It’s been almost three years now Travis Scott began teasing his forthcoming fourth studio album Utopia.
And since it’s due out this month, the rapper is doing everything he can to generate hype and attention – including paying homage to arguably the greatest band in the history of modern music.
On Thursday, Scott recreated the iconic photo used for the cover of The Beatles’ Abbey Road studio album.
The 32-year-old Texas native was spotted in the exact same spot in St John’s Wood, in north west London, that the legendary rock group used during their August 1969 photo shoot.
The location is just outside the famous Abbey Road studios, where The Beatles recorded Abbey Road and Scott used it for the recording of Utopia.
Travis Scott, 32, recreated The Beatles’ iconic cover photo for their London studio album Abbey Road
Iconic: The Beatles’ Abbey Road photo, taken in August 1969, is one of the most famous photos in rock ‘n’ roll history and the album is widely regarded as one of the greatest of all time
Despite the gloomy skies in London, both photos were taken on a sunny day in the UK.
Placed side by side, Scott is on the second street from the left, where Paul McCartney crossed the street in the famous Abbey Road cover, only he’s not barefoot like the iconic musician in the original.
Scott (born Jacques Bermon Webster II) enlisted the help of three security guards to look like the gunshot, which also included McCartney’s bandmates John Lennon, George Harrison and Ringo Starr.
A member of the security team had the mysterious Utopia briefcase handcuffed on his wrist.
The tan leather case with the word ‘Utopia’ is said to contain the master recording for the album – though many suspect it’s a publicity ploy to drum up more chatter before release.
Team Scott was also photographed exploring the area, including the crosswalk, which sparked the interest of fans and passersby who began to gather along the sidewalk and street.
Dressed in black pants with an olive green T-shirt and black and white sneakers, Scott carried a bag on the afternoon excursion, sporting his signature braids.
The recordings for the rapper’s new album started in 2019, but he stopped after the tragedy of the Astroworld Festival in November 2021, where 10 concertgoers lost their lives due to a crowd crush.
Despite being hit with $750 million in lawsuits related to the tragic death, Scott returned to the spotlight fairly quickly when he began a Las Vegas nightclub residency in September 2022.
The title of Scott’s upcoming album was revealed in July 2020 when Scott uploaded an Instagram post with the caption ‘Utopia’.
As of yet, there is no official release date for Utopia, which will be his first studio album since Astroworld dropped in August 2018.
On the road: Team Scott was also photographed exploring the area, sparking the interest of fans and passersby who began to gather along the sidewalk and street
Easy does it: The Houston, Texas native kept it casual-cool in black pants with an olive green t-shirt and black and white sneakers
Rising Interest: More fans gathered during Scott’s recreation
Here Comes The Sun: Despite the gloomy skies in London, both photos were taken on a sunny day over the UK
Mysterious Briefcase: One of the security team had the mysterious Utopia briefcase with handcuffs on his wrist
Fab Four: The Beatles are widely regarded as the greatest band in the history of modern music, in part because of their innovation and ability to cross genres; they are pictured in 1967
All-time great: Abbey Road (1969) is the last studio album The Beatles recorded, although Let It Be (1970) has the honor of being the last album they ever released; the record contains recognizable hits such as Here Comes The Sun, Come Together, Something, I Want You (She’s So Heavy) and Octopus’s Garden
Abbey Road is the last studio album The Beatles recorded, although Let It Be has the honor of being the last album they ever released in May 1970.
That’s because Let It Be was part of the documentary of the same name, but was unfinished when they chose to finish work on the songs for Abbey Road.
Released in September 1969 as another big hit of all time, the record features some of the band’s most recognizable hits, such as Here Comes The Sun, Come Together, Something, I Want You (She’s So Heavy) and Octopus’s Garden .
There is also a unique 16-minute medley of eight tracks consisting of a number of short songs and song excerpts (known during the recording sessions as The Long One.