Still basking in the praise deservedly heaped onto his 2015 release Summertime 06, there’s no doubt Vince Staples has been on everyone’s radar. Not only was his album one of the most gripping hip-hop releases of 2015, but he has quickly become known for his high-energy live shows, his cunning wit and wicked sense of humour, which have in turn made him something of a media darling.
Now that the spotlight is brighter than ever, Staples is using his platform to explore deeper subject matter, tougher themes and impressively experimental production, all exemplified on new seven-track EP Prima Donna. Delving into the issues of success and how they affect him, he goes on to cover topics as deep and diverse as relationships, mental illness, money and more.
Prima Donna opens with the sorrowful acapella, a forty second ballad, just Vince and you. Let It Shine isn’t the only time we see these chants, at the end of Smile, Loco and Prima Donna we hear crackly audio of the rapper covering a range of topics, each stripping back the track’s message further.
An André 3000 sample from ATLiens sets the scene for the first track War Ready, “Softly as if I played piano in the dark – Found a way to channel my anger now embark” Backed by a bold but simplistic beat from London producer James Blake, this is the first time we’ve officially heard the two together, and man is it worth the wait. A simplified but pulsing keyboard and piano based beat, the track simply uses two instruments, a light and fast keys alongside the gritty and low lying piano slam which runs alongside the thumping drums. Vince’s nasally vocals glide so easily over this track, and while his verses may be on the shorter side, they still pack a brutal punch of wordplay and lyricism.
The following track Smile adds to the addictively strong blend of flow and production, this time working with a more down tempo, rock-influenced instrumental. Delving into a theme which many artists cover, he begins to unravel about the guilt of success, about the shame he feels, having left his old life behind for one of wealth and fame. Vince continues to use his varying rhythmic flow to his advantage, crooning a refreshingly haunting chorus, which works smoothly over the dark guitar riffs below.
Journeying deeper into Vince Staples’ mind, Loco comes through just as the title suggests. Taking a crazy and wild turn both lyrically and instrumentally, it’s hard to ignore the raw aggression. Vince has really taken a step outside the box on the Kilo Kish collaboration. It’s bold, brash, and just plain loco, in all the right ways.
Title tack Prima Donna possesses a more conventional instrumental, anchored by organic yet booming drums. While the track does feature A$AP Rocky, it’s a minimal contribution, by way of a simple, repetitive hook. While the lacklustre feature may feel underwhelming, Vince nevertheless swoops in to save the day, once again delivering spitfire rhymes with a dynamic, engaging flow.
James Blake’s production talents bookend the entire release, now closing what he opened, with somewhat grimy influences from the mother country. A 140bpm beat with gritty, disorganised synths and rattling drums, it’s an interesting change to hear an American emcee over this kind of production. Not everyone could pull this off, but Vince matches the pace perfectly, concluding the EP with a frank discussing on gang life.
There’s no doubt Vince Staples really took the time out to make sure this follow up was something special. Not only did he delve deeper musically, but he’s taken a sharper look both at himself and the world around him, detailing his struggle and confusion about his increasing fame and wealth, which simultaneously pulls him further away from the life he grew up with. Sure, it’s a topic so many have tackled before him, but he does so with a unique twist that doesn’t for one second feel old or outdated.
Jumping on the visual album hype, Vince also released a ten minute short film which adds visual elements to a shortened version of the project. Check it out below, and be sure to listen to the full album here or beneath the video.
Vince will be visiting Australia once more this December, as main support on golden boy Flume’s mammoth stadium tour. Dates can also be found below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gxw1Zef3EO0
Flume National Tour Dates
With support from Vince Staples and SOPHIE
Friday, 25 November: Perth Arena, Perth
Thursday, 1 December: Riverstage, Brisbane
Friday, 2 December: Riverstage, Brisbane
Saturday, 3 December: Spilt Milk Festival, Canberra
Friday, 9 December: Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney
Saturday, 10 December: Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney
Thursday, 15 December: Sidney Myer Music Bowl, Melbourne
Friday, 16 December: Sidney Myer Music Bowl, Melbourne
Saturday, 17 December: Adelaide Entertainment Centre, Hindmarsh
Tickets can be found here.
Read our interview with Vince Staples
Check out our photo gallery of Vince Staples live in MelbourneImage: Facebook
Vince Staples continues to go from strength to strength, with his new EP, Prima Donna, once again cementing him as one of the most vital voices in hip-hop right now. Today sees the release of an accompanying short film, directed by Nabil for Vice’s TV channel VICELAND.
