Steve 'Flash' JuonBefore we go any further let’s address the elephant in the room — Travis Scott and WWE. If you’ve been here for more than a minute you know I’m a pro wrestling fan, and if not welcome to the site! Travis was a big part of the build to WrestleMania 41 back in April. John Cena’s turn from beloved fan favorite to villainous bad guy took place on March 1st in a segment that involved then champion Cody Rhodes in the ring with Cena, Scott and Dwayne “The Jock” Johnson. When Cena showed his true colors by attacking Rhodes, Scott joined in the melee that followed, and in the process he managed to give Rhodes a black eye and a busted ear drum. I think somebody forgot to tell Scott that you’re supposed to make it LOOK real without actually doing real damage.
Having inserted himself into the story at WWE’s request, he continued in this capacity by interfering in the match between Cena and Rhodes at WrestleMania. He took Cody’s finishing move (the Cross Rhodes) but his interference was scripted to help Cena become champion for the 17th time. I want to make a clear distinction here and it’s one that Open Mike Eagle made as well. The problem isn’t that rappers want to get involved in wrestling. That crossover can and should be beneficial to both sides. The problem is when people who are used to the pain and injuries that come with being a wrestler get hurt more than they normally would because a rapper (or any celebrity) doesn’t respect the craft and tries to just wing it. Case in point — Jelly Roll has actually been training at the WWE Performance Center for his role at SummerSlam this weekend. If he gets hurt or hurts anybody it will be by accident, not by design. Ironically the rumor mill says Jelly Roll got a spot that was originally meant for Scott until his relationship with WWE fell apart.
As far as I’m concerned that’s for the best. I like that Travis Scott is enough of a wrestling fan that he uses Cactus Jack as a brand, but he and I both belong in the stands watching, not in the ring. If you don’t know what you’re doing in there and refuse to learn to do it the right way, stay the hell away from getting physically involved. Now that we’ve got that out of the way let’s talk about “JackBoys 2,” a compilation album and obvious sequel to “JackBoys” from 2019. That “Jack” branding is right in the name and most casual Travis Scott fans will think of it as his album. I think that’s fair since he performs on the majority of the album’s 17 tracks (and one of three bonus cuts). The most recent single “Dumbo” that accompanied the album’s release is Scott flying solo.
Producers Dilip and Otxhello provide the bass driven hypnotic backdrop that’s Scott’s signature sound. Scott provides the syrupy pitch corrected vocals for it that are his trademark as an emcee. The lyrics are also status quo. “Chain on ice cream, can’t melt/Your nigga don’t like me, oh well/Ain’t no peace prize, Nobel.” He lives in a world where all women want his body and all men want his money. It’s the ultimate hetero cis fantasy. You have to put blinders on your eyes and cotton in your ears to not recognize why this is appealing to his target demo. Scott’s lifestyle is inaccessible to most folks so living vicariously through his exploits is as close as anyone will get. U.G.K. legend Bun B adds additional credibility through vocal additions to songs like “2000 Excursion.”
Pro wrestling already came up in this review so the comparison is apt at this point — you pick your favorites and your root for them to succeed. If you’re already a Travis Scott fan going in this album won’t change your mind going out. Conversely if you weren’t a fan of Jacques Bermon Webster II before “JackBoys 2” there’s little here to change your mind. His style has become calcified. He knows what his audience expects and never goes outside of his comfort zone or theirs. It’s an hour of male fantasies about smoking weed, having sex, making money and scaring off adversaries. The lead single “ILMB” (“I Love My Bitch”) is a duet between Scott and Sheck Wes but both are going through the motions. At least one of them could have stepped up or challenged the other to be more creative. AA’s pulsing bass drops are nice though.
Let’s be honest though, Travis Scott has never been about good lyrics. He relies almost entirely on the production he gets and the studio trickery that enhances his vocals to be interesting. For that reason I’ve been blasé about Scott for a long time — never fully hating him nor fully investing in him. In pro wrestling that’s the worst thing that can happen to you. It doesn’t matter if they cheer for you or boo you out of the building as long as they are REACTING. There’s always a way to draw an audience, sell tickets, and do television ratings as long as the people watching live or at home feel passionately about what they’re seeing. The closest I get to that here is GloRilla being on “Shyne.”
Her Memphis drawl and her non-modulated vocals are a breath of fresh air in a stale room. “JackBoys 2” isn’t a bad JackBoys album or a bad Travis Scott album — it’s just repetitive and monotonous. Wait… that’s actually kind of bad isn’t it? Okay so it’s not a GOOD album then. The best way to parse this is that you get exactly what you paid for if you buy “JackBoys 2.” You knew who he was and what he’s about. For as long as his fans aren’t tired of the same old shit, that’s fine, but even wrestlers have to change up their “gimmick” now and then to keep people interested. Travis should learn that lesson from his idol Mick Foley. He worked as a good guy and as a bad guy. He portrayed different characters from Cactus Jack to Mankind to Dude Love until he was so beloved he could simply come out as HIMSELF and get what he cheekily called a “cheap pop.” Travis Scott can still get those cheap pops for now but before long he’ll need to change things up.