Travis Scott owes a lot of his success to how Kanye West embraced him early on in his career. Back in 2012, the Houston rapper was relatively unknown but still appeared on the G.O.O.D. Music label compilation album Cruel Summer on “Sin City”. Naturally, people were extremely confused. Who in the world is this guy? Where did Ye find him?
In an October 2012 interview with Complex, Travis Scott shared a bit of lore about how he unexpectedly appeared on one of the biggest albums of the year. After dropping out of the University of Texas, he followed a pretty cliché rap journey. The immediate instinct was to constantly record in studios while couch surfing in New York. Once he overstayed his welcome there, Los Angeles was the next stop. After trying and failing there, Scott attempted to go back home before being turned away.
Then, he bummed it out on the couch at a friend’s place at USC. Eventually, he gained the attention of T.I. and his camp, where people started paying for his beats. Thanks to Travis Scott having a good friend to hold him down with a hotel, he was able to persevere being homeless a little longer. That period led to his hilarious first encounter with Kanye West.
One day, Scott got a call from someone in the Kanye camp, asking how quickly he could come to New York. Naturally, the “Sicko Mode” rapper dropped everything for the life-changing encounter. The experience was as surreal as you might expect for the young artist.
Travis Scott Meets Kanye West For The First Time, and He Gives Him Taco Bell
“The first time I met Kanye, this n**** came in—he had on these yellow Balenciagas—and I’m like, ‘Man, this n**** is really here,’” Travis Scott recalled. “He’s got on like seven chains. He came in, and he was on the phone. I’m like ‘F***, this n****’s on the phone.’ He dapped me up, he said my name, like ‘This n**** actually know who I am!’”
After he wrapped up on the phone, Ye offered Travis Scott something to eat. However, the Astroworld artist admitted he was worried he would get sick in the studio if he ate it. “First thing he gave me was a Doritos taco from Taco Bell. He’s like, ‘Yo, you want a taco?’ I was like, ‘Yeah!’ He gave it to me on this fancy a** platter, like some Hermes s***. What’s crazy is, I don’t eat like sour cream,” Scott said.
“So I opened it, and that s*** was loaded with sour cream! He’s like, ‘Why aren’t you eating it?’ All my n****s know that s*** would make me throw up. But I ate the whole s***!” Travis Scott continued, while laughing. “I wasn’t going to be like, ‘No, I’m not f***ing with this taco man. You put this s*** on this nice plate, but I’m not about to eat it.’
Thankfully, Travis Scott persevered through the sour cream-filled taco, and Kanye loved the music. Of course, Ye offered his critiques, but clearly, it was good enough to make the album and maintain a strong relationship today.
The post Travis Scott Recalls His Surreal First Encounter With Kanye West, Including the Stomach-Turning Meal They Ate Together appeared first on VICE.
