Vince Staples

Vince Staples is an American rapper from Long Beach, California, who emerged in the early 2010s through his association with the Odd Future collective and a scene-stealing guest verse on Earl Sweatshirts «Hive.» Raised amid gang culture in Long Beach, he built his early reputation on mixtapes and EPs like the Shyne Coldchain series and Hell Can Wait before signing with Def Jam and No I.D.s Artium imprint, a partnership that has shaped much of his catalog.

His 2015 debut album Summertime 06 established him as one of hip-hops most distinctive new voices: sparse, minimalist production paired with unflinching, often deadpan storytelling about violence, poverty and survival in Long Beach, delivered without the usual glamorization common to gangsta rap. He followed it with the Prima Donna EP, featuring A$AP Rocky, and then 2017s Big Fish Theory, a bolder, dance- and electronic-influenced record that brought in Kendrick Lamar, Juicy J and Ty Dolla $ign and pushed his sound toward club and UK dance textures.

Staples has continued to release acclaimed, tightly constructed albums, including the self-titled Vince Staples and Ramona Park Broke My Heart, consistently favoring brevity, dry wit and sonic experimentation over commercial formula. Songs like «Norf Norf,» «Big Fish» and «BagBak» remain touchstones of his catalog, and hes also known for a sharp, deadpan public persona in interviews that mirrors the humor embedded in his music. Beyond music, he has ventured into television, co-creating the semi-autobiographical Vince Staples Show.