The EP is a fantastic, versatile listen. While only seven tracks long, it pushes boundaries with unpredictable sound and unique production, tremendous lyricism and increasingly creative wordplay. Staples’ lyrics and delivery are among the best in the game, and it’s always a delight to hear more. From the opening track, which kicks off with an Andre 3000 sample from ATLiens and was produced by James Blake, to the huge and explosive War Ready, the seductive Loco featuring Kilo Kish and beyond, he continues to throw himself beyond expectations, and the film is a great visual accompaniment.
Vince Staples last visited Australia in January for Laneway Festival and headline sideshows. He will be touching down once more in December as the main support for Flume on his epic Skin tour dates.
Id you haven’t given it a spin yet, I highly recommend that you do – stream below.
“I’m one of the funniest people alive, people have to understand that” – Read our interview with Vince Staples.
Image: Supplied
If you’ve managed to stay clear of any dangers of catching Olympic fever but still want to know what’s going on, you’re in luck because Vince Staples has just tackled all the big events in his latest Vince Staples Reviews Every Fucking Thing video for men’s magazine GQ.
In another wonderfully candid instalment, the SoCal rapper takes on the Olympics, critiquing the finer aspects of table tennis and gymnastics as well as admitting that he doesn’t really have anything to say about sports and that “y’all just ask me to do this shit” and so, he sits down and does just that. Having previously given reviews on the fashion choices of NBA players’ and the best fashion moments in hip-hop, as well as his insights into GQ’s “Man of the Year” award, Staples didn’t hold back for his latest sit-down.
It’s pretty great that he does, too, because he makes some brilliantly candid calls. First, right off the bat he refers to to men’s diving as looking like something out of “a FKA twigs video” (Pendulum, anyone?), quickly following it up with his comments about table tennis being taken too seriously (and also being Forrest Gump’s sport, making him the greatest Olympian that ever lived).
At one stage, he talks about suspecting certain athletes of juicing, as well as questioning the validity of equestrian sports (“braiding a horses hair is an Olympic sport? Fuck these grown ass people trying to ride these horses! Why is he wearing a top hat?”) before finally explaining that men shouldn’t be trying to compete in gymnastics because, as he observes “I’m not really a fan of this male gymnastics—trying to jump hard as fuck as you can. There’s no grace in that… We’re not creative enough. They [women] make us look stupid. They’re smarter than us.”
However, he does have something to say about gold medallist Simone Biles: “She looks like she’s mean, though. Like, don’t talk to her about how nice you are, because she’ll let you know that your little handspring is trash.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M1DMWKJxlg8
Vince Staples is already following up last year’s double album Summertime 06 with a six-track EP Prima Donna, which will be available at the end of the month. The new release will feature production by James Blake and guest vocals by Kilo Kish and A$AP Rocky.
The EP was mentioned in a story cover on FADER back in June. When it was heard by writer Jeff Weiss, he described it as “his greatest artistic leap forward: it’s a hyper-musical fusillade of sounds that could be described as psychedelic gangsta rap blues that you could play at 2 a.m. at an underground rave.”
That’s not all. Staples is also releasing a short film, although it’s currently unclear what it will be about. We do know that director Nabil was involved, who is known for his previous work with Kanye West, Frank Ocean, FKA Twigs and Bruno Mars.
Some lucky fans will be able to receive one of 5000 signed vinyls if they pre-order the EP from his website. Pre-orders will be available from August 19th.
This isn’t the first collaboration between Blake and Staples. The two performed together at this year’s Glastonbury festival, taking on Blake’s Timeless from his latest album The Color In Anything.
See the Prima Donna tracklist below:
- War Ready
- Smile
- Loco feat. Kilo Kish
- Prima Donna feat. A$AP Rocky
- Pimp Hand
- Big Time
Prima Donna will be released on August 26th.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bn15IvVrprw
Image: Rolling Stone
The recent shootings in the USA, resulting in deaths of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile at the hands of the police, have sparked a global outcry. The most recent in alarmingly ongoing instances of a black community targeted and villainised by police, both men appear to have been shot dead as the tragic result of what were standard, non-violent altercations with officers.
American politicians have joined the commentary surrounding these events, and President Obama has issued a statement offering condolences and urging americans to come together in their grief. The shootings have also seen an overwhelming response from the music industry, as artists have taken to social media to express their shock and sadness.
