Big Fish Theory
by Vince Staples
  • Record Label: Def Jam
  • Release Date: Jun 23, 2017
User Score
8.3

Universal acclaim- based on 376 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 334 out of 376
  2. Mixed: 24 out of 376
  3. Negative: 18 out of 376
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  1. PresidentTrump
    Dec 26, 2017
    8
    A great album. Vince's flow is amazing, when Crabs In a Bucket started, and I heard his flow tear through the instrumental, I know I was in for something great. The beats are quite strange and experimental, but they are also very unique and Vince's flow sounds absolutely terrific with it.

    Favorite Tracks: Big Fish, 745, Yeah Right, Party People Least Favorite Tracks: First half of    A great album. Vince's flow is amazing, when Crabs In a Bucket started, and I heard his flow tear through the instrumental, I know I was in for something great. The beats are quite strange and experimental, but they are also very unique and Vince's flow sounds absolutely terrific with it.

    Favorite Tracks: Big Fish, 745, Yeah Right, Party People
    Least Favorite Tracks: First half of Alyssa Interlude,    … Expand
  2. ArthurMullings
    Jun 23, 2017
    10
    Vince Staples. The Rap Enigma. Vince's flow on this project is silky and smooth, while the production is experimental and hard-hitting. These tracks are abrasive and dystopian, while being supported by a brilliant feature list, which is a bonus. His lyrical ability is more seasoned and deep than ever. Definitely one of the best and most captivating listens of 2017. Can't wait to hear moreVince Staples. The Rap Enigma. Vince's flow on this project is silky and smooth, while the production is experimental and hard-hitting. These tracks are abrasive and dystopian, while being supported by a brilliant feature list, which is a bonus. His lyrical ability is more seasoned and deep than ever. Definitely one of the best and most captivating listens of 2017. Can't wait to hear more from Vince in the future.… Expand
  3. SorryBeat402
    Jun 26, 2017
    9
    This Vince Staples album is fire. This album is an experience, which many albums fail to be. The instrumentals on the album seem weird at first but the further you get the more you understand them. Overall this album is extremely good, probably around a 9.2
  4. JayMo11o
    Jun 23, 2017
    10
    Listening to this album is a truly riveting experience. Vince's lyrical skills and flow are amazing as always. He explores similar themes (such as love, fame, disillusionment, identity, and the peculiarities of certain lifestyles) but, with the aid of experimental production and a legion of features, takes those themes to much greater heights. Mr. Staples I apologize if I ever had aListening to this album is a truly riveting experience. Vince's lyrical skills and flow are amazing as always. He explores similar themes (such as love, fame, disillusionment, identity, and the peculiarities of certain lifestyles) but, with the aid of experimental production and a legion of features, takes those themes to much greater heights. Mr. Staples I apologize if I ever had a shadow of a doubt in your capabilities. I won't make that mistake again.… Expand
  5. thedaywalker
    Jun 24, 2017
    8
    If i had to describe this album in one word it would be 'Different'. It's not like any rap i've heard before, refreshing to hear with a great beat selection and a very smooth flow. Some songs fall short, but most of the are just great works of art
  6. AntonioUchoa
    Jun 23, 2017
    9
    This album is great. As Vince Staples said "is difficult to (some people) consider [see] rap as art", I do not know if he said this in the same way, when someone asked him "what SAMO means in fact"

    Highlighting my favorites tracks that make this record be so powerful and deepest ever; Homage [especially, The Verse 2]; Alyssia Interlude [I think that is one of the most emotional tracks];    This album is great. As Vince Staples said "is difficult to (some people) consider [see] rap as art", I do not know if he said this in the same way, when someone asked him "what SAMO means in fact"

    Highlighting my favorites tracks that make this record be so powerful and deepest ever; Homage [especially, The Verse 2]; Alyssia Interlude [I think that is one of the most emotional tracks]; And all the singles, Big Fish, Bagbak and Rain come Down.

    I always compared American rap with Funk Pesadão, an brazilian style of funk, always (or almost) carrying a message of sexualization, women's "exploitation" and drugs in itself. However, I never thought that an album could expand my mind as this.

