Vince Staples might crack us all up, however ain’t shit humorous. Regardless of a penchant for bone-dry bon mots that has him extensively considered one of many funniest rappers out—as his frequent look in this thread attests to—Staples is fast to emphasize that he’s by no means joking. For anybody who thinks the Lengthy Seaside rapper doth protest an excessive amount of, look no additional than this current clip the place he’s requested to present his ideas on the Drake versus Kendrick Lamar beef—as a substitute of enabling the tradition’s thirst for bloodsport, he pivots to make a degree in regards to the battle being only a distraction from the very actual situation of labels and DSPs robbing artists blind.
Living proof for the way critical issues are in Vince’s world: his new album, out as we speak, is named Darkish Instances; the pitch-black cowl artwork has a faintly discernible picture of a noose. “It’s a testomony to the place I’m proper now and the way I view issues—it is only a timestamp,” Staples stated in a press launch for the challenge. “I won’t really feel like that once more tomorrow. However within the course of of constructing this challenge, these have been the issues that spoke to me.”
So, on an album that options gut-wrenching tracks like “Authorities Cheese”— the place Staples mourns his older brother and displays on placing on a sunny disposition for the homies checking in from jail— a track like “Étouffée” is a welcome breath of contemporary air.
Over a vigorous New Orleans-bounce infused beat (the title is a reference to a Creole dish), Staples doesn’t stray from the remainder of the album’s material, however he’s much less remorseful. He displays on his journey, his hood, and his buddies—standing tall within the face of the streets, grasping labels, and ungrateful followers—with a extra celebratory angle, pleasantly stunned he made it this far. All of it comes collectively on a rousing hook that connects the New Orleans references with shoutouts to the Large Tymers, B.G. and No Restrict Information. (Give the monitor bonus factors for that includes co-production from Jay Versace, who continues to shock as one of many recreation’s most underrated beatmakers, a far cry from his days as a Vine character.)
