Despite having a very difficult 2021, rapper Travis Scott is working to end this year with a bang. The chart-topper’s brand is starting to be restored, recovering from the massive hit it suffered when 10 people were killed and hundreds were injured at his tragic Astroworld Festival in 2021.
Slowly the “Goosebumps” emcee is being booked for large shows, capitalizing on all the perks of having such an enormous and faithful fanbase. He reportedly is not only selling a ton of tickets for concert promoters, but raking in serious bank with his tour merchandising business.
A recent report from TMZ notes that during his recent concert series in London, Scott sold more than $1 million in merchandise, making history as the musician/performer to set such a record at London’s The O2 Arena.
The act previously holding this title is K-Pop sensation BTS, one of the biggest boy band groups of the 21st century, securing that ranking during their “Love Yourself World Tour” in 2018.
The rollout of the Houston native’s merch series afforded fans at the two shows in The O2 arena in London exclusive items never before shared with the public.
Hours before the show was underway, fans lined up for gear to include TS hoodies ($100 to $125 per garment), shirts ($45 to $75) and hats ($45).
Cashing in with a seven-figure gross is sure to firm up the confidence in his personal brand that has been on the rocks for the last nine months.
Carrying a net worth of $60 million, the artist’s music and touring was not the only aspect of his portfolio impacted by the tragedy. The 30-year-old has made a substantial pocket of his wealth through endorsement and merchandising deals, often combining the two.
Scott, a former student at the University of Texas at San Antonio, cracked America’s airwaves as an artist — but turned Forbes’ eye in 2020 through his emerging imprint in the industry. The bible of financial heavy hitters made him the cover of its famed “30 Under 30” issue and nicknamed him “Corporate America’s Brand Whisperer.”
At that time, he had earned $100 million with his music, mostly through streaming, but his endorsement roster was formidable. He was tapped by PlayStation and Epic Games, hosting a live concert within the game Fortnite, bringing in 12 million viewers, and securing himself as a player in the tech and gaming space.
He was secured by staple All-American brands like General Mills and McDonald’s. With McDonald’s, he was able to have his own Scott-branded menu item and sell exclusive merchandise there.
Scott has secured his Cactus Jack clothing company as a must-have for millennials and Gen-Zers while working with Nike to create his own sneaker, and sell through an exclusive deal with StockX. Currently, one pair of Nike Dunk Low Travis Scott X PlayStation sneakers is selling for $139,000 on the popular re-sell site.
But after over $1 billion worth of lawsuits started to pour in against him and against the other promoters and producers of the 2021 Astroworld Festival, where a crowd surge caused mass hysteria and cost people their lives, the image of the once corporate golden child started to tarnish.
First, he was kicked off the Coachella tour as a headliner, according to AllHipHop.com. Then the Cacti water deal he had with Anheuser-Busch was nixed.
Music Times says his McDonald’s deal dissolved. His personalized dance motion on the Epic Games platform was deleted. Mega64, a production firm for short films and videos that he was working with stopped working with him, while Nike footwear, BAPE, Hot Wheels, Reese’s Puffs and Dior, shared with the press they were also severing ties.
The tide seemingly has started to turn for the artist.
He has appeared at a few events this year, including a pre-Oscars party in March, a private Coachella after-party and the Billboard Music Awards 2022.
While he has a long way to go to restore his brand’s power, his milestone performances in London were a renaissance for Scott, as the two sold-out dates were his first solo touring slots since last year’s catastrophe.
