Vince Staples

There’s just enough instrumentation to add depth and texture to Vince’s characteristically excellent delivery, but the rapper still stands front and centre, allowing a less bombastic tone to shine. ... If you arrive looking for the hooks of ‘Norf Norf’ or the explosive chemistry of ‘BagBak’ you could be leaving half empty-handed. But if you’re here for Vince Staples, you might just see more of him than ever.

It’s not easy to write an album about yourself without seeming egotistical, and it’s also not easy to write one which touches on themes of gang violence and poverty without falling into braggadocio or morbidity. On this album, Vince Staples has pulled off both. It may be a short album, but it’s an incredibly deep one.

The good news is that he’s very easy to pay attention to. It’s hard to miss a word that he says. Either because of the incredibly short length, or his great attention to detail, or the Kenny Beats production (or all of the above) “Vince Staples” is a must listen. He was wiser than his years at 22, now he’s wiser than his peers too.

Vince Staples is certainly not an easy album to tap into, nor a particularly fun one, but for those interested in a piece of art in which the barrier between the creator and onlooker is veritably nonexistent, to the point of shared claustrophobia, look no further. ... Staples’ scars have never been more visible: he’s practically put them on display for the world at large. If that’s not bravery, I don’t know what is.

A compact, 10-track summer spin—a quick, sophisticated string of punches. And with instrumental chef Kenny Beats at the production helm once again, the record is a beautiful arrangement of confessional conversation verging on slam poetry.

What’s striking about this album, produced by Kenny Beats, is how all of its fear and anxiety are turned inwards. Sure, there’s storytelling, such as “Lakewood Mall”, in which Tyson narrates an instance where Staples evaded violence to end on homespun wisdom and a call to free Pac Slimm. But the psychic stress here is all-encompassing, preceding the threat and resulting in claustrophobia. [Sep 2021, p.64]

Though less dynamic in delivery, and less diverse in production, than prior releases, Vince Staples contains all the ingredients that make him such a unique talent.

Though the set feels somewhat sleepy upon first listen, repeat visits reward listeners with Staples' depth and wit, cementing Vince Staples as a simple yet focused statement from one of the West Coast's most relevant voices.

With his latest jewel, Staples mines an artistic, existential, and notably fertile limbo.

Vince Staples is the rapper's most personal and emotionally resonant project yet, and the choice to opt for a stripped-back approach complements the content greatly. Vince's blunt and bleak observations on life, death, humanity, gang culture, paranoia and trauma fit perfectly with the sparse and skeletal soundscape of this LP. It feels like every instrumental here was crafted to give his words the room they need to have the impact they're meant to.

Staples’s new album is much more personal and accessible than anything he’s put out before.

Vince Staples is a worthy continuation of his oeuvre, and proof if it were needed that his paradox of youthful energy and world-weary cynicism remains as captivating as ever.

Vince’s knack for combining brevity and sly wordplay, together with Kenny Beats’ restrained production, make the album particularly lucid from start to finish.

He expertly delivers gang stories with such authenticity that no wonder he’s still loved in his hometown. With ‘Vince Staples’ Kenny Beats has helped Long Beach’s finest release another spectacular record – even if it’s a slow-burn.

Vince Staples is idiosyncratic and really impressive, the sound of someone walking their own path, uncoupled from current trends, shifting and changing as they go. You leave it keen to hear what his next album – apparently already completed – holds.

This project takes the proper time and attention to fully digest. After repeated listens, it suddenly becomes crystal clear — this is mood music.

Vince Staples has movement but lacks velocity, which casts his words in the most intimate light imaginable. ... Even if you’re looking for the booming pastel energy of Kenny’s recent collaboration with TiaCorine or the breathless vibes of his work on Vince’s FM!, Vince Staples still has plenty to recommend. The sonic palette is grayscale without being boring, stoic without missing bounce.

Vince Staples is another microcosmic release from the rapper, his leisurely approach suggesting a newfound confidence.