From The Odyssey to the recording studio, the musician continues to expand his creative universe.

PHOTOGRAPHY Greg Swales&nbsp;STYLED BY Luca FalcioniTravis Scott has been hard to pin down. And that’s not without reason: the Houston-raised rapper has either been jetting around the world or tucked away at his Malibu-based studio working on the follow-up to 2023's Utopia.Today, he’s been doing the latter. When he calls, he’s in the car, on his way to the airport for another trip. His service goes in and out while he exits the complex before reconnecting fully. Even in a down period Scott, 35, is still always moving. He spent two years touring the globe on his Circus Maximus tour. Somehow, he found spare moments in between shows to film two movies: In July, he'll appear as a bard in Christopher Nolan's star-studded The Odyssey, then in October, he’ll play himself in the comedy Rolling Loud (based on the festival of the same name).That's not to mention his ongoing fashion exploits, like a nearly decade-long partnership with Nike and his role as chief visionary for sunglasses brand Oakley. All the while, he’s been running Cactus Jack, his creative collective and record label that has signed artists like Don Toliver and Sheck Wes. The success of Cactus Jack inspired an upcoming course at USC Annenberg, which will explore the business side of the label and how it’s grown.But right now all Scott has on his mind is this new album. He’s been working on it for the last year and a half, and it may be coming sooner than we thought. It’s not information Scott can give up quite yet, but judging by his own buzzing when he talks about how inspired he’s been in the studio, it’s clear he’s as ready to get it out as his fans are ready to hear it.While Scott keeps the details close to his chest, he does share quite a bit about his inspirations lately: the travels and experiences that feed his new music and keep him going.

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L'OFFICIEL: What has life looked like for you lately?TRAVIS SCOTT: I’ve been working on a lot of cool stuff. I don’t want to speak too prematurely, but one of the most exciting things is the music. I’ve been mad inspired over the last year and a half. I’ve been buckled down and back building beats from scratch, just creating and pushing the sound. There are other things I’ve benefited from designing outside of music that are starting to come to fruition and I’ve been excited about. That type of stuff keeps me motivated.L'O: What are some things that have been really inspiring you recently?TS: It’s day to day, different things and activities. I’m traveling around and seeing so many different things. It might just be something you see on the street or the different type of aura you feel driving through a different country. The way the trucks are, the way everybody operates, how the bar or restaurant operates, how the community speaks.I’ve been [hosting] random soccer tournaments, and you just see the different kids and their energy. It’s like street-ball shit. You see how they pull up and it’s just rugged. Then from there I might go to the studio and you’re in different rooms where you’re hearing music...everything like that connects.

L'O: Has the way you make music shifted at all over the years? Or do you find that it’s pretty similar to when you first started?TS: I get these types of cycles when I’m working on an album, like it always feels like before, but I know a lot more. A lot of the things that I was trying to figure out when I was younger, I know now, and I’m just pushing myself to get better.L'O: You have two movies coming out this year, including Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey. What has it been like for you to step into the acting space and explore that side of yourself?TS: I’ve always been into directing my own videos, so I’ve always been a [film] fan. I’ve always wanted to get into it, whether I’m in front of [the camera] or behind it. Man, it was just another world. It was so fire, to be honest, seeing someone of that caliber work and what it takes to get things done.It’s definitely not as easy as it seems, bringing everything together. I commend everybody that does it, from the grips to the lighting to all those people that go off on taking it to the next level. When I sat back there and I looked at what was going on, I was like, Yo, this is crazy. Like, the hours and the amount of time each actor puts into having to deliver on film. I’m honored to even be part of the process with such an amazing cast.L'O: What kind of films are you a fan of?TS: Any Wes Anderson, Robert Rodriguez, the Coen Brothers. Now what I’m enjoying though is just finding new movies that might not have the most popular actor, but the scripts are just so good. You just get hooked.

"I get caught up in the mix sometimes. Who doesn't break a drink here or there?"&nbsp;

L'O: How did your involvement in The Odyssey come about? Did Nolan call you himself or was there an audition process?TS: I don’t ever like going too deep on a relationship with some of my peers, but we worked together on a film before [Scott made the end credits song for Nolan’s 2020 film Tenet]. And I’m thankful enough he reached out to have me be a part of the process.And then from there, I just dug into what I had to do. Nolan is a really good director. The whole cast, it’s like one family, you know what I’m saying? A group of people who were all on one mission to deliver. To be adopted into that family felt very cool.L'O: And you’ll be in a much different role later this year with Rolling Loud.TS: I love Owen Wilson. The dude is fucking hilarious. Rolling Loud has been a festival I’ve been performing at since it first started, since it was in a gymnasium. I was on the first flyer. So it’s interesting that we’ve grown with the festival. Seeing where it’s at today is ill.I’m all about experiences and people literally having the best time ever connecting and finding themselves. To tell the story of how a dad wants to connect with his son through the energy of music, that’s what the power of music is for. It’s good to see that there’s no age limit to that.At the end of the day, it’s funny as fuck. It’s cool to just do something different. And I love Owen. He actually came out and rocked out with me.

