As a rapper Vince Staples chronicles memories of life in Long Beach with the kind of granite-like coldness only possessed by those who have experienced true darkness. "No matter what we grow into, we never gon' escape our past," he stated matter-of-factly on "Like It Is," a song from his 2015 album Summertime '06.
His humor can be equally vivid: “Waiter still ain't brought the chopsticks, should have brought the chopper” he ironically muses on the same album’s “Lift Me Up.” It’s this comedic sensibility that has garnered Staples just as much if not more attention than his rapping; he is an often hilarious and unique presence online and on camera, whether he’s recalling childhood memories or derailing a Coachella interview by calling out R.
Kelly. He has joked that he would need “Joe Rogan money” to start a podcast and audio-only would seem a waste — he has always seemed destined to transfer his position as rap’s premier wit to the screen.
The Vince Staples Show builds on the 2019 web series of the same name, fleshing out the one-scene sketches into a fuller, more well-rounded sitcom.
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