Vince Staples

One of the most talented voices in contemporary rap, Vince Staples takes the hardened perspective of his Long Beach-via-Compton upbringing and elevates it above his contemporaries with forward-thinking production choices and lyrical introspection. After releasing a batch of mixtapes that were well-received by fans and peers alike, he issued his official debut album, Summertime ’06, a 2015 hit that spawned the gold-certified “Norf Norf.” Staples quickly followed with 2016’s politically charged Prima Donna EP. With his star swiftly rising, he had a breakthrough year in 2017 with a spot on the Black Panther soundtrack, a feature on the Gorillaz track “Ascension,” and another hit single, “BagBak,” from his critically acclaimed sophomore album, Big Fish Theory. Pivoting to shorter LPs, he released the brisk FM! (2018) and Vince Staples (2021). The highly reflective Ramona Park Broke My Heart arrived in 2022, followed by Dark Times in 2024.