John Legend’s Twitter feed has become an open forum for the number of people sharing news and their own sadness and frustrations regarding the shootings. The singer joined his own words to challenge how Castile could have been shot during what was a routine traffic stop.
We should not have to jump through hoops to prove black people shouldn't be shot by police during routine traffic stops.
— John Legend (@johnlegend) July 7, 2016
The online storm of protest surrounding the shootings has also looked to commemorate the men who died, particularly Castile. Janelle Monae tweeted an article that named Castile as “a role model to hundreds of kids” at the school where he worked, as well as a loved member of the community. Many people have also challenged the NRA, as both Sterling and Castile were carrying firearms at the times of their deaths. Castile possessed a ‘concealed carry’ license, which he was moving to show the officers who stopped him. The Roots member Questlove posted on twitter, questioning whether the NRA would move to defend either victim. He also urged white people to speak out for black culture.
White People Who Love Black Culture: Now Is the Time to Speak Up https://t.co/bYp2MDkXs3
— ?st (@questlove) July 7, 2016
Canadian artist Drake has penned an open letter on social media, decrying the unchanging relationship between law enforcement and “black and brown” communities.
Last Thursday, Beyoncé released a powerful statement on her website entitled “Freedom”. Calling for action and stating that “the war on people of color and all minorities need to be over”. Pausing her show in Glasgow, Bey gave a moment of silence as a screen displayed the names of victims of police brutality.
Click the link in my bio to go to Beyonce.com. Turn our anger into action.
A photo posted by Beyoncé (@beyonce) on
Rapper Macklemore also took to social media with a lengthy comment on Instagram, underneath a photo of victim Alton Sterling. He also calls for the active change of an ingrained and inherently racist system, and for white people to “care enough” to make that change.
Talib Kweli joined the conversation, engaging with various twitter users over the subjects of the shootings and the BLM movement. He also defended Macklemore who came under fire for jumping on the of the bandwagon with those protesting.
https://twitter.com/TalibKweli/status/751181011568975873
Other artists like Vic Mensa, Kanye West, Justin Timberlake, Katy Perry and Chuck D of Public Enemy also took to twitter. The #altonsterling tag continues to trends amongst musicians, even as they mourn how no one’s life should begin and end with a hashtag.
https://twitter.com/VicMensa/status/750772843709882368
https://twitter.com/kanyewest/status/750850397187608576
This IS systemic. We MUST DO BETTER. My heart goes out to the families of #AltonSterling and #PhilandoCastile May they both Rest In Peace.
— Justin Timberlake (@jtimberlake) July 7, 2016
You can't just go on with your day, you must watch this & we must face this continual outrageousness #ALTONSTERLING https://t.co/NqW3aVSZ1j
— KATY PERRY (@katyperry) July 6, 2016
The rest of the PlanetEarth has to shake their finger at the USA as well.Its the same thing Malcolm dangerously was tellin the world in 1964
— Chuck D (@MrChuckD) July 7, 2016
Campaigns have also started to help support the families of the victims of the shootings. Click on the following links to reach the Go Fund Me support pages for the families of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile.
Image by Cosmopolitan
While Glastonbury’s opening night boasted tonnes of amazing acts like Muse, Foals, Disclosure and Sigur Rós, Saturday night came through with some amazing performances to top them all. Adele rocked the main Pyramid Stage, and English electronic music producer James Blake held a much more intimate performance, showcasing old favourites alongside the new songs from his latest project The Colour In Anything.
To add flavour to his already-powerful set, Blake enlisted the help of a couple friends, starting with Long Beach rapper Vince Staples. Known for his aggressive delivery paired with masterful story telling, Vince jumped on one of the album’s highlights, the wavy instrumental track Timeless. Adding his conscious rhymes into the mix, this gave a completely new perspective to the once voiceless track. While the two have never formally collaborated before, this is a taste of what is to come, with Vince recently revealing to FADER that James Blake has production credits on his upcoming EP Prima Donna.
As if it couldn’t get any better, Blake gave life to one of the recent album’s features, bringing Bon Iver‘s Justin Vernon also joined his onstage to perform their breathtaking track I Need A Forest Fire. Displaying his brilliantly clean and shivering falsetto voice over Blake’s booming production, this was undoubtedly one of the highlights of Glastonbury’s surprise collaborations.