    Big fish Theory, is well produced, well written, and his love's experiences, disillusions, mixed with the rappers that feature in this record besides the tracks reflecting in his rapper's life, combining each other turning same into a extreme/untouchable masterpeice inside of the rap's ambience.    … Expand
  7. CPaccini
    Jul 4, 2017
    7
    I love Vince Staples and that is why I must be constructive when listening to his new music. I love the energy and pace of this album (with the exception of a few tracks). However, because this style is new to Vince, I believe he can work on it a bit more. Many tracks, while entertaining, seemed a bit unfocused and rushed. For the most part Vince's lyrics are great, and that's one of theI love Vince Staples and that is why I must be constructive when listening to his new music. I love the energy and pace of this album (with the exception of a few tracks). However, because this style is new to Vince, I believe he can work on it a bit more. Many tracks, while entertaining, seemed a bit unfocused and rushed. For the most part Vince's lyrics are great, and that's one of the keys to his success because he can spit for an eternity. However, there seemed to be a fair amount of recycled lyrics throughout this project.

    I respect the new energy and the new creative direction from Vince. With a bit more focus and stylistic tuning, Vince could have had one of the best hip-hop albums of 2017 thus far.    … Expand
  8. tevin_pa9551
    Jun 24, 2017
    9
    I'll make the short and sweet. My first thought was Queen Latifah's "Come In My House" song. Then I was like oh yeah isn't Kanye a huge influence to Vince Staples... yup and Vince made a Yeezus but with flavor and better production.

    Favorites: Homage, Party People and Crabs In the Bucket!
  9. barrk
    Jun 24, 2017
    9
    Vince Staples is doing what Kendrick Lamar thinks he's doing. No wonder the Kendrick sxn on KTT is so dead, they all left for the Vince Staples thread.
  10. RapCrapTrap
    Jun 28, 2017
    0
    This is a very mixed bag of an album, plain and simple. My main gripes with the album is that at some points the beats, while often very catchy and experimental, the beats themselves can often be almost overproduced. The way the beats can change every seconds is interesting and cool, but this often outshines the rappers and can almost be a diversion from what is supposed to be a mainThis is a very mixed bag of an album, plain and simple. My main gripes with the album is that at some points the beats, while often very catchy and experimental, the beats themselves can often be almost overproduced. The way the beats can change every seconds is interesting and cool, but this often outshines the rappers and can almost be a diversion from what is supposed to be a main event. My other gripe is that Vince's main messages are nothing new, with it criticizing those who believe they are too big for those around them, which is a tired subject that is often talk about by underground or "backpack" rap. Despite these negatives though, I think that this is a very good album. Vince and most of his guests bring energy and great flows, with their lyrics not being amazing but par for the course, which is made up for by the energy brought by the beat and the rappers. While this is a good project, there are obvious flaws to me that make this a very solid project but not the next current classic, but I will admit that Vince has great amounts of potential, and could probably go toe to toe with even his greatest contemporaries with new and more nuanced ideas and lyrics, assuming he progresses on his next album.… Expand
  11. Glowguy
    Oct 20, 2017
    5
    I listened to it more times than I cared to in the hopes that it would grow on me but I found it really tedious. It does seem more experimental than his previous album (which I loved), but not in a good way. I didn't enjoy it as an album - it was all over the place, but the songs seemed oddly similar and none of them really stood out to me. I may come back to it later, but this reallyI listened to it more times than I cared to in the hopes that it would grow on me but I found it really tedious. It does seem more experimental than his previous album (which I loved), but not in a good way. I didn't enjoy it as an album - it was all over the place, but the songs seemed oddly similar and none of them really stood out to me. I may come back to it later, but this really pales in comparison to Summertime IMO.… Expand
  12. MR_headphones
    Aug 14, 2017
    3
    vince staples - big fish theory
    mini review
    different doesn't equal good crabs in the buckets: 4/10 crap beat big fish: 4/10 bad beat alyssa: 1/10 boring love can be: 2/10 terrible beat and mind numbing droning singing 745: 5/10 745 doesn't rhyme with 745 yeah right: 8/10 kendrick homage: 2/10 who the hell made this beat it sounds like sombody made this in 5 minutes without    vince staples - big fish theory
    mini review

    different doesn't equal good

    crabs in the buckets: 4/10 crap beat
    big fish: 4/10 bad beat
    alyssa: 1/10 boring
    love can be: 2/10 terrible beat and mind numbing droning singing
    745: 5/10 745 doesn't rhyme with 745
    yeah right: 8/10 kendrick

    homage: 2/10 who the hell made this beat it sounds like sombody made this in 5 minutes without even mixing or listening to it

    samo: 3/10 boring
    party people: 5/10 nothing
    bagback: 2/10 boring and loud
    rain come down: 4/10 boring

    i don't hear anything appealing there is nothing here but terrible production bad singing and mediocre rapping

    worst: alyssa, bagbak, love can be, homage, samo
    best: yah right

    overall i give it a strong 3 what did you think of this thing    … Expand
  13. Aplucity
    Apr 16, 2019
    10
    This album is by far Vince's best work. Every song is magnificent. 10/10 .................
  14. Simao
    Oct 1, 2020
    8
    i always wanted to give vince staples a listen and it certainly did not disappoint. a very good album overall - a few skips but some big bops!!!

