Days Before Rodeo

Days Before Rodeo
Original cover. The 2024 streaming release does not include the text at the top.
Mixtape by Travis Scott
Released	August 18, 2014 (2014-08-18) (SoundCloud only) August 23, 2024 (2024-08-23) (streaming media)
Genre	Psychedelic trap
Length	47:39
Label	Self-released (SoundCloud) Cactus Jack/Epic (streaming media)
Producer	Allen Ritter Anthony Kilhoffer AudioKlique Charlie Handsome DJ Dahi FKi 1st J. Hill Lex Luger Lil' C Metro Boomin Mike Dean OZ Southside Syk Sense Tane Runo Travis Scott WondaGurl Vinylz
Travis Scott chronology
Owl Pharaoh (2013) Days Before Rodeo (2014) Rodeo (2015)
Deluxe edition cover
Singles from Days Before Rodeo
"Don't Play" Released: May 6, 2014 "Mamacita" Released: December 2, 2014

Days Before Rodeo is the second commercial mixtape by American rapper Travis Scott. It was released independently on his SoundCloud account on August 18, 2014. The mixtape features guest appearances from Rich Homie Quan, Young Thug, the 1975, Big Sean, Migos, and Peewee Longway, Production was handled by Scott himself, alongside Mike Dean, WondaGurl, Metro Boomin, DJ Dahi, Southside, Lil' C, AudioKlique, Charlie Handsome, FKi 1st,Vinylz, Allen Ritter, Anthony Kilhoffer, Lex Luger, Oz, Syk Sense, Tane Runo, and J. Hill. For its tenth anniversary, the mixtape was released through Cactus Jack and Epic Records on streaming media on August 23, 2024, which features remastered instrumentals and removes a guest feature from TI. The digital deluxe edition of the album is available exclusively on Scott's website and includes five additional songs that did not end up appearing on its original version. A psychedelic trap mixtape, Days Before Rodeo serves as the follow-up to Scott's debut mixtape, Owl Pharaoh (2013), and serves as the prequel to his debut studio album, Rodeo (2015).

Background and promotion

On July 11, 2014, Scott released the lead single of the mixtape, "Don't Play", which features English pop rock band the 1975 and fellow American rapper Big Sean. The following month, he took to social media to announce that he would be releasing 10 new songs within a month. On the same day, he also tweeted the title of the mixtape, before marketing the countdown every day until it stopped on August 10, 2014. Scott described it as a "free album" on social media although he made it clear that it is a mixtape. On August 17, 2014, he revealed the cover art, release date, and track listing of the mixtape. "Mamacita", which features fellow American rappers Rich Homie Quan and Young Thug, was released as the second and final single from the mixtape on December 2, 2014. Both singles were also released to streaming media the day the were released, unlike the other songs on the mixtape until over ten years later.

On August 17, 2024, Scott announced that Days Before Rodeo would finally be released to streaming media soon at the Fanatics Fest in New York City. The next day, which was the tenth anniversary of the mixtape, he took to social media to announce the re-release, where he also shared that the digital deluxe edition of the mixtape is exclusively on his website, which would include tracks that he recorded for it that did not end up appearing on it. On August 22, 2024, Scott performed a special sold-out concert for over one thousand people for the tenth anniversary of Days Before Rodeo at the Heaven stage at the Masquerade in Atlanta, Georgia, where he performed most of the songs from the mixtape along with some of his other songs.

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
HotNewHipHop	96%
Thefourohfive
The Early Registration

Days Before Rodeo was met with widespread critical acclaim from music critics and fans. The mixtape received a user rating of 96% on HotNewHipHop. Jacob Roy from Thefourohfive wrote: "While some may feel he opts for style over substance, all the distorted baselines and 'straight up' ad-libs play a purpose and a role. Days Before Rodeo proves Travis does everything for a reason. When listening to the album each song plays a role and as a whole it makes for a incredibly engrossing experience. While his lyrical ability may be questioned, it doesn't really cross your mind when you are in awe of the piece that he has painted for you. He has a mission statement and he is going to stick by it. 'We will understand it if they don't, we don't want they bullshit no more.' It wouldn't be a stretch to say Travis Scott could be at the forefront for a new generation of hip-hop that have their eyes on the bigger picture". Eric Diep of XXL commented that the album "displays the Houston rapper's eclectic production style, as well as his boastful raps that are similar to his mentors Kanye West and T.I.", while calling it "some great new material that we've been missing from him since his excellent debut, Owl Pharaoh."