If you happen to live in the UK or have a VPN, you can watch Blake’s full set here, and for the rest of us, you can check out some of the many highlights below, and get yourselves ready for Blake’s Splendour in the Grass performance, alongside his headline tour next month:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kgl8u6EmDw4
James Blake brings out Bon Iver at Glastonbury, 2016#bbcglasto https://t.co/ypgGHiWJ4z
— BBC Glastonbury (@bbcglasto) June 25, 2016
James Blake Tour Dates (also appearing at Splendour in the Grass)
Tue 26 Jul – Hordern Pavilion, Sydney
Wed 27 Jul – Margaret Court Arena, Melbourne
Thu 28 Jul – Thebarton Theatre, Adelaide
Sat 30 Jul – HBF Stadium, Perth
Image: Larry Marano
If any day exists as a gift, it must certainly be Friday. Particularly when that Friday brings sweet, sweet new offerings from the world of hip-hop. Now, of course, we aren’t savages, and so then we come to wrap our gift and bedazzle it with all the joyousness of gift—giving. Like Christmas morning, but just six months earlier.
Featuring the talents of such artists as Ye Ali, Lil Wayne, Snoop Dogg, wifisfuneral and Rich the Kid, embrace the wrap of rap we call — the ‘Rap Wrap’.
Ye Ali — Time
Singer/Rapper Ye Ali, who refers to himself as the ‘Trap House Jodeci’, tapped HotNewHipHop to drop this exclusive woozy, R&B/Trap hybrid on which he sings about the pains of not having enough time with a fling. A smooth introduction to Ali’s many talents, ‘Time’ is a brilliant way to ease in the day.
[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/270331072″ params=”color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false” width=”100%” height=’166′ iframe=”true” /]
Lil Wayne, Wiz Khalifa, Imagine Dragons, Logic & Ty Dolla $ign — Sucker for Pain
The latest track unleashed from the huge lineup on the upcoming Suicide Squad: The Album, this trippy, organ-laced beat enlists a handful of major names for this drop, which hopes to set the scene for upcoming DC Comics film Suicide Squad. With solid efforts from all the names involved, it becomes a task to wonder who offers the best contribution to what is undoubtedly an enormous track.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XSAENi3bVbs]
Fat Joe & Remy Ma (ft. French Montana, E-40, Game & Snoop Dogg) — All The Way Up (Westside Remix)
Fat Joe is somehow still riding high in 2016 with mega-hit All The Way Up, which received a brilliant guest verse from Jay-Z himself only recently. He’s looking to further that hit’s success with this Westside remix featuring the West Coast talents of E-40, The Game and Snoop Dogg, all of whom bring their A-games to this extraordinary beat.
[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/270353532″ params=”color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false” width=”100%” height=’166′ iframe=”true” /]
wifisfuneral — Born 2 Lose, Born 2 Win
A bit of a lesser known name than most of the artists on this list, wifisfuneral is an artist who copped a co-sign from Earl Sweatshirt, himself. Over a curiously dark, cinematic beat, wifisfuneral shouts back at Earl and raps about his success and potential, putting the world on notice.
[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/270125066″ params=”color=ff5500″ width=”100%” height=’166′ iframe=”true” /]
Mod Sun (ft. D.R.A.M. and Rich the Kid) — Smokin’ What I’m Smokin’ On
Rock-rapper Mod Sun combines forces with D.R.A.M. and Rich the Kid for this trap offering over a Don Cannon beat, big-upping and shouting out their lifestyles while swapping the spotlight.
[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/270396576″ params=”color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false” width=”100%” height=’166′ iframe=”true” /]
Clams Casino (ft. Vince Staples) — All Nite
This track taken from Clams Casino‘s upcoming debut album 32 Levels has only been out for a short time, but gets a further boost with this video release from Clams and Vince Staples, utilising mind-bending visual effects as Vince raps in an industrial setting. With the buzz built up around this track already, the video provides a perfect accompaniment.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8zGVJaFwOyo]
PARTYNEXTDOOR (ft. Drake) — Come And See Me
Further fuelling the dating rumours surrounding the pair, Kylie Jenner appears in the video for this PARTYNEXTDOOR smash, presumably taken from PND’s upcoming P3 album. Featuring further video cameos from names like Jhene Aiko and Big Sean, the video finds PARTYNEXTDOOR finally coming to see Jenner for an awkward half-kiss.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ockhq8E2FrA]
Images via PARTYNEXTDOOR ‘Come and See Me’ and Zazzle.com.au
Vince Staples has been featured as the third and final star of Fader’s annual Summer Music Issue. Among many other insights, the feature interview revealed that a new EP, titled Prima Donna is set to come our at some point in the next few months. It will be his first new music since last year’s album Summertime ’06.
