Kanye West and Travis Scott broke the roof of hype after sharing the stage during the latter’s Circus Maximus Tour. After a show of solidarity during the concert’s start in August 2023, the ‘Flashing Lights’ singer marked his presence during the tour’s concluding legs with a surprise appearance ahead of his own ‘Vultures’ roll-out. The roar of fans throughout the arena when Ye walked down amid a cascade of spotlights came across as arguably one of the best spectacles in pop history in recent times.

As discussions on the surprise appearance continue to wow fans as well as fuel speculation for an upcoming—even grander—display of comeback rise, here is a timeline history between the two rappers stretching well back over a decade.

1. Early roots: How did Travis Scott meet Kanye West?

Travis Scott started his career as an aspiring music artist who dropped out of college to pursue his dreams in New York and Los Angeles. After the turn of the 2010s, the rapper made sufficient waves and eked out a name for himself in the underground scene. Around that very time, Kanye West had already sealed his legacy with Grammy wins and several hit records to his name. Through mutual connections, shows, and talks, the duo met each other and embarked on a creative endeavor.

The ‘Utopia’ singer gained prominence and began to produce beats for the likes of Jay-Z and Big Sean, all under Ye’s watchful eyes. Around 2012-2013, Kanye West signed Travis Scott with his GOOD Music label and kick-started an official spark of collaboration. The young rapper contributed to production, music design, and beats for the senior’s ‘Yeezus’ album. Along the lines, Scott also launched his own mix tapes, ‘Owl Pharaoh’ and ‘Days Before Rodeo,’ the latter of which went on to debut at number three on the Billboard 200.

2. The era of mentorship and blossoming collaboration

Travis Scott’s debut album, ‘Rodeo’, featured the lead single, ‘3500’ which originally lay set to debut with Kanye West’s 2016 album, ‘Life of Pablo’. Moreover, after his contributions to ‘Yeezus’, his role within the fandom stood elevated. Following such events, the new working dynamic between the two became prominent as that of an active collaboration. With his career now taking flight, Scott publicly opened up more times than once on West’s role as his mentor and guiding light.

In 2016, Travis Scott toured alongside Kanye West for the Saint Pablo Tour, the last major tour by the ‘Donda’ singer. In their performances on-stage, the duo spoke of a radiant bonhomie with an electric on-screen chemistry highlighted in their joint performances. Furthermore, with the protégé contributing live to verses and beats, and playing an active part in amping up the audience, a healthy relationship of one of the best rap collaborations came forward.

3. Travis Scott becomes a part of the larger Kanye West family

“He’s like my stepdad. We always had that relationship where we cook up ideas.” Travis Scott formally spoke about his new relationship with Kanye West in multiple interviews around 2017, when he started dating Kylie Jenner. Then married to Kim Kardashian, Jenner came across as Ye’s sister-in-law. Moreover, with the new couple welcoming their first child, Stormi Webster, in 2018, a new working layer found itself attached to the relationship between the two rappers. Unfortunately, things began to sour up soon after.

Kanye West and Kim Kardashian’s relationship started to face hiccups around the very time that Travis Scott and Kylie Jenner welcomed their baby. Thereafter, with the ‘Praise God’ singer coming under fire for his controversial remarks, his professional career started to take a hit, with the Adidas-Yeezy deal coming out as a prime example. In a show of solidarity, the student sided with the teacher opining that everyone stood entitled to their thoughts. Finally, with Ye’s verses on Scott’s ‘Astroworld’, landing it a major boost, their collaboration stayed alive.

4. A greater comeback in the making

As things began to settle, Kanye West opted to stay in Japan for a long part of 2023 alongside his new wife, Bianca Censori. With fans clamoring for an album or a hint from the rapper, Travis Scott, came to the rescue. On August 7 of that year, Ye enthralled fans in a surprise appearance at the latter’s ‘Utopia’ concert in Rome. Taking the stage to perform a few verses alongside the chants of “There is no Travis Scott without Kanye West,” the learners’ love for his mentor stood starkly evident.

At the cusp of his ‘Vultures’ roll-out, Kanye West unrolled the behemoth of all hype when Travis Scott handed the stage over to him on the January 31st show of his Circus Maximus tour for the same album. Performing hits like ‘Runaway’ and ‘All of the Lights’ while dressed in a white hockey mask and his signature black attire, Ye unleashed his aura all over. Welcomed by Scott with a show of lights, the combined hype for the duo stood unmatched at an all-time high. As Ye looks ahead to a broader 2024 comeback, signs hint at a likely full-fledged collaboration with Scott enough.

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