Travis Scott had a close call during his Tuesday night concert in NYC ... almost getting knocked off the stage by a massive head-shaped prop, while also making a fast recovery!!!

The rapper was in the middle of his performance on an elevated part of the stage at Brooklyn's Barclays Center when, all of a sudden, the large cranium floated up behind him.

Check out the video, obtained by TMZ ... Travis is so preoccupied singing his song that he's completely unaware of the threat creeping up on him. The oversized skull bumps into his back, causing him to jump to a portion of the stage below.

But, Travis doesn't get flustered and continues on with his show, pausing only briefly to call a tech guy on stage and whisper something in his ear. Although it's unclear what Travis said, the technician soon dashes off stage, and the video cuts off.

Our sources say there were no other hiccups during Travis's nearly two-hour gig, part of his "Circus Maximus" tour, and the crowd had a great time.