressive flow switches, involved verses, and stark drum patterns on a song like “Apple Pie.” That’s another thing: this was one of Travis’ best verses and rapping performances to date back in the day, and Rodeo pushed these lyrical heights even further. Thanks to songs like “Backyard,” people fell in love with him as an MC, not just as an artist.
“Drugs You Should Try It”
Finally, we’d be remiss not to mention Travis Scott’s most iconic song from Days Before Rodeo in many fans’ eyes. When he dropped DBR, this was easily his most personal, intimate, and beautiful song yet, and he’s scarcely replicated its magic since. Rodeo‘s “90210” is the key example of the musical legacy that this classic left behind, as well as that album’s more soft and emotive displays like “Impossible…” Plus electric guitar worship. The simplicity of the instrumental paired with the track’s melodic dominance – and especially its unique vocal delivery – built a new lane for Travis to express himself. In fact, it arguably cemented his auto-crooning style for good, an approach that he’s yet to let go of. While Owl Pharaoh had pretty moments, “Drugs You Should Try It” is the first stroke of genius in Scott’s discography, and it defined his idiosyncrasy and innovation as an artist.
Travis Scott’s appearance at Fanatic Fest NYC yesterday (August 17) was full of surprises. The “My Eyes” rapper announced as wrestling legend Rey Mysterio’s tag team partner. But, he also treated attendees to an impromptu performance. Scott’s surprises didn’t stop there.
During a panel chat (view here), Travis Scott hinted that his mixtape, Days Before Rodeo, would be uploaded to streaming services soon. Now, the official re-release date has been shared. Continue below for all details.
When Will Travis Scott’s Mixtape Days Before Rodeo Drop On Streaming?
Today (August 18), Travis Scott took to his X (formerly Twitter) page to announce that his mixtape, Days Before Rodeo, would be re-released everywhere on August 23. The post (viewable here) featured archival video footage of Scott and his collaborators in the studio working on the fan-revered body of work.
At caption of the upload pointed followers to Scott’s official website for more information. Over on the webpage, it outlined that in addition to the mixtape being accessible on streaming services, Scott is offering a special red vinyl pressing of Days Before Rodeo, which is rumored to include additional tracks. Find more information here.
With the project celebrating its tenth anniversary on August 18, fans couldn’t be happier.
Artwork
Grand Hustle
Tracklist
1. “Days Before Rodeo: The Prayer”
2. “Mamacita” Feat. Rich Homie Quan and Young Thug
3. “Quintana Pt. 2”
4. “Drugs You Should Try It”
5. “Don’t Play” Feat. Big Sean and The 1975
6. “Skyfall” Feat. Young Thug
7. “Zombies”
8. “Sloppy Toppy” Feat. Migos and Peewee Longway
9. “Basement Freestyle”
10. “Backyard”
11. “Grey”
12. “BACC”
Travis Scott fans just realized that their dreams came true, as a recent promise he made at Fanatics Fest in New York City over the weekend will actually manifest. Moreover, if you didn’t hear already, his fan-favorite 2014 mixtape Days Before Rodeo will hit streaming services for the first time very, very soon for its tenth anniversary (today, Sunday, August 18). We finally have the release date for the project’s availability on DSPs thanks to a new promo video and social media announcement from La Flame.
“DAYS BEFORE RODEO 10yr ANNIVERSARY BEING CELEBRATED BY FINALLLY RE-RELEASING EVERYWHERE AUGUST 23RD,” Travis Scott shared. “AND MAYBE COUPLE DBR SONGS FROM THAT ERA FROM THE VAULT. Travisscott.com more info and shizzzz shsbsbsbsb IM FCKING JUMPING THRU WALLS AHHHH.” As such, fans can expect some new Days Before Rodeo material with this rerelease, and can head to his website to purchase CDs, vinyls, and merch boxes. The promo clip shows old footage from the making of DBR and its era, showing the Nike collaborator working with the likes of Metro Boomin, Young Thug, and more. In addition, it shows that Travis shows have been incredibly rowdy for over a decade straight, in case anyone had any doubts about that.
