Released: 2015 • Features: Swae Lee, Chief Keef
Travis Scott’s “Nightcrawler,” featuring Swae Lee and Chief Keef, is a buoyant testament to the wild, high life of hip-hop stardom. This track is a hedonistic ode to raucous nightlife, extravagance, and the power of money, presenting the artist’s unapologetic acceptance and celebration of success and excess.
The song kicks off with Travis Scott’s typical auto-tuned vocals oozing charisma as he paints a picture of an afterparty at his place, where money (“hundreds”) is nonchalantly tossed like spare change. The repetition of “order more bottles, order more models” underscores the lavishness and extravagance at the heart of this lifestyle. That phrase “hotter than the summer, the winter couldn’t chill me” is a braggadocio line about Travis’s success making him immune to any ‘cold’ or down period in his career.
The phrase “order more kidneys” is a cleverly disguised reference to the potential harm this lifestyle could have on one’s health. But in the context of this song, it’s a defiant revel in hedonism, demonstrating Travis’s willingness to live on the edge despite the risks.
The chorus, “when the night calls,” signifies the allure of the night and its offerings – women, alcohol, money – which becomes irresistible when the sun sets. This is followed by vivid imagery of opulence and hedonism as Travis imagines his fantasy coming to life at night. The line “Point me to the ice” likely refers to him asking for the expensive jewelry, another staple of hip-hop culture, and asserting his independence by stating he doesn’t need anyone’s drink, he’s “high off life,” further accentuating his empowered position.
To the casual listener, Chief Keef’s verse could simply seem nonsensical. However, “walked up in the bank, ordered me some funds” and “your bitch walked up in the spot, and she ordered me for lunch” are swagger-filled lines cleverly showing his elevated lifestyle and appeal. His reference to being from the projects and eating McDonald’s provides a contrast to the current life of luxury, a typical rags-to-riches tale in hip-hop. He also ties in a nod to the legendary Wu-Tang Clan in this verse, showing reverence to hip-hop history.
In essence, “Nightcrawler” captures the dark allure of the hip-hop high life – money, women, extravagance, and night-long parties. It’s a snapshot of the intoxicating, larger-than-life world that artists like Travis Scott, Swae Lee, and Chief Keef inhabit, and an unapologetic celebration of enjoying the fruits of their success.
