Travis Scott’s Return Following Astroworld Aftermath

Four months after the Astroworld tragedy and mostly staying out of the public eye, Travis Scott meekly returned via an Instagram post. The post in question was for Project HEAL, an initiative centered around event safety and giving back to the youth. Consisting of four tiers that include a scholarship, upgrading Travis’ youth center, mental health assistance and an event safety conference, Project HEAL offers several moving parts. Tier 1 has been completed with Travis donating $1 million to Black college students, with more to come in 2023. In May, Travis also donated proceeds to a Nike drop to Project HEAL.

Back in April, Southside, the wildy successful producer, teased, then dropped a song called “Hold That Heat.” The track features Future and Travis Scott‘s first verse since the Astroworld tragedy. Originally thought to be a Travis song as opposed to a Southside release, the Houston rapper has two verses and a hook here.

In his first live show since Astroworld, Travis Scott appeared at E11even nightclub in Miami. Performing during a weekend of festivities based around the Miami Grand Prix, an F1 race, Travis took the stage with Quavo and ran through classics (“Antidote,” “Sicko Mode”) and newer songs, like the aforementioned “Hold That Heat.” Throwing money in the crowd and raging, Travis seemed like his normal self while on stage.

The Billboard Music Awards are usually a big deal. This past May, Travis hit the stage for his first performance at an award ceremony since Astroworld. Sticking to two songs (“Lost Forever” and “Mafia”), it wasn’t a long set, but Travis appearing was still a surprise.

On May 20, Travis went on Instagram to post a photo of his new Cactus Jack brand Nike apparel. Showing off an all-weather parka coat, cargo pants, a ski mask and goggles (all items colored all-black), along with the day’s date, Travis was seemingly returning to his clothing/sneaker release schedule.

Travis Scott posted upcoming Cactus Jack gear to Instagram once again in July. This time, it was the Cactus Jack Jordan 1s. A highly sought after shoe, he received tons of engagement on the image—over 3 million likes.

Travis Scott’s return to Rolling Loud was always in the cards—it was just a matter of when. The mystery was solved in July when Travis hit the stage as a guest during Future’s set. Travis performed “Hold That Heat,” in addition to a few of his own songs. And as an act who means a lot to Rolling Loud’s festival growth, it was a big moment. This was also Travis’ first festival performance since Astroworld.

Taking it overseas, Travis Scott performed two nights in August at London’s 02 Arena. The shows were huge and the reception he received was great—another big step in his return to the public eye. Plus, this was his first solo concert since Astroworld.

Alongside his fellow Cactus Jack act Don Toliver, Travis collabed with DJ Khaled for the song “Let’s Pray” for Khaled’s album, God Did. The We the Best head honcho has relationships with everyone in music and never hesitates to enlist the biggest stars in rap (and other genres) on his albums.

There’s nothing like turning 18—it’s a celebration that only happens once. When your dad is NBA champion LeBron James, it’s likely the aforementioned party will be one for the ages. For Bronny James, his oldest son, LeBron pulled out all the stops, renting out a venue and having both 2022 XXL Freshman SoFaygo and Travis Scott perform in separate sets. Footage surfaced online of Travis performing as the father and son duo turned up together.

Drake can sometimes aim for the unexpected. He definitely did so when he dropped Her Loss, a collab album with 21 Savage that arrived in November. The 16-track project only has one feature: Travis Scott on “Pussy & Millions.” Travis’ ongoing friendship and history of collabs with Drake is what makes his appearance somewhat expected, but being the only guest on such a big album says a lot about Travis’ star power.

In a series of festival lineup announcements, it became clear that Rolling Loud still feels very strongly about Travis Scott. From November to December, Rolling Loud announced Travis as a headliner for their shows in Los Angeles, Rotterdam, Thailand and Portugal, all of which are scheduled to take place next spring and summer.

Pharrell Williams, one-half of the all-time production duo The Neptunes and a legend in his own right, is good for dropping one-off songs here and there. His latest is “Down in Atlanta,” which dropped last month and features none other than Travis Scott. The smooth, laidback jam is different from Travis’ usual high-energy fare, but Pharrell supporting him during his return to his career speaks volumes.

Close friends and instrumental in each other’s rise, Travis Scott and Metro Boomin have plenty classics together. So, it should come as no surprise that Travis was all over Metro’s highly anticipated album, Heroes and Villains. Rapping on four songs in total, (“Raindrops (Insane),” “Trance,” “Niagara Falls (Foot or 2)” and “Lock on Me,” Travis is a major part of the sound and feel of the project.

On Christmas Eve, Travis Scott and his Cactus Jack Foundation hosted its 3rd annual Winter Wonderland & Toy Drive in Houston. Travis’ family and team distributed thousands of toys to 1,000 families and children in the Sunnyside neighborhood. The Foundation also gave away Roku TV’s and the new Travis Scott x Air Jordan 1 Low OG SP Black Phantom shoes.