Long Island hip hop artist Vince Staples has been causing a fair bit of controversy over the web since expressing the polarising opinion that 90s hip hop was overrated.
The 22-year-old rapper’s statement saw many of his musical contemporaries voicing support or hitting out against the rapper. The fur also started to fly during a heated back and forth between Staples and Noreaga over Twitter where the latter referred to Staples remarks as nothing more than “idiot statements.”
Staples has now clarified his remarks on popular hip hop radio show SwaysUniverse.
“I definitely do [feel I was misrepresented in a headline, But even if I was not], so what?”
He also took a somewhat apologetic tone stating: “Who are we to try to diminish anybody else’s art-form? To me, it’s like, if you don’t feel like the ’90s was the greatest era of hip hop—which isn’t what I said—but if it’s not, then it’s just ‘fuck you’? What if I like the ’80s? What if I like the early 2000s? You sayin’ that nobody else’s art-form matters unless it’s in the ’90s? That’s corny.”
“When the ’90s ended, I was six years old. I would hope any parents wouldn’t want their six year-old child or younger listening to music that was carrying the kind of content that was carried in the [artists people are talking about]. My father went to prison for the majority of my life. My mommy a full-fledged gang-banger, bro. So, they was makin’ sure I went to church. They didn’t want me to listen to people talkin’ about shooting people and sellin’ crack, bro.”
Noreaga was also in contact with the radio program, informing listeners that he and Staples had made amends after a phone conversation. Apologetically noting that his comments may have taken Staples’ comments out of context, Noreaga placed some of the blame on ‘click bait’ journalists for blowing the statements out of proportion. He also noted that many of his comments had been made without actually having seen original interview.
Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. The interesting take away might not be as much about the objective merits of the 90s or any other era of music, but the fact that Staples is articulating the views of a new an up and coming generation of artists looking to challenge the clichés and conventions of the hip hop establishment.
For those looking to see Vince Staples live he will be in the country next year for St Jerome’s Laneway Festival, as well as two headline dates:
Tue, Feb 9th – Max Watt’s, Sydney
Buy tickets here
Wed, Feb 10th – Max Watt’s, Melbourne
Buy tickets here