Travis Scott

Travis Scott Biography

Travis Scott, isn't just your ordinary artist; he's a rapper, songwriter, and producer with a one-of-a-kind sound and performances that'll blow your mind. Starting out in Houston's hip-hop scene as a teen, he turned his talent into a full-blown career right after high school.

Beyond his musical talents, Scott's high-profile relationship with reality star Kylie Jenner has consistently thrust him into the media spotlight, adding another layer to his multifaceted public persona.

Travis Scott's Early Life And Education

Jacques Webster Jr., known by his stage name Travis Scott, was born on April 30, 1991, in Houston, Texas, to parents Jacques and Wanda Webster. As a small child, he lived with his grandmother in a neighborhood known for crime.

He has described seeing “crazy sh*t,” including homelessness, people starving, and folks behaving erratically under the influence of substances and mental illness. He says this gave him an “edge.”

At age 6, he moved to a more middle-class area bordering Houston with his parents. According to Complex, Scott's grandfather has a master's degree in music composition and has composed jazz music. His father was a soul musician. Scott credits both as the sources of his musical roots.

However, he has also said he and his parents fought over his plans to seek a career in music. Things like his father unplugging his power cords, yelling at him to turn the music off, and even engaging with him in fistfighting at one point. Thankfully, they have a good relationship now.

Not deterred, he continued to involve himself in music through his teen years. Graduating from Elkins High School at the age of 17, he enrolled in the University of Texas. However, by age 19, he had dropped out and, soon after, headed out to start his music career.

The name changed to Travis Scott

So, how did he go from Jacques Berman Webster II to the famous Travis Scott we know? Well, he experimented with a bunch of other names before landing on his current one, like Cactus Jack and La Flame. When coming up with his current moniker, he used to spell it Travi$ Scott, with a fancy touch, but later decided to keep it simple.

The name Travis Scott has a cool backstory. "Travis" is a nod to one of Webster's late uncles, and "Scott" is a shout-out to his personal hero, Kid Cudi (real name: Scott Ramon Seguro Mescudi). Kid Cudi meant so much to him that Webster even admitted to tearing up the first time they met.

Travis Scott's Music Career

2010s

Travis Scott's journey initially led him to New York. There, he spent a few months crashing on a friend's apartment floor, grinding away in the studio. However, he felt that the New York scene wasn't quite the fit for him. That's when he made the bold decision to pack his bags and head to Los Angeles.

Regrettably, Scott faced a tough break there too. Life was a rollercoaster without a stable pad, leading him to make a temporary pitstop back in Houston. Unfortunately, his parents weren't exactly throwing open the doors for him there.

Unfazed, he decided to give Los Angeles another shot. Now, here's where the plot thickens. One of Scott's tunes, "Lights (Love Sick)," caught the attention of none other than T.I., the rapper and co-founder of Grand Hustle Records.

T.I.'s representative reached out, extending an invitation for Scott to join a studio meeting. It was during this session that T.I. not only vibed with another of Scott's creations, "Animal," but also added his own freestyle magic to the mix. Talk about a pivotal moment.

In 2013, he released his debut mixtape, "Owl Pharaoh," a project that Kanye West (who at the time was at the very top of the rap game) was involved in.

On August 18, 2015, Travis Scott's second mixtape, "Days Before Rodeo," hit the scene as a free release under T.I.'s Grand Hustle Records.

Travis Scott's debut studio album, "Rodeo," was released on September 4, 2015, under Grand Hustle Records and Epic Records. Notable singles like "Antidote" and "3500" drew attention, while high-profile guests including Kanye West, Justin Bieber, and Future featured on the album.

Debuting at number three on the US Billboard 200, "Rodeo" later achieved platinum status, according to the Recording Industry Association of America.

Travis Scott released his second studio album, "Birds in the Trap Sing McKnight," in 2016, a tribute to his childhood friends and growing up in Missouri City. The album features Kid Cudi, Andre 3000, The Weeknd, Nav, 21 Savage, Kendrick Lamar, and Bryson Tiller. It debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 and was certified platinum in 2017.

Travis Scott and Quavo joined forces for their debut collaboration album, "Huncho Jack, Jack Huncho," released in 2017. Following this, Scott dropped his third solo studio album, "Astroworld," on August 3, 2018. "Astroworld" achieved triple platinum status and secured three Grammy nominations in 2019 for Best Rap Album, Best Rap Performance, and Best Rap Song for "Sicko Mode."

In 2023, Scott released his fourth studio album, “Utopia.”

Travis Scott's Personal Life

In 2017, Travis Scott and Kylie Jenner began dating. Their union blossomed into parenthood when they welcomed their daughter, Stormi, in February 2018. Their family grew even more when they welcomed their son, Aire, in February 2022. His name was originally Wolf Jacques, but after 18 months, they had it legally changed. The couple has since parted ways.

Travis Scott's Net Worth

According to The Richest, at his peak, Travis Scott was one of the highest-paid and most famous rappers in the world. Currently, he has a net worth of $80 million.

Travis Scott's journey to fortune mainly depends on the success of his music career. Ever since he dropped his first mixtape in 2013, Scott has been churning out hit after hit, with multi-platinum albums like "Astroworld" leading the charge. These have played a major role in stacking up his net worth.

Travis Scott's Business Venture's

Away from the music scene, Travis Scott has dived into various brand partnerships, giving his net worth an extra push. His noteworthy collaborations span across big names like Nike, McDonald's, and Fortnite, bringing in substantial financial gains.

Beyond that, he's showcased his business smarts by kickstarting his own record label, Cactus Jack Records, and a line of merchandise.

Activism

In 2022, Scott launched a program called Project Heal to put $5 million into community projects in Texas. In addition, he has promised to make concerts safer after incidents at his own events.

He has also poured money into HBCUs and created a scholarship fund for high-achieving students, according to Billboard.

Travis Scott Controversies

Travis Scott has faced many controversies over the last decade or so. Some, like his top 10, are worse than others. Here is a snapshot view:

Scott has been in trouble at his own concerts multiple times, including for telling the crowd to “f*** up” a concertgoer who took his shoe while he crowd-surfed at the Openair Festival in Switzerland in 2015.

In both 2015 and 2017, he was arrested at Lollapalooza for inciting fans to rush the stage in defiance of security. After the second concert, a fan who had fallen from the balcony sued him. They cited it as due to his encouragement of crowd surging.

Three people were hurt in 2019 when a mass of people rushed the door at Astroworld.

Astroworld Tragedy 2021

Scott usually keeps quiet about his beliefs, especially when it comes to religion. However, when whispers started circulating that the November 5th, 2021, tragedy at Astroworld had ties to Satanism, he decided to break his silence. According to Ace Showbiz, he straightforwardly stated, "I am a man of God." Trying to set the record straight with a simple declaration.

That being said, the 2024 Grammys took some heat for giving Travis a platform, given what happened in Houston, TX, that day. A lot of people lost their lives, a lot of lawsuits were filed, and a lot of violence took place. It is only natural for people to feel disgusted by this.

However, Scott had his own reasons for agreeing to perform. In the midst of his performance with Playboi Carti on "FE! N," he made a sly adjustment. He tweaked the end of the first verse to give a nod to his 10 nominations and 10 losses, putting it like this: "They slept on me 10 times!" Throwing shade at the awards.

In March 2023, he reached a settlement after he was accused of assaulting a sound technician and damaging equipment while drunk.