So we heard “Rodeo,” we felt “Rodeo,” we were “Rodeo,” and apparently so did everyone else. Just a couple of days into its long-awaited debut, “Rodeo” has already taken the #2 spot on the iTunes charts. La Flame really hit a 3peat with this new album and he has a lengthy list of heat to prove it. The album is a real rodeo in itself. We surfed all 16 tracks, all with the necessary components and this is what we felt:

T.I. welcomes you to “Rodeo” and foretells the rage behind “Rodeo” in the first track “Pornography.” It is always healthy to get a T.I. interlude, you can even call it a jumpstart. The surprise continues once you hit the second track “Oh My Dis Side.” We were literally toes-deep into the first verse of “Oh My” and we hear a back-up vocal, auto tuned (Bando!) by Quavo of Migos; and the results were intriguing. You enter part 2 “Dis Side” and the auto-tuned vocals evolve to an auto-tuned Quavo verse and the results are so appealing. I think this is where we really began to feel what “Rodeo” was all about, remotely secluded from any expectations. Once you hear Quavo eating his vocals and more auto-tuned verses, you’ll know that Rodeo is really out here experimenting with the music spectrum. Essentially, that is the absolute case when you jump to tracks like “Pray 4 Love” and all you can ask yourself is “How does The Weeknd sound that good in auto-tune?”. You can bump “Nightcrawler” (an absolute banger by the way) and find yourself swaying to auto-tune heavy verses from Chief Keef and Swae Lee.

The most pivotal track of “Rodeo” by far is “P.O.Y.G.” This track is golden. It is a real rager and it emanates a real rodeo effect. The Kanye feature paints the song for what you would think is a father/son collaboration. But in all reality and for the sake of Rodeo, we like to think of it as a father/son sparring session. The electricity behind the intro is fundamental to create the aggressive heat that Kanye West and Travis Scott cook up. The entire song is climax filled with quotable lyrics from beginning to end (“ME AND LA FLAME, IS YOU NOT ENTERTAINED?”) Kanye brings out the Ye that we heard back when he brought Yeezus, and Travis brings out La Flame that has been cooking since we heard Days Before Rodeo.

Here at FRIENDS, we are avid hidden gem collectors and La Flame’s brought us two as a gift. “90210” is a classic from start to finish. Its been on repeat and will stay on repeat, that’s a prophecy. The track is embellished with vocals from G.O.O.D. Music signee, Kacy Hill. It’s melodic and it has the sampling to be a classic. It is almost an evolved track off of Kanye’s “Graduation.” A much more personal hidden gem is the no-feature track “Impossible”.”The track is too wavy, and it packs a vibe that smells a lot like reggae swank. Definitely recommend a double cup of supplements feel this new wrath of La Flame.

If you’ve never bumped Travis Scott, “Rodeo” is a good place to begin. The album is packed with talent from all dimensions of the music spectrum. Anywhere from unreleased Pimp C samples, Pharrell contributions, sappy 2 Chainz verses, to unexpected collabs like Justin Bieber. What’s great about “Rodeo” is that it had the ability to expand the versatility of featured artists and that’s what gave it a unique sound. “Rodeo” is a hell of a ride that we encourage you to experience. Keep an eye on that prominent wave, La Flame is cooking and remember: We are your FRIENDS.

Sidenote: Travis Scott attended 1 semester at UTSA #GoRunners

Listen Here: http://open.spotify.com/album/4PWBTB6NYSKQwfo79I3prg

-FRIENDS