Elsewhere, Travis Scott was also announced as Rey Mysterio’s new tag team partner in the WWE. “Are you guys ready for me to introduce my latest tag team partner?” the wrestler asked the Fanatics Fest crowd. “Are you ready? Alright. This man has shaped the landscape for hip-hop. He is an icon. He is also on ‘SICKO MODE.’ He is a rapper, producer, songwriter, and Grammy-nominated. Let’s give it up for the highest in the room, my newest tag team partner, Travis Scott!”
With all this in mind, Cactus Jack fans must feel ecstatic right now. If you want to catch Travis Scott live, he’s got some South American dates coming up if you’re in the area or can travel. Also, if you see Future and Metro Boomin on tour, there’s a good chance that the Houston superstar will show up as a special guest. Nevertheless, join us in our nostalgic indulgences and revisit Days Before Rodeo when it drops in a few days.
Travis Scott is having a great time at Michael Rubin’s Fanatics Fest this weekend, and he had a very special announcement for fans. He revealed that his fan-favorite mixtape Days Before Rodeo will hit streaming services soon. This is particularly exciting because the project’s ten-year anniversary is this Sunday (August 18), so it would line up perfectly. It also adds to all the exciting fun that La Flame has had over the past few days, including a foot race with IShowSpeed.
Furthermore, this re-release would surely put a lot of newer Travis Scott fans onto his old material… That is, if they weren’t bumping “Drugs You Should Try It” and “Skyfall” already. A lot of these newer fans probably saw him join Future and Metro Boomin for a surprise performance during the duo’s Brooklyn tour stop. It seems like the “Cinderella” collaborators had a blast onstage, and the fans in attendance certainly reciprocated that energy in the pit and in the stands. If Days Before Rodeo does come out on streaming services, it would be great to see if more cuts from it make his setlists.
But other Travis Scott fans are more concerned with how the music industry receives his newer music today, and you probably know who and what we’re talking about. Cactus Jack Stans expressed outrage at the Grammys giving Killer Mike the Best Rap Album award this year over Travis, a conversation that continues to this day. Nowadays, it has more to do with commercial performance, as Scott’s fanbase clowned Mike’s recent sales for his new project. It’s a tiresome convo, but we can all agree that both MCs deserve this love and much more.
Meanwhile, Travis Scott probably feels quite grateful and lucky these days, especially after recent concerning events. Following his Paris arrest, authorities released him and didn’t charge him with anything, which was likely a relief for him and for fans. With Days Before Rodeo seemingly on the horizon and South American tour dates coming up, there will be a lot more to enjoy from the Houston creative in 2024. Let’s just hope that this isn’t an unfulfilled promise.
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.
Earlier this month, Big Sean rewarded his longtime supporters by making his Detroit mixtape available on all streaming services. The 2012 release has long been touted by fan as the best project in Big Sean’s discography. It housed timeless collaborations with artists such as J. Cole, Kendrick Lamar, Wiz Khalifa, Wale, Jhené Aiko, Royce da 5’9”, and more. Yet until its 10-year anniversary on September 5, the fan-favorite mixtape was widely inaccessible for listeners who predominantly consume their music from DSPs like Spotify, Apple Music, and Tidal. Streaming blew up in the years following the release of Detroit, but — like so many other classic mixtapes that were released for free during the late 2000s and early 2010s, from Nicki Minaj’s seminal Beam Me Up Scotty to A$AP Rocky’s breakout mixtape Live.Love.A$AP — it took an incredibly long time for Sean’s mixtape opus to hit DSPs.
Over the last handful of years, artists have made meaningful strides in bringing their mixtape catalogs over to streaming platforms. Although many of fans’ favorite tapes have been slightly reworked due to sample clearance issues, at least acclaimed projects like Mac Miller’s Faces, Drake’s So Far Gone, Lil Wayne’s Sorry For The Wait, Wiz Khalifa’s Kush & Orange Juice, Meek Mill’s Dream Chasers 2, and Chance The Rapper’s Acid Rap are available right now on all DSPs.
