Over the past few years, the name Vince Staples has been sparking a lot of buzz among the Hip-Hop industry and blogs. The California native first emerged onto people’s radar when he appeared on “Epar” in 2010, which is featured on Earl Sweatshirts debut album Earl. The hostile and vulgar lyrics mixed with a solid flow gave listeners just enough to want to hear more. Since then the two have simultaneously been rising to stardom on separate paths, but never straying too far apart as the two can be heard on a collaborative track on Earl’s new album I Don’t Like Shit, I Don’t Go Outside.
Staples’ debut mixtape Shyne Goldchain volume 1 came out in 2011, and it was the worlds their first real look at a full-length project from him. Since then, he has released a series of critically acclaimed mixtapes, including Stolen Youth which was entirely produced by Mac Miller and Shyne Goldchain volume 2 which features a huge amount of production from the legendary producer No I.D. After creating a sufficient amount of buzz and hype Staples’ debut studio album Summertime ’06 was released on June 30, 2015 on Def Jam Recordings.
Staples presents himself as an aggressive and thought-provoking realist who is not afraid to tell you some of the disturbing things he has seen having grown up in a rough part of Long Beach, California. Lyrically, Staples relies heavily on storytelling and imagery through his wordplay. Like on his song “Nate” In which he walks us through a day in the life of a child who wants to be a gangster like his dad, but at the same time sees the terrible things he’s done and his father’s problems with drug addiction. Songs like this are what attract people to Vince Staples and he makes sure not to water down anything from his life.
At times this can be cringeworthy for listeners, but for others this is the reason many see him as a very talented artist who speaks on what really is on his mind and not only on what will sell records. While Staples is speaking openly about gangbanging and drug addiction, there is something that distinguishes him from just another gangster rapper. He is the merging of the two sides of hip-hop, on one side there is the grimy lyrics and banging beats. On the other side, Staples shows he can speak on these things in a way where it doesn’t promote it but actually makes you ponder your own life’s actions. Check out Staples’ new single “Senorita” From his Debut Album Summertime ’06.
