Travis Scott Talks 'Raging' in Resurfaced Video: 'Always Wanted to Make It Feel Like It Was the WWF'

Eight people died at the rapper's Astroworld Festival in Houston on Friday night

Travis Scott. Photo: Amy Harris/Invision/AP/Shutterstock

Travis Scott has long been known for his high-energy concerts, often encouraging fans in the crowd to, as he calls it, "rage" alongside him.

But after the rapper's Friday night set at the Astroworld Festival in Houston turned deadly, his long-standing support of "raging" has come under scrutiny.

In a 2015 GQ video titled "How to Rage with Travis Scott" that has resurfaced in the wake of the tragic deaths of eight concertgoers, the "Sicko Mode" rapper explains that his energy comes from a childhood love of wrestling.

"Since I was 6, I wanted to be a f—ing wrestler," he says. "So in performances, I always wanted to make it feel like it was the WWF or some s—."

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Scott, 30, goes on to explain that he hopes to spread "raging and having fun and expressing good feelings" "across the globe" — whether he has a stage to work with or not.

"I just need air and a mic. I don't need a stage to f—ing perform, no. We just need something to stand on — it could be somebody," he says with a laugh. "I just need a platform. We don't like people that just stand, whether you're Black, white, brown, green, purple, yellow, blue. We don't want you standing around, like, this is a no-stand zone."

The rapper, who is expecting his second child with girlfriend Kylie Jenner, then encourages fans to "find anything you're gonna use to consume to get you lit," and lists various substances, including drugs, water, orange juice and alcohol.

"Whatever you want to do, man, get it in and you just have fun," he says, before encouraging fans to put their cell phones away in order to better enjoy the show. "At the end of the night, you should be f—ing throwing up."

Scott was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct in 2015 after encouraging fans at Lollapalooza to climb over security barricades and rush the stage. The performance was shut down within five minutes after dozens of fans joined him on stage, per Chicago's ABC7.

Two years later, he was arrested for allegedly inciting a riot during a concert in Arkansas, and later pled guilty to disorderly conduct.

Eight people, ranging in age from 14 to 27, died at Scott's Astroworld Festival in Houston on Friday night, and more than 300 were treated for injuries amid chaos that unfolded around 9:15 p.m.

Police are investigating, and no charges have been brought, though reports indicate that fans in the crowd of about 50,000 began to rush the stage during Scott's headlining set, which featured an appearance by Drake.

RELATED VIDEO: Astroworld Organizers Noted 'Ever-Present Threat' of 'Mass Casualty Situation' Months Ago: Report

Houston Police Chief Troy Finner said in a statement on Monday that he met with Scott and his head of security "for a few moments" before he went on stage.

"I expressed my concerns regarding public safety and that in my 31 years of law enforcement I have never seen a time with more challenges facing citizens of all ages, to include a global pandemic and social tension throughout the nation," Finner wrote. "I asked Travis Scott and his team to work with HPD for all events over the weekend and to be mindful of his team's social media messaging on any unscheduled events. The meeting was brief and respectful, and a chance for me to share my public safety concerns as Chief of Police."

Some of those in the crowd at NRG Park on Friday night have since blamed Scott, alleging that he continued to perform even after seeing distraught and injured fans in the audience.

David McGilver, 20, who attended the show, told PEOPLE that he suffered a sprained ankle as well as bruises to his leg and rib — and felt as though he "was going to die."

"I remember me being on the ground and the music stopping and I could hear him say, 'Y'all know what y'all came here for?' And you can hear everybody screaming out for help," McGilver said. "And then the music just plays back again. I just don't understand how you can hear everyone screaming out for help and not stop the show at all."

He continued, "It was very scary because I've never heard people like screaming out for their moms, screaming out for cops like that. I've never just been in that type of environment where people the same age as me or older were just terrified. I was terrified myself because I couldn't breathe."

A source close to Scott previously told PEOPLE that the rapper was unaware of the magnitude of the situation, as "the lights were shining in his eyes and he couldn't see what was happening."

Scott said that he was "honestly just devastated" by the night's events, and on Monday, announced that he would cover all funeral costs and provide further aid to those affected by the tragedy.

He also announced a partnership with BetterHelp to supply free one-on-one online therapy to help those in need.