However, there are far too many classic mixtapes that have seemingly been lost to the Blog Era. Fans are left waiting for every milestone anniversary in hopes that one of the free mixtapes that they downloaded over a decade ago will finally reappear on streaming services. To illustrate just how many gems are still unavailable to stream on most platforms, here are 10 classic mixtapes that need to hit DSPs as soon as possible.
Young Thug (L) and Rich Homie Quan perform onstage during the BET Hip Hop Awards 2014 at Boisfeuillet Jones Atlanta Civic Center on September 20, 2014 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Brad Barket/BET/Getty Images for BET)
When they united for The Tour, Rich Homie Quan and Young Thug became one of the best Atlanta rap duos since OutKast. Although their team-up was unfortunately short-lived, their joint mixtape remains a certified classic eight years after its release. Surprisingly, The Tour isn’t officially featured on most DSPs under Quan, Thug, or Rich Gang’s profiles, but you can still listen to the full project on Spinrilla.
2. Fabolous — The S.O.U.L. Tape Series (2011-2013)
Fabolous performs onstage at Power 105.1’s Powerhouse 2013, presented by Play GIG-IT, at Barclays Center on November 2, 2013 in New York City. (Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images for Clear Channel)
Regardless of which installment is your favorite, it’s safe to say that Fab’s S.O.U.L. Tape run is one of the most memorable mixtape series from the early 2010s. Back in 2020, the Brooklyn native did fans a solid by uploading the original S.O.U.L. Tape to SoundCloud, but over two years later, the classic project and its two sequels have yet to make it onto any of the big three DSPs.
Drake speaks at the Spring Awakening and Degrassi panel discussion with Rosie O’Donnell at the Eugene O’Neill Theater on April 30, 2007 in New York City. (Photo by Amy Sussman/Getty Images for Nickelodeon)
So Far Gone often gets the credit for laying the foundation of Drake’s sound and introducing him to the masses, but it would be criminal to overlook the influential project’s predecessor, Comeback Season. From the Lil Wayne-assisted “Man of the Year” to the Trey Songz-assisted “Replacement Girl,” Drake’s 2007 mixtape houses some serious throwbacks. It’s a shame that it’s so hard to come across online. Considering that Comeback Season just turned 15 years old earlier this month, it’s unlikely that fans will see a DSP release of this early Drake tape anytime soon, but for now, they can at least still listen to it on DatPiff.
Travis Scott performs at the GQ Fashion Week Party At The Wythe Hotel on September 9, 2014 in Brooklyn, New York.. (Photo by Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for GQ)
As fans eagerly await Travis Scott’s highly anticipated fourth studio album Utopia, there’s a general consensus that the Houston-bred artist already has quite the impressive discography. But, longtime fans of La Flame know that his hot streak began prior to the release of his debut studio album, Rodeo, in 2015. In 2014, Travis Scott unleashed Days Before Rodeo, his second official mixtape and the project that would significantly alter the trajectory of his career from that point forward. Laced with iconic tracks such as the Big Sean-assisted “Don’t Play,” the Rich Homie Quan- and Young Thug-featured “Mamacita,” and the classic Metro Boomin-produced “Skyfall,” Days Before Rodeo kept the Blog Era trend of album-quality mixtapes alive. To this day, the project remains one of Travis’ best and most distinct works. With its 10-year anniversary approaching in 2024, Days Before Rodeo is overdue for an official commercial re-release. For now, you can still stream it on SoundCloud.
Wiz Khalifa performs at The Masquerade on November 6, 2010 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Prince Williams/FilmMagic/Getty Images)
Wiz Khalifa is mixtape royalty. The Taylor Gang boss has far too many free releases to count. Despite the expansive nature of his mixtape catalog, it actually boasts a considerable number of classic and iconic projects, from 2009’s Flight School and 2010’s Kush & Orange Juice to 2011’s Cabin Fever and 2012’s Taylor Allderdice. In recent years, Wiz Khalifa has been one of the few Hip-Hop artists that have been consistently adding nearly all of his past mixtapes to streaming services, but still, there are a few that remain unavailable on DSPs, chiefly his 2008 tape Star Power. Fortunately, you can listen to the full project on DatPiff.