    it’s a versatile album. we can find SOPHIE produced jewels between some more traditional r&b sounds.

    fav song: BagBak
    least fav: rain come down
  15. Blanche
    Aug 11, 2017
    7
    I tried to love this album but it's not quite there for me. Vince's flows and lyrics are as fulfilling as ever, and his ear for neat production has evolved just like before. There's some great music to be found here, while a few others are good but are just clearly not on the same level. Bon Iver's frontman Justin Vernon is involved in this project, along with a myriad of other talentedI tried to love this album but it's not quite there for me. Vince's flows and lyrics are as fulfilling as ever, and his ear for neat production has evolved just like before. There's some great music to be found here, while a few others are good but are just clearly not on the same level. Bon Iver's frontman Justin Vernon is involved in this project, along with a myriad of other talented musicians in Flume, Sophie, Kendrick Lamar and whatnot.

    Highlights include several songs actually.

    Crabs In A Bucket is - mostly - fantastic, the swelling synth coupled with Vince's delivery makes for an electronic rap infused bonanza, with some problems I'll mention later.

    Big Fish features a simple, yet incredibly juicy hook that is really set alight by Vince's immense and potent delivery.

    Love Can Be is comprised of heavy garage and house influences, but has enough quirky aesthetics to it (especially to the drums) to make it sound groovy and somewhat good. Kilo Kish did pretty well on this cut, despite sounding suspect at times.

    Yeah Right is probably the best track on the entire record. PC Music's Sophie really comes into his own here, his experimental metallic samples peppered on top of the relentless, beefy bass makes for a banger - the lyrics are repetitive but the nature of the song allows that. Flume and Kucka fill the bridge with warm, melodic chords and vocals. Kendrick's verse thereafter is the best part of the entire album. Dynamite performance from him, as expected really.

    Homage and Party People have pumping good production on them, despite their repetitive lyrics.

    BagBak is a grower, a really enjoyable song with again neat production, which also switches up at the end to keep things interesting - Vince's chants went really well with it.

    Rain Come Down is a nice, soothing end to the album featuring Ty’s gentle, auto-tuned savvy vocals that actually add to a song for once. Vince resonated with the track in equal fashion.

    Now for the complaints.

    Getting back onto Crabs In A Bucket. Near the ending of the track, the beautiful sonically lavish crescendo is met by this sudden slump at the end through Kilo Kish's vocals. What a totally unnecessary outro, simply dull to the ears. She didn't add anything to the rest of the song, nothing at all - neither did the lacklustre instrumentation afterwards. The song should have ended right there.

    The Alyssa Interlude has good characteristics and ideas, featuring the late Amy Winehouse’s vocals, but the backing male voice of the song is irritating and makes me struggle to vibe with the overall message of it.

    745 has a cool, nostalgic synth peppered across the track. Only to be chained back by this obnoxiously cheesy, corny unoriginal bassline that is so milky and plastic. It almost totally ruins the track. It doesn’t due to two things: the instrumental change where the annoying bassline disappears, which unsurprisingly results in the song sounding far better, and thanks to Vince’s brilliantly passionate performance which happens to be his best off the entire record. I feel mixed about this one, a bunch of conflicting elements here.

    Samo is the worst track on the entire album. Unlike Yeah Right, Sophie’s production on this cut is underwhelming and uninspiring, Vince’s performance is pretty monotonous and at times annoying, while Kilo Kish’s performance is truly perfunctory. Just awful. The intro is off-putting, hearing those vexing adlibs from her felt like an immediate headache no matter how many times I listened to it. Didn’t even notice A$AP Rocky on the track either, after having looked at the features. The lowest point of the record - lyrically it is sound however.

