Travis Scott's debut album, last year's Rodeo, was packed with guest features, coming from the likes of Quavo, Future, Chief Keef, Justin Bieber, and more. In a time when it seems like most stars of his caliber are keeping the guest spots to a minimum, Scott has remained intent on maintaining a collaborative mindset. With him, his own skills as a rapper and singer have been less intriguing than his ability to include his most talented friends in on his ideas and be the driving force behind innovative collabs -- not to mention his finesse behind the boards, too.
The many delays that La Flame's devoted ragers suffered through were quickly forgotten when he began playing Birds in the Trap Sing McKnight for the first time live on his ".Wav" radio show. Though there were no features listed on the initial tracklist, the first four songs boasted surprise appearances from Andre 3000 and Kid Cudi, along with a motivational intro speech from Blac Youngsta -- no album should be without one. It was soon clear that Birds in the Trap Sing McKnight would be another collaborative spectacle, and indeed, the game's hottest talents -- some expected along with some total surprises -- continued to pop up throughout the 14-track album.
No easy task, we decided to rank the 5 best guest features on Birds in the Trap Sing McKnight. Read our summaries of each one and then share your dissenting opinions in the comments. Stream the album here.
Bryson Tiller on "First Take"
The rise of Bryson Tiller has been incredible. From obscurity to a platinum album and a couple of platinum singles, he's now pretty much a superstar. Scott has already proclaimed "First Take" to be his favorite track on BITTSM. If it becomes a hit, it'll be because of Tiller. Scott's rippling auto-tune and frequent ad-libs aren't quite as effective when romance is the end goal. But Tiller really makes something deep out of the track. He's one of the few guys who can rap in a voice that's got all the emotional purity of that of a classic R&B singer. On "First Take," he lays down a detailed, mostly relatable Santa Monica breakup story and provides some of the most lucid moments on the album.
Kid Cudi on "Through the Late Night"
Kid Cudi, a longtime hero of Scott's, came through to drop off one of his best guest features in years, on a song that takes inspiration from his biggest hit, "Day 'n' Night." With all his recent genre-meddling, it's reassuring to hear he's still capable of knockout Man on the Moon-era hooks like the one on "Through the Late Night." Though he does let his rocker stylings show with his reverberating background moaning. Scott's "Day 'n' Night"-structured verse is one of a handful of instances of borrowed flows on BITTSM, though this one's admissible considering Cudder's on the track with him. They've both got a penchant for lighting up the late night with intoxicating melodies and heavy auto-tune. Let's hope for more of this sound on Cudi's next project, Passion, Pain & Demon Slayin', even though its title might suggest otherwise.
Andre 3000
3. Andre 3000 on "The Ends"
Less than two weeks after showing up on Frank Ocean's Blonde, Apple Music has released another album boasting an incredible guest verse from Andre 3000. Is it safe to say he's back? He appears on the BITTSM opener "The Ends," and his raps here are completely different than on the Blonde track "Solo (Reprise)," thus proving his dexterity to still be intact. His flow is more relaxed but also more focused, maintaining a stop-start style that's popular in his hometown these days. He sounds younger, too, with a gritty hustle about his voice. His energy is so striking that one might miss the chilling tale of a friend's murder that could've easily been his own.
21 Savage on "Outside"
Is anyone as hot as 21 Savage? He's just as zoned-in on the BITTSM track "Outside" as he is on Savage Mode, showing that he's capable of slaying tracks without the aid of young Metro (this one's produced by Murda Beatz, OZ, and Cubeatz). He's really rapping on "Outside," with more energy than the cool, gravelly flows heard on Savage Mode. It's never been about speed or volume with 21, though. Just his hawkish presence is enough to up the listener's adrenaline level. In fact, he gives a street presence to the entire album just by guesting on one track.
Kendrick Lamar on "Goosebumps"
After 21 Savage showed up on "Outside," who else to guest on a similarly spooky record than...Kendrick Lamar? Bet you'd never expect to see those two names on the same album. Bet you'd never expect to hear Kendrick and La Flame on the same song, though K-Dot revealed himself to be a fan of Scott's last year when he rapped "Antidote" during a concert. He's now provided the best guest verse on Birds in the Trap Sing McKnight.
Druggy, hazy, and melodic, the late-night sounds of "Goosebumps" are standard fare for Scott, but for Kendrick? His verse is a reminder to never pigeonhole the TDE top dawg, even if that means pinning him to the top-tier of lyrical rap. The lyrics are excellent here, though it's his stylistic breadth that's most impressive. He takes Scott's lead and adds some melody to his flow, before segueing into the funky oscillations showcased on untitled unmastered. He then sings his own refrain, goes into a nearly broken falsetto to "put the pussy on the pedestal," and closes the verse with some BARS and a machine gun ad-lib. "Goosebumps" indeed.