50 Cent attends the fight between Miguel Cotto and Sergio Martinez on June 7, 2014 at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Cotto won by a TKO in the ninth round. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images)
50 Cent may be the most powerful Hip-Hop mogul in the television and film industry, but if his Emmy-winning performance during the Super Bowl LVI Halftime Show earlier this year proved anything, it’s that fan appreciation for his music career has not dwindled in the slightest. That’s why his last official release, 2015’s The Kanan Tape, should be readily available on streaming services. With his infamously unreleased Street King Immortal album officially shelved last year, that’s even more reason for 50’s popular seven-track mixtape to make its way to DSPs.
J. Cole visits Fuse’s “Hip Hop Shop” on July 15, 2010 in New York City. (Photo by Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images)
Whereas many of his contemporaries have at least made the effort to make the most important mixtape of their early careers available on streaming services, J. Cole has not done so whatsoever. To this day, none of the Dreamville founder’s three breakout mixtapes can be streamed on any of the major DSPs. While it would be amazing for 2010’s Friday Night Lights — which can be streamed in full at DatPiff — to become available everywhere, we’ll honestly take 2007’s The Come Up or 2009’s The Warm Up, as well.
Childish Gambino performs onstage at the 2014 mtvU Woodie Awards and Festival on March 13, 2014 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Rachel Murray/Getty Images for MTV)
A year after the release of his Grammy-nominated sophomore studio album Because The Internet, Childish Gambino delivered his seventh and, as of now, final free mixtape, 2014’s STN MTN. A day after it dropped, Gambino doubled back with an equally incredible — and commercially released — EP titled Kauai. Yet nearly eight full years later, only the latter remains available on streaming services. Since the Hip-Hop community has had so much love for Tyler, The Creator’s Call Me If You Get Lost and Dreamville’s D-Day mixtape, it’s only right that Donald Glover’s Gangsta Grillz mixtape makes its way to DSPS too. Until that day comes, you can still listen to STN MTN on DatPiff.
Rick Ross performs at Power 106FM Presents CaliChristmas at Gibson Amphitheatre on December 14, 2012 in Universal City, California. (Photo by Leon Bennett/WireImage/Getty Images)
At the turn of the 2010s, there were select mixtapes that were able to break the internet before “breaking the internet” even became a saying. Mixtape downloads were always a surefire way of telling whether a project was worth checking out, and Rick Ross’ 2012 epic, Rich Forever, remains one of the most downloaded mixtapes from the Blog Era. On HNHH alone, the tape was downloaded over 580,000 times, and on DatPiff — where you can still listen to it — Rich Forever was downloaded over 2.2 million times. Nonetheless, several months after its 10-year anniversary, Rick Ross’ blockbuster mixtape is still unavailable on nearly all streaming platforms, but our fingers are still crossed that this classic makes its way to DSPs very soon.
R&B crooner Frank Ocean’s debut Los Angeles show at the El Rey Theatre on Nov. 15, 2011 in Los Angeles. (Photo by Lawrence K. Ho/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
For an artist whose discography is already extremely limited, it’s wild to think that two of Frank’s only four official projects aren’t available on all streaming platforms. While contractual obligations are likely what is keeping Endless an exclusive to Apple Music, it’s much harder to stomach that Nostalgia, Ultra isn’t available on any of the major DSPs, especially since its breakout singles “Novacaine” and “Swim Good” weren’t repurposed for any official full-length project. This classic alternative R&B mixtape is one of the more challenging projects to find in full — with “American Wedding” included and without the cut-off version of “Nature Feels” — on the internet. Hopefully, Frank Ocean blesses his fans by bringing Nostalgia, Ultra to streaming services one day.
These are just 10 beloved mixtapes that still haven’t found a permanent home on contemporary streaming platforms, so let us know in the comments which classic mixtapes you want to get uploaded to DSPS in the near future.