    The main issue I have with this album is despite the fact that I like a lot of it, there’s not really a lot I love. I can only really see myself coming back to five or six songs on this album on a regular basis. Namely Crabs In A Bucket, Big Fish Theory, Yeah Right, Homage and BagBak. I think production wise, this album lacked one predominant hip hop instrumental for Vince to take over. It really sounds like it could use at least one. It is a pretty good album, make no mistake, but I expected a bit more from Vince and his team.

    I do think Big Fish Theory is overrated by the critics, personally. It’s really not as experimental as people are making out to be. Bar a few tracks. Some of these tracks surface underwhelming performances and uninventive characteristics that hold the record back.    … Expand
  16. draediamond
    Dec 10, 2017
    9
    These are the albums that push the culture forward. This is the most futuristic rap album since Yeeus and it's questionably better than Yeezus (idk maybe a tie it's close though). I don't see how Culture 2 is nominated for a grammy but this isn't. This is the 2nd-3rd best album of 2017 and it's not really even close. Flows are incredible. Production is insane. Concept is WHOA! I'm notThese are the albums that push the culture forward. This is the most futuristic rap album since Yeeus and it's questionably better than Yeezus (idk maybe a tie it's close though). I don't see how Culture 2 is nominated for a grammy but this isn't. This is the 2nd-3rd best album of 2017 and it's not really even close. Flows are incredible. Production is insane. Concept is WHOA! I'm not riding it's really that good. I didn't know about this album on first listen but it grew on me so fast. We may never get an album like this from Staples again and it's sad that he's not getting the recognition he deserves. Vince will continue to create great music but he usually diversifies his sounds between albums so I'd be surprised to see another album like this. Vince showed with this album that he is an album artist and his albums are something to look forward to.… Expand
  17. Tabor
    Sep 19, 2017
    7
    Hip hop pioneer Vince Staples, is back with his first full length album since 2015's wonderful "Summertime '06" and it is jaw dropping. With the likes of Flume and Damon Albarn assisting on production, the beats are very trippy and aggressive, complementing Staples' style well. An example would be a song coming later in the album, "BagBak" which has a very in-your-face style, along with aHip hop pioneer Vince Staples, is back with his first full length album since 2015's wonderful "Summertime '06" and it is jaw dropping. With the likes of Flume and Damon Albarn assisting on production, the beats are very trippy and aggressive, complementing Staples' style well. An example would be a song coming later in the album, "BagBak" which has a very in-your-face style, along with a destructive beat. Staples combines his energy, the uniqueness of each synth and beat on a song, while boasting a star studded supporting cast such as Kendrick Lamar and ASAP Rocky, who add nice touches to the music. But in the end it is staples' slurred bars and style that make this album revolutionary in the world of hip hop.… Expand
  18. Music_Observer
    Jun 30, 2017
    7
    Strong texture shifts and nice rhythmic delivery from Vince Staples makes this a worthwhile listen, despite the dependent harmonies and lack of character in most choruses. My Score: 128/180 (Good) = 7.1/10
  19. gersg
    Jul 14, 2017
    9
    Vince Staples has one of the most promising careers in hip-hop nowadays, his style is fresh and yet aggressive but it's genius, one of those artists who people should be rooting for. Personal favorite track "Samo"
  20. upmysleeves
    Dec 21, 2017
    9
    On my first listening, I admittedly didn't like this record. But I did like a few tracks and those kept me returning to it. With each listen it got better and better. It all starts with this album's incredible electronic and dance inspired production from the likes of SOPHIE and Flume and ends with Vince's monotone (not in a bad way) flow and delivery and his very nihilistic and consciousOn my first listening, I admittedly didn't like this record. But I did like a few tracks and those kept me returning to it. With each listen it got better and better. It all starts with this album's incredible electronic and dance inspired production from the likes of SOPHIE and Flume and ends with Vince's monotone (not in a bad way) flow and delivery and his very nihilistic and conscious lyrics. Easily the best hip hop album of the year along with DAMN.… Expand
  21. JeanDracolosse
    Jul 29, 2017
    9
    Take this Kendrick, your are not anymore the rapper ahead of its time you were. You set the bar too high with your incredible To Pimp A Butterfly, and as a result, DAMN felt like it was missing something.
