Travis Scott and the Cactus Jack roster have officially returned with JACKBOYS 2, a high-octane sequel to their 2019 compilation, launched on July 13, appropriately, Houston’s 713 Day. The 17-track album arrives as both a celebration and a reaffirmation of Scott’s creative vision, fusing Southern hip-hop roots with global collaborations and sleek sonic experimentation.
Unfolding like a radio-guided road trip from Houston to Miami, JACKBOYS 2 is a sprawling expedition featuring a heavy cast of guests, including Playboi Carti, Future, 21 Savage, Kodak Black, Vybz Kartel, Tyla, and even Memphis standout GloRilla. Houston legend Bun B serves as the project’s narrative anchor, offering interludes that contextualize the journey through rap’s evolving geography.
MUSIC
The album opens with “JB 2 Radio,” a cinematic intro that sets the mood before launching into “Champain & Vacay,” where Scott wastes no time firing back at Pusha T, responding to the diss heard on “So Be It.” Over a chopped-n-screwed backdrop and Waka Flocka’s ad-libs, Travis addresses “old heads” and flaunts his status: “Made a hundred off pushin tees / Now my phone on DND.”
Elsewhere, Scott moves through stylistic territory with ease. On “PBT,” he delves into dancehall, teaming with Tyla and incarcerated Jamaican icon Vybz Kartel. “Florida Flow,” a standout produced by Tay Keith, takes listeners straight to Miami with a raspy Scott verse and a headline-grabbing Kodak Black appearance, name-dropping Kylie Jenner and teasing Baby Keem cameos. Songs like “Contest” and “Where Was You” dial into a more aggressive, futuristic energy, the latter bringing together Scott, Future, and Playboi Carti in a fiery reunion that feels tailor-made for the next GTA soundtrack.
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The mood shifts with “2000 Excursion,” an early single accompanied by a surreal visual that foreshadowed the album’s thematic ambition. Don Toliver and Sheck Wes shine here, proving the Cactus Jack collective still knows how to trade verses without losing momentum. Sheck resurfaces again on “ILMB,” a vulnerable ode to loyalty that plays like a love letter to Harlem, while Don carries the melodic weight on multiple tracks with a slick, AutoTune-glazed presence.
SoFaygo earns his flowers with “MM3” and “Contest,” bringing his signature rage-rap to the table and standing toe-to-toe with Scott. The sonic range is wide: from the dusty glam of “Dumbo” to the electro-tinged swagger of “No Comments,” JACKBOYS 2 plays like a restless mixtape engineered for both arena speakers and midnight drives.
Despite the high volume of features, JACKBOYS 2 never loses its central vision. It’s curated with intent, a careful balance of regional sounds and underground cameos, all woven through Scott’s distinctive lens. It’s not an album chasing chart dominance — it’s a summer diary stamped in chrome and codeine.
As Scott wrote on X: “This album is for all season but was made for ever summer that comes.”
