Ramona Park Broke My Heart
by Vince Staples
  • Record Label: Motown
  • Release Date: Apr 8, 2022
Metascore
82

Universal acclaim - based on 10 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 10 out of 10
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 10
  3. Negative: 0 out of 10
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  1. Clash Music
    Apr 11, 2022
    90
    An attempt to filter out the parts that truly matter, it’s a triumph, and perhaps the finest album yet in his storied career.
  2. Exclaim
    Apr 8, 2022
    90
    This is easily his most ambitious, personal and hard-hitting work to date.
  3. HipHopDX
    May 9, 2022
    80
    Each word he raps is carried by an exhausted voice devoid of emotion on the surface, painting a scene of what it’d be like if he was trapped in his neighborhood. In doing so, he reveals more about himself and an ignored slice of America than sensationalized news stories ever could.
  5. Pitchfork
    Apr 14, 2022
    80
    It might not meet the extremely high bar set by his best work, but it’s almost certainly him at his most emotionally vulnerable.
  6. Glide Magazine
    Apr 13, 2022
    80
    These themes of love and loyalty encircle Ramona Park Broke My Heart in a way that is not particularly new to Staples’ discography but that is perhaps done in his most creative and intense way yet, both lyrically and thematically. ... As always, Vince Staples’ rapping ability is strong and his style unique.
  7. Beats Per Minute
    Apr 12, 2022
    80
    His voice is consistently stroking it throughout the 16 tracks, ensuring it’s one of his most revealing bodies of work to date. A true and honest portrait of a complex human being.
  8. New Musical Express (NME)
    Apr 8, 2022
    80
    Yes, ‘Vince Staples’ was a beautifully personal reflection from start to finish, but ‘Ramona Park…’ enriches the listener’s relationship with the rapper.
  9. AllMusic
    Apr 8, 2022
    80
    Staples goes even deeper into memory and self-reflection on Ramona Park Broke My Heart, presenting his pain, glory, and contradictory emotions in sharper definition while turning in some of his most engaging music to date.
  10. Rolling Stone
    Apr 8, 2022
    70
    There are a lot of great things happening on this record — trickier flows, piercing beats, and acerbic writing — that make it feel significant. But if you suspect it isn’t, I know how you got there.
  11. DIY Magazine
    Apr 8, 2022
    70
    It finds him at his most confident, if not most innovative, and maybe his most comfortable.

User Reviews

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User Score
8.1

Universal acclaim- based on 39 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 36 out of 39
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 39
  3. Negative: 1 out of 39
  1. Ajmoodz
    May 11, 2022
    9
    Some of Vince Staple’s best work in my opinion and personally maybe my favorite project by Vince
  2. MusicGuyMack
    Apr 14, 2022
    9
    The cracks begin to show in the second half as lyrical and musical wheel-spinning begin setting in, but the overall experience delivered byThe cracks begin to show in the second half as lyrical and musical wheel-spinning begin setting in, but the overall experience delivered by Staples on "RAMONA PARK BROKE MY HEART" is as reliably engaging and entertaining as ever without losing the weighty heft of the deeply personal lyrical themes haunting each song.

    Choice Cuts: "AYE! (FREE THE HOMIES)," "WHEN SPARKS FLY," "EAST POINT PRAYER (feat. Lil Baby)," "PLAYER WAYS"    … Full Review »
  3. Holdplz
    Apr 11, 2022
    10
    Personal, revelatory and relevant. Vince at his peak no doubt. Long Beach is a helluva town
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