Don’t let the title fool you. This is not an R&B album by Brian McKnight. Instead, it’s a look into the mind of one of hip-hop’s leading new artists: Travis Scott. His sophomore album, Birds in the Trap Sing McKnight, is Scott’s take on letting your creativity flow and just being able to create without constraints. Travis Scott is pretty lucky to do so himself. He’s signed to Kanye West’s G.O.O.D Music as a producer and T.I.’s Grand Hustle Records as an artist. He’s produced and written songs with everyone from Rihanna to Jay-Z, but it is through his own music that he shines most.
Travis Scott stays true to his sound on this album using autotune for raspy melodies and his immaculate production of beats to bring Birds in the Trap Sing Mcknight to life. Never one to turn down a feature, Birds hosts a slew of great collaborations. “Pick Up The Phone,” featuring rappers Young Thug and Quavo, is a trap love song of sorts about a girl who won’t give in and return any of the guy’s advances. Another stand-out feature from the album is “Goosebumps,” which features Kendrick Lamar. In a recent radio interview with New York’s Hot 97, Scott couldn’t believe he was on Lamar’s radar. He talks about meeting him at the MTV VMAs in which Kendrick Lamar told him he finds his music “really inspirational.” Travis Scott holds his own with all the features on his album and seems to bring out the best in everyone he collaborates with giving them room to shine in his world.
Other must-listen tracks from the album include “Way Back” which features Swizz Beatz and Scott’s idol Kid Cudi, “First Take” featuring Bryson Tiller and a collab with The Weeknd called “Wonderful” which finds the duo feeling joyful about life. Birds is a pleasant departure from the dark and angsty sounds of his previous mixtapes and debut album Rodeo.
Although Scott isn’t the most lyrical rapper in the industry, he is authentically himself, which makes for great music. Birds in the Trap Sing McKnight debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 music charts, which proves he is definitely on his way to becoming a mainstay in the industry. Each song on the album builds momentum off of the others, which makes for an amazing listening experience from beginning to end. Next up, Travis Scott is set to executive produce the G.O.O.D Music compilation album Cruel Winter, which he says will be “for the youth.”
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