    On the opposite, Big Fish Theory sound new. Vince's flow is as sharp as ever, but the instrumentals are what take this album to the top. It's heavy, electronic, hard-hitting, and get the    Take this Kendrick, your are not anymore the rapper ahead of its time you were. You set the bar too high with your incredible To Pimp A Butterfly, and as a result, DAMN felt like it was missing something.
    On the opposite, Big Fish Theory sound new. Vince's flow is as sharp as ever, but the instrumentals are what take this album to the top. It's heavy, electronic, hard-hitting, and get the first role on BFT. It's a logical follow up to Prima Donna, and another excellent album for the Norf Side rapper.    … Expand
  22. TheEternalStar
    Feb 26, 2018
    9
    Vince Staples is a man who knows what hip-hop should sound like, and 'Big Fish Theory' is evidence to that theory. This album is no doubt, one of the best hip-hop albums you'll hear in 2017. Vince gives a lot of potential, inspirational, and motivational lyrics, with a smooth and even hard flow in this album. The music is the most electronic Vince Staples has ever been. This album hasVince Staples is a man who knows what hip-hop should sound like, and 'Big Fish Theory' is evidence to that theory. This album is no doubt, one of the best hip-hop albums you'll hear in 2017. Vince gives a lot of potential, inspirational, and motivational lyrics, with a smooth and even hard flow in this album. The music is the most electronic Vince Staples has ever been. This album has surprises and specials that will leave you wishing for more. In conclusion, 'Big Fish Theory' is the album that shows more art than mainstream.… Expand
  23. NjDonovan
    Sep 8, 2017
    10
    This is a fantastic album. My only issue being that it is too short, at 36 minutes long. Vince's flow and lyrical content is outstanding, as usual and his decision to work with dance producers has, in my opinion, paid dividends. Great work!
  24. Recon97
    Oct 2, 2017
    8
    When compared to other albums by "lyrical" artists, Vince Staples stands out as having exceptional talent with wordplay and storytelling. Solid production, great lyricism, and good stories to tell, this is a good album I highly recommend. 8/10
  25. fwtll636
    May 21, 2018
    9
    Vince's flows on his new west-side rap spectacular 'Big Fish Theory' are perhaps the smoothest and richest of 2017. The beats are quirky and hard-hitting thanks to the amazing work from legendary producer Sophie. Its an album that defines Vince Staples' career and is a direct reflection of Vince himself.
  26. C_dot
    Dec 8, 2018
    9
    Vince kills it yet again on Big Fish Theory. He uses water as a theme throughout, making the album sound watery (yes I felt weird typing that). His lyrical content continues to impress as his gripping flow pounds into your soul. He covers many deep topics that most rappers today could never even fathom, and he does it with such ease, only exciting me further for his future endeavors.
  27. All_ButTrU4
    Feb 11, 2022
    8
    It's perfectly short yet not rushed. Not indulgent in it's production,features or lyrics. But feels small in comparison to his previous catalogue. It lacks personality as a whole and isn't inviting. The songs tend to be surprising on the first listen but taxing on others. This is a showcase of a master Mc taking they victory lap although in this 1 they seem abit out of breath
  28. Shebetun
    Jan 21, 2020
    6
    It's an experimental album with unexpected sounds and hard-hitting verses. I enjoyed these unique jams reminding me kid cudi/drake(hotline blink).
  29. Dancho
    Jun 25, 2019
    8
    A great album by Vince Staples. I understand the high reviews for the album it really deserve it. I should listen to it more...
  30. AbuK
    Aug 31, 2020
    10
    The electronic/dance theme of the Album really goes well with Vince Staples' mesmerizing Lyricism.

Awards & Rankings

7
#7 Best Album of 2017
43
#43 Most Discussed Album of 2017

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
89

Universal acclaim - based on 25 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 25 out of 25
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 25
  3. Negative: 0 out of 25
  1. The Wire
    Aug 9, 2017
    90
    What’s most thrilling about Big Fish Theory is that it doesn’t sound leftfield or challenging; instead it provides a scintillating snapshot of both the state of the art and the untold history of underground black music for the past 30 years. [Aug 2017, p.65]
  2. DIY Magazine
    Jul 10, 2017
    80
    By weaponising his introspection and pushing his impeccably high standards outwards, Vince Staples delivers an incredible State of the Union address on rap today.
    Read full review
  3. Q Magazine
    Jul 6, 2017
    80
    This lean, tightly structured follow-up ramps up the intensity. Built around raw, electronic productions, it also showcases his ability to rhyme with devastating candour over wildly varying beats. [Aug 2017, p.111]
See all critic reviews »