Rapper and music artist Travis Scott visited USC on April 4 to market the launch his new apparel line, “Jack Goes Back to College,” at the USC Bookstore.
The name of the apparel line refers to Cactus Jack, a brand founded and owned by Travis Scott.
Crowds of people lined up outside USC Bookstore in hopes of meeting the famous artist.
Some, even waited in line all night.
“I was not the first one but we’ve camped out since last night, maybe around 10,” Sam Stack, a junior studying communications, said. “I’m very excited to get the chance to meet him and get some merch.”
Along with Fanatics owned brand Mitchell & Ness, Cactus Jack has created new merchandise for 28 different colleges and universities including UCLA, Penn State, Texas A&M and USC in its limited-edition apparel collection.
UT Austin and LSU also got special appearances earlier this week from the performer who was greeted by adoring fans — students and non-students alike — eager to get their hands on the collection and meet the artist himself.
“Travis Scott, he has been a very influential artist in my life. I’ve been listening to his music since middle school,” Ahhad Tahir, a junior studying business administration said. “I just want to show my support now that he’s collabed with my dream school USC. So I’m very excited.”
But getting inside the bookstore was no easy feat. People started camping out as early as 9 p.m. on Wednesday just for the chance to even see Scott, nevermind meet him. Students who did the overnight stay felt it was worth it even if they had to wait in the dark and cold for hours.
Not everyone was lucky enough to get their hands on the piece of memorabilia, even though some gave up on the line due to its length. Lee said he was in the first two groups allowed into the bookstore and they had already run out of his size for the shorts.
Others decided to skip the line completely, opting instead to place orders online.
“There’s no point in staying overnight or coming in this morning,” Brandon Willis, a business law graduate student said. “Most people are here for Travis Scott. People that want the clothes would have been in line waiting since last night.”
The collection ranged in price from $68 to $160 featuring pieces like backpacks, tees, sweatpants and more.
Some fans had a game plan. Multiple groups took a shift approach, rotating in and out members of the group as needed while still maintaining their place in line. To keep morale up, they brought games, played a few rounds of poker, and made TikToks while the overnighters brought chairs and pillows too.
Plenty of people waiting in line did not attend USC or have any affiliations with the school, but they felt it was important to wait in line for a chance to see the celebrity.
“I follow his music and do a lot of collectibles. I have a ton of his shoes,” Steven Valdez said. “It’s just an opportunity to actually be in an intimate setting to actually speak with him, talk with him and not be a show..”
Scott seemed to enjoy himself too, engaging with the crowd and meeting with freshman basketball stars Isaiah Collier and Juju Watkins, even expressing interest in attending the school if he were to go back to college. He also spoke about how this collaboration was in support of college students and young fans.
“We are celebrating college, college students, college athletes, just the idea of college. It’s one of the most amazing places,” Scott said in an exclusive interview with Annenberg Media. “It’s one of the places you find yourself as you’re going into college. It’s where you really become yourself. I admire anyone who can commit themselves to how many years they want to do.”
Travis Scott was not alone. By his side was Michael Rubin, CEO of Fanatics. The pair gave the students a memorable experience and are looking to keep on moving forward together.