L'O: Do you want to do more acting in the future?TS: Yeah, I’ve got something I’m announcing soon. That’ll be pretty cool.L'O: Have these experiences of immersing yourself into fictional worlds or characters inspired your new music?TS: It does inspire me to see where you can dial into these different characters and modes. You get a different way of thinking and your dialogue is different; your swag is different. It connects you to different minds of people, which inspires the writing, the visuals, and the whole experience of how you can stretch the concept of what you want to do for yourself.L'O: Does the same go for designing?TS: A thousand percent, because you get on set and you see the productions and the costume designs are at the highest level of any fashion house. At the end of the day, all these things go back to what I was saying earlier about traveling. You might see the guys working on the electric on the side of the road, or the construction worker. The ’fits in Europe might be way different than in America. The tailoring in Japan is way different than it is in Houston, you know? But then you also see the inspiration of Wesco boots that are made for Japan. Where I’m from, we have Cavender’s. It’s interesting to see all different walks of life, whether it’s in film or traveling. It definitely gives you that drive and those weaving tools to create your own textiles and your own palette.

L'O:&nbsp;Is there a recent city or country from your travels that really piqued your interest?TS: Seoul. The buildings, the architecture, the way of life, the way people are interacting with each other, the nightlife. There are mad vinyl bars where you can come and play music. All this shit is next door to each other, too. You have a dive bar [next to a] cowboy bar.Separate from the nightlife in Seoul, there are photo booths and arcades. Everything is open 24/7, with no security or employees. The trust is outlandish. You can shop at 3 a.m. with no employees [in the store]. The energy feels so different. They got their culture and it’s going on. It’s mad inspirational.L'O: Are there any places you want to visit next for inspiration?TS: Antarctica. I hit every continent on the last tour except Antarctica. It’s kind of crazy. I just advise people to travel. Fuck what people are talking about; go see this shit for yourself.I remember in the realm of why I made Utopia, there’s a lot of things that are fucked up, just like in America. There’s a lot of beauty in these places they try to scare people from. It’s a lot of beauty people should go see. Go touch earth and go actually interact with this world. It could change your mindset.

L'O: What is it like for you to sit and reflect on having opportunities like that, where your music has brought you to so many of these places?TS: I need to do more reflecting, man. I’m still in the act of trying to serve my fans. And I’m serving myself in the process because I love it. I just want to keep creating in time.L'O: What does preserving yourself outside of that look like?TS: It’s crazy because people see me out sometimes and they be like Yo, this dude is wild. But I’m at home self-preserving. When I do go outside, I like to have a good time. I love to dance. On stage is not different from when I’m actually outside, listening to music or in a club. People think I want to break laptops. No, no, no. I get caught up in the mix sometimes. Who doesn’t break a drink here or there?But I do spend a lot of time at home. I spend a lot of time with my kids, taking things in and working within. That’s peaceful for me. I sit; I cook. Then when I do pop out, I let the energy flow. It’s weird for people to just go outside and stare. I’ve never been that person.

L'O: Going out and dancing can be a form of self-preservation.TS: I think we’re just in a world where you’re always being recorded more than a normal person. It’s cool. It’s whatever.L'O: What does protecting your privacy look like these days?TS: It’s always important to protect your privacy. Sometimes you need your peace. I see a lot of people get overwhelmed with their fandom. I love my fans, so I always try to interact with them. But sometimes you gotta be low and have a place where you can just think and not have everyone up your neck. At some point everybody wants to go in their room and just close their door and chill out for a bit.

HAIR: Marcus Phillip Hatch GROOMING: Merrell Hollis CROWD MGMT SET DESIGN: Isaac Aaron LIGHTING: Juliet Lambert PRODUCED BY: Alexey Goletskiy, Ashton Wilson, and Christian Filippo DIGITAL TECH: Toma Kostygina LIGHTING ASSISTANTS: Michael Camacho and Stephen Krajeski STYLING ASSISTANT: Carolina Levi

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