Much like
Watch the Throne and
What a Time to Be Alive before it,
Huncho Jack, Jack Huncho is the result of the long-awaited collaboration between rap titans
Quavo and
Travis Scott. The album, released in late 2017, sees the duo riff on each other's energy, pairing Auto-Tune-slathered choruses with trap-based lyricism in a blend of their fundamental styles. While
Scott and
Quavo are given the spotlight, guest appearances include close collaborators and fellow
Migos members
Offset and
Takeoff, who appear on "Dubai Shit" and "Eye 2 Eye," respectively, with an opener on the former from early
Scott collaborator
Yung Lean.
The album's best moments tend to come from
Travis: when he adapts his cadences to suit production needs, his choruses give the verses a fundamental momentum. The sticky hooks on "Saint" and "Black & Chinese" propel their verses forward, with
Scott inhabiting infectious pockets in the beat to allow the pair to rattle off flows with ease. The same can be said of
Yung Lean's opener on "Dubai Shit," where the Swedish rapper provides an ethereal introduction for the track, setting the atmospheric tone with finesse.
It is
Scott that provides the album's greatest gem with the brooding "Moon Rock." A reminder of
Travis' cult-celebrated mixtape material, the track's stabbing chords and layered strings give the beat a hazy, gothic atmosphere reminiscent of Days Before Rodeo. While
Quavo brings a frantic energy to his final verse, it is
Scott's gloomy tales that steal the show: "Know that you n*ggas never liked me/Know that you n*ggas sit beside me tryna slide on my side piece" is delivered with sheer disdain.
A collection of hard-hitting bangers and melodic croon-fests,
Huncho Jack, Jack Huncho is a continuation of the styles that brought both of these artists to the fore; packed with enough material to tide fans of both artists over until the next album, the project delivers some great collaborative work.