Maps of Music

Birds in the Trap Sing McKnight (2016)

Where the lyrics of Birds in the Trap Sing McKnight take you, and where it was really made.

The album's first public release was a fake mixtape called Days Before Birds, which leaked online on streaming platforms without any promotion or warning.

Key places

Recording at Record Plant (2016)

Recording site Record Plant (Los Angeles) — The album's page lists Record Plant in Los Angeles among the places where this album was recorded. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Recording in Santa Monica (2016)

Recording site Ruby Red — The album's page lists Windmark in Santa Monica as a recording location. The point marks the city centre, not the studio building. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Album story

Overview

• Birds in the Trap Sing McKnight: second studio album by American rapper Travis Scott
• Released 2 September 2016 through Grand Hustle Records, distributed by Epic Records
• Premiered exclusively on Wav Radio, the show of Travis Scott and Chase B on Beats 1 and Apple Music
• Guest appearances from André 3000, Kid Cudi, Kendrick Lamar, Young Thug, Quavo, 21 Savage, Nav, Bryson Tiller and the Weeknd, among others
• Producers include Nav, Vinylz, Mike Dean, Cardo, Frank Dukes, Allen Ritter and Murda Beatz
• Three singles: Wonderful, Pick Up the Phone and Goosebumps

Background

• Title announced on Snapchat on 4 January 2016, then revealed on the Anti World Tour
• Scott said the title reflects his friends and growing up in Houston, Texas, describing a social connection trap
• Original promotion came through the fake mixtape Days Before Birds
• Pick Up the Phone was previewed in April 2016 and later posted to SoundCloud before being taken down in June
• A release date was announced on 26 July 2016 at Coney Island, but the album missed two dates due to technical difficulties
• On 25 August 2016 Mike Dean said the album was delayed again because mixing was unfinished
• Scott said on 31 August 2016 that he had finished the album

Recording

• Scott named Kid Cudi as his biggest musical influence in a July 2016 interview with DJ Whoo Kid
• Cudi's appearance on the album was confirmed, a month after Cudi said Scott would appear on his solo album Passion, Pain & Demon Slayin'
• Recording and production credits span many studios and producers across the album

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Tracklist

Sources: musicbrainz.org

Artist

Formation

• Born Jacques Bermon Webster II on April 30, 1991 in Houston, Texas.
• Formed the duo The Graduates with Chris Holloway; released an EP on Myspace in 2008.
• Formed The Classmates with OG Chess in 2009 and released two projects before the group disbanded in late 2012.
• Left college and signed with T.I.'s Grand Hustle Records in 2013 after T.I. heard his production.

Career

• Released the mixtape Owl Pharaoh (2013) and Days Before Rodeo (2014); the latter's single "Don't Play" was its lead single.
• Debut studio album Rodeo (2015) debuted at number three on the Billboard 200; single "Antidote" peaked at number 16 on the Hot 100.
• Birds in the Trap Sing McKnight (2016) became his first number-one album on the Billboard 200.
• Astroworld (2018) debuted at number one; "Sicko Mode" (with Drake) became his first Hot 100 number-one single.
• Formed Cactus Jack Records in 2017; the label has signed Don Toliver, SoFaygo and Sheck Wes.
• Utopia (2023) debuted at number one on the Billboard 200.
• "4x4" (2025) debuted at number one on the Hot 100.

Recognition

• Has five Hot 100 number-one hits and ten Grammy nominations.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Reception

At release

• Metacritic: average score 64 from eight reviews, generally favorable
• Clash (Matthew Cooper): said the album is anything but incoherent, despite Scott's own lyrics about incoherence
• HipHopDX (Scott Glaysher): said the lyrics show little progression, but the soothing digital finish and polished drums make it hard to dislike
• Pitchfork (Matthew Strauss): called it Travis Scott's best work so far, combining elevated significance, self-awareness and a luxurious sound built from something plain
• XXL (Preezy): described it as a roller coaster with many highlights, from memorable hooks to timely guest verses
• AllMusic (Andy Kellman): praised the swarming basslines and sluggish beats, noting that only Guidance shakes up the sound
• Exclaim! (Calum Slingerland): found the lyrics about sex and drugs vapid for a trap masterpiece, but praised Scott's ear for beats
• PopMatters (Grant Rindner): called the results highly mixed
• Tiny Mix Tapes (Mike Giegerich): said the stripped-down approach lacks finesse behind the microphone

Reappraisal

• Complex placed the album fifth on its 50 Best Albums of 2016 list
• Variance placed it 38th on its year-end list
• XXL ranked it among the best 50 hip-hop projects of 2016

Records

• Debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 with 88,000 album-equivalent units, of which 53,000 were pure album sales
• Scott's first number-one album
• Wonderful peaked at number 23 on the Billboard Twitter Top Tracks chart and was certified platinum by Music Canada
• Pick Up the Phone peaked at number 43 on the US Billboard Hot 100
• Goosebumps peaked at number 32 on the Billboard Hot 100
• RIAA certified it four-times platinum on 29 April 2025 for over four million units combined in the United States

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Trivia

• The album's first public release was the fake mixtape Days Before Birds, which leaked online without promotion or any warning.
• Kid Cudi appears on the album, and Scott had earlier said Cudi's solo album Passion, Pain & Demon Slayin' would feature him.
• Pick Up the Phone was posted to SoundCloud before Scott took it down in June 2016, saying it was meant for iTunes.
• Scott's Pick Up the Phone music video was released on his Vevo account on YouTube.
• The album's 14 tracks are all stylized in lowercase.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

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