Track listing

Days Before Rodeo track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
1.	"Days Before Rodeo: The Prayer"	Jacques Webster II Michael Dean Ebony Oshunrinde Philip Glass	Travis Scott Mike Dean WondaGurl	3:22
2.	"Mamacita" (featuring Rich Homie Quan and Young Thug)	Webster Dequantes Lamar Jeffery Williams Dean Leland Wayne Dacoury Natche Raymond Jackson Homer Banks Carl Hampton	Travis Scott Dean Metro Boomin DJ Dahi	4:35
3.	"Quintana Pt. 2"	Webster Dean Joshua Luellen	Dean Southside Lil' C AudioKlique	4:59
4.	"Drugs You Should Try It"	Webster Dean Ryan Vojtesak Trocon Roberts, Jr.	Travis Scott Dean Ryan Vojtesak FKi 1st	3:29
5.	"Don't Play" (featuring the 1975 and Big Sean)	Webster Matthew Healy George Daniel Adam Hann Ross MacDonald Sean Anderson Dean Anderson Hernandez Allen Ritter Anthony Kilhoffer	Travis Scott Dean Vinylz Ritter[a] Kilhoffer[a]	4:46
6.	"Skyfall" (featuring Young Thug)	Webster J. Williams Dean Wayne	Travis Scott Dean Metro Boomin	5:19
7.	"Zombies"	Webster Dean Lexus Lewis	Dean Lex Luger	4:20
8.	"Sloppy Toppy" (featuring Migos and Peewee Longway)	Webster Quavious Marshall Kirshnik Ball Kiari Cephus Quincy Williams Dean Roberts Edna Wright DGregory Perry Angelo Bond Terrance Harrison Bolden	Dean FKi 1st	4:34
9.	"Basement Freestyle"	Webster Dean Lewis	Dean Lex Luger Metro Boomin	4:08
10.	"Backyard"	Webster Dean Ozan Yildirim Joshua Scruggs Marvin Gaye Gwen Gordy Fuqua Sandra Greene	Dean Oz Syk Sense	4:31
11.	"Grey"	Webster Dean Taji Ausar Joseph Hill, Jr.	Dean Tane Runo J. Hill	3:48
12.	"Bacc" (bonus track)	Webster Dean Wayne	Dean Metro Boomin	2:13
Total length:				47:39

Digital deluxe edition bonus tracks

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
13.	"Mo City Flexologist"	Webster Carlton Mays, Jr.	Honorable C.N.O.T.E.	3:33
14.	"Too Many Chances"	Webster Dean	Dean	1:57
15.	"Yeah Yeah" (featuring Young Thug)	Webster J. Williams Bryan Simmons Wesley Glass Luellen	TM88 Wheezy Southside	4:37
16.	"Serenade"	Webster Dean	Dean	3:16
17.	"Whole Lots Changed"	Webster Chauncey Hollis, Jr. Derrick Coleman Jabril Abdur-Rahman	Hit-Boy	3:05
Total length:				64:27

Notes

• ^{^[a]} signifies a co-producer.
• "Quintana Pt. 2" features uncredited vocals from T.I., which were removed from the track with the August 23, 2024 re-release of Days Before Rodeo.
• "Grey" features background vocals from James Fauntleroy

Sample credits

• "Days Before Rodeo: The Prayer" contains a sample of Philip Glass's original composition "Music Box (Opening Theme)".
• "Don't Play" contains an interpolation of "M.O.N.E.Y.", written by George Daniel, Matthew Healy, Adam Hann and Ross MacDonald, as performed by The 1975.
• "Mamacita" contains a sample of "(If Loving You Is Wrong) I Don't Want to Be Right", written by Homer Banks, Carl Hampton and Raymond Jackson, as performed by Bobby "Blue" Bland.
• "Sloppy Toppy" contains a sample of "Spend the Night With Me", written by Greg Perry, Angelo Bond and Terrance Harrison, as performed by Edna Wright.
• "Backyard" contains a sample of "Distant Lover (Live at Oakland Coliseum, CA, 1974)", written by Marvin Gaye, Gwen Fuqua and Sandra Greene, as performed by Gaye.