This is the first concrete information we’ve heard about new music. Vince doesn’t talk about the project directly, instead playing the six track EP for Fader’s Jeff Weiss. Weiss comments that the EP “starts with a rap star killing himself and concludes with him first coming to fame.” He goes on to say, “you’re meant to be able to play it front-to-back or back-to-front. Either way, it’s a chaotic fusion of warped soul, distorted hooks, and extra-terrestrial demonic spirituals.”
Prima Donna features production from DJ Dahi as well as UK electronic prodigy James Blake. Dahi has worked with Staples before on Summertime, but Blake is a new venture for Vince. Blake will be in Australia soon for Splendour in the Grass, and will be doing side shows in Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, and Perth. Read our review of his new album The Colour in Anything.
Hopefully we get Prima Donna sooner rather than later since American summer is almost a third of the way through. Considering Staples will be to touring Australia this December with Flume, we can most likely look forward to hearing his new material live.
You can read the entire Fader interview here and check out a video of Vince explaining some of his more controversial comments on topics like Drake and Michael Jordan below.
Check out our interview and photos of Vince Staples
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9vr9vRuxP2U
Image: Daniel Shea / The Fader
The fight between musicians and services that provide music for free has been a long one. Last year, Taylor Swift penned an open letter to Apple Music, asking them to reconsider the three month period during which artists go unpaid while their music is being streamed. As a result, Apple Music changed their minds.
She now joins 180 artists including Paul McCartney, Vince Staples, Carole King, Kings Of Leon and more, along with 19 companies, in signing a petition that is set out to change the Digital Millennium Copyright Act.
The petition alleges that the Act gives YouTube too much power when copyrighted music is posted on their website and “has allowed major tech companies to grow and generate huge profits by creating ease of use for consumers to carry almost every recorded song in history in their pocket via a smartphone, while songwriters’ and artists’ earnings continue to diminish.”
They sign the petition to ensure that they are given power when it comes to the protection of their work by encouraging the creation of a “sensible reform that balances the interests of creators with the interests of the companies who exploit music for their financial enrichment.”
Trent Rezor recently had spoken out about YouTube and their ability to allow people to listen to music free of charge. He received this response from the platform:
“The overwhelming majority of labels and publishers have licensing agreements in place with YouTube to leave fan videos up on the platform and earn revenue from them. Today the revenue from fan uploaded content accounts for roughly 50 percent of the music industry’s YouTube revenue. Any assertion that this content is largely unlicensed is false. To date, we have paid out over $3 billion to the music industry–and that number is growing year on year.”
Last week, we wrote an investigative feature asking whether the music industry is abandoning the platform that gives them exposure and a place to upcoming artists share their voices with the world. This petition sheds more of a light on the other side of the debate, which is just as important.
Will anything change? We shall find out.
Image: Pitchfork
Vince Staples is an artist with a history of speaking profoundly about his experiences and his troubled youth. His debut album Summertime ’06 is a chronicle of growing up too fast, losing friends to gang violence, and trying to escape a seemingly inescapable reality. While his music is a creative outlet for these ideas and feelings, he’s now taking these lessons and influences into his own actions.
On Tuesday, in his hometown of Long Beach, California, Staples helped to launch and show his support for a new initiative by the YMCA in Ramona Park – a location often referenced in Vince’s work. Called The Long Beach Institute, the program is set to teach twenty kids in years eight and nine all about graphic and product design, music production, 3D printing and filmmaking in the hope of stimulating their interest in the creative industries. Vince took some time to speak with the Long Beach Press-Telegram about why he felt he needed to be involved.
“I think the most important thing is opportunities. What I can say is, living over here my entire life, I’ve never had an opportunity given to me from the area, only examples of how to mess up, and what I didn’t want to do. I want to be able to be one of the people that reinforces the fact that we matter just as much as the next person. That’s actually the biggest thing I can do for this community.”
While gang culture is still incredibly prevalent within American society, it’s amazing to see that artists with experience, like Vince, are doing their part to give the next generation the opportunities and lives that they deserve. One can only hope that ten years down the line, we get the next Vince Staples out of The Long Beach Institute.
Read our review of Summertime ’06 here.
Check our photos of Vince live in Melbourne here.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mb6Jc4juSF8
Image: Long Beach Press-Telegram