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Album reviews Music

>>> Vince Staples

When we lament the lack of substance in music, we’re longing for someone like Vince Staples. He’s an entertaining rapper, vividly reflecting his immediate surroundings in a relatable way.

Norf Norf’s skittering Clams Casino beat lets Staples go in, showing off his technical skills in a day-in-the-life narrative about North Long Beach. The verses are deceptively joyous the chorus features a low voice repeating, “I ain’t never ran from nothin’ but the police.”

Birds And Bees has more open production (via DJ Dahi), with a bass-driven groove and clear percussion bolstering the ambience in which Staples immerses his rhymes. It’s no less ominous or raw like so much of his work, Staples lures us in with stylized storytelling and production (here, primarily overseen by No I.D.) but then hits hard with a jarring line like “They found another dead body in the alley.” 

He tackles bleakness and despair head on with Jump Off The Roof and Señorita, portraying drug-drenched environments and segregation with the thoughtfulness of an existentialist.

Staples’s music includes worry as well as empowerment. He addresses evil to conquer it. 

Top track: Señorita

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