ON KEY WITH RYAN

JACKBOYS & Travis Scott

Expectations for JACKBOYS 2 were perhaps too high after the impactful JACKBOYS 1. Despite more songs, the sequel simply lacks the “wow” factor of its predecessor. JACKBOYS 1 gave us an exciting early look at the Cactus Jack roster, even hinting at Travis and Don becoming a new dynamic duo.

This album shows the growth of artists like Don Toliver, Sheck Wes, and SoFaygo, proving their individual strength. However, as a group, they don’t quite deliver. Over half the album consists of Travis Scott’s solo tracks, making it feel like a Travis album with the rest of Cactus Jack added in later. Opportunities for other members to shine independently are unfortunately rare.

Still, the album has its highlights. A major draw was the unlisted features. Hearing verses from 21 Savage, SahBabii, GloRilla, and others always felt like a welcome breath of fresh air, keeping me engaged throughout the project.

Ultimately I do believe this album could have been better overall but is still far from a bad album, Travis once again shows us that him and his crew have the ability to all be superstars but slightly just miss the mark.

Standout Tracks

• Champain and Vacay (feat. Wacka Flocka and Don Toliver)
• 2000 Excursion (feat. Sheck Wes and Don Toliver)
• Beep Beep (feat. SahBabii)