Travis Scott Doesn't Classify His Music As Strictly Hip-Hop | Genius

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Travis Scott Doesn’t Classify His Music As Strictly Hip-Hop news Nov 19, 2019

Photo by Gary Miller/Getty Images

by Chris Mench @Chris_Mench Referenced Artists Travis Scott

“I would just describe it as different pieces of my brain.”

Although Travis Scott is typically viewed as a rapper, he thinks of his own music in a more genre-less manner. In an interview with Harpers Bazaar, the Texas MC said he views his art through a wider lens than rap music.

“I would just describe it as different pieces of my brain—a mix of genres that I listen to on the daily,” he said. The magazine also reported that he “chafes” at calling his music hip-hop, although they didn’t provide an exact quote about that.

However, Scott has distanced himself from rap music classification throughout his career. “I’m not hip-hop,” he told MTV in 2013 while promoting his Owl Pharaoh mixtape. “All of that trap bullshit, it’s cool, but it’s not shit that can last forever… I might be an MC and a rapper, but man, I [do] this process differently.”

Scott’s experimental style has brought him together with acts from Ozzy Osbourne to Stevie Wonder to James Blake, and his heavy use of Auto-Tuned vocal distortion has helped push the genre in a new direction. However, he still competes in the rap categories at awards shows and classifies his music as such on digital retailers and streaming services

He’s not the first artist to view themselves outside the bounds of hip-hop. Post Malone has caught backlash throughout his career for attempting to distance himself from rap music, first after not appearing on the XXL Freshman list and later when he said new hip-hop is “lacking real shit.”

On the flip side, Lizzo recently complained that she’s not viewed as a rapper even though male peers like Swae Lee and Future (who also sing on their records) are classified as hip-hop.

Check out Travis Scott’s full Harpers Bazaar interview here and catch up on all the lyrics to his recent album, ASTROWORLD, on Genius now.

Next Up news Lizzo Questions Why She’s Not Viewed As A Rapper Like Future & Swae Lee news Post Malone Thinks New Hip-Hop Is Lacking “Real Sh*t” About Genius Contributor Guidelines Press Shop Advertise Privacy Policy Licensing Jobs Developers Terms of Use Copyright Policy Contact Us Do Not Sell My Personal Information Sign in © 2026 ML Genius Holdings, LLC Verified Artists All Artists:

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