Rap Radar: Vince Staples

I'm gonna tell you something, man, I've seen your interviews. Man, you're a great interview obviously, but when you get your when you get the flowers about your music, and you're good at deflecting it right, like you don't you don't get too caught up in the ways of like, oh this album is amazing, Like you know, you keep that balance to it, like why is that important? Like it seems like you don't. You're not ready like jump in and say, yeah, I got the album of the year.

I mean, because what did that mean? It means it was good, but it's a lot of good albums. It's not the album that's social media measuring sticks, just like, oh, this is the album of the here because music last two or three weeks and we all wanted painting on social media. So instead of saying your album is good. I like, we gotta do it in comparison, get a barometer because we got all these lists and all this other ship. So I didn't grow up. I'm twenty nine.

You feel me that, don't. I never heard nobody said album of the year when I was growing up. So it's like, that's some new stuff, you know what I mean. It's good as good. If it's not, it's not, you know what I mean. So that's why I look at it. But I feel like it's so much like this run your own right now, Like you feel like you know you did that family. It's like to me, it's life after death, jam right, It's like the self talent work, work you put out and now we're on the park.

Like you just seem like you're in this great creative zone like in the last couple of years. I mean, I'm just Older's the same thing. It's still universal, still saying systems, still saying po you know, still still saying you know, you're getting the emails to the same people. So it's not well, you know, and you know what, ain't no difference, you know, it's the same thing. Um, I think it's just being older, having a different I'll

look more resources, No, because we don't. I never opened up no budget or had like no A and R, and nobody ever put me in the session with nobody. Everything I ever did was like people I knew and me sitting there by myself. So I think it's just a matter of time to kind of learn more because you get more comfortable telling your story. Just learning how

to make music, you know what I mean. I gotta said, you know, it's relationships that we've done, made on our own, and like that takes longer than you know what I'm saying. So I just learned how to record right, learn how to engineer right, and learning what how to pick who makes the project, understand the tone of the project, learning different microphones, like I never picked a microphone until after Ven Staples, Like that's the first time I ever knew

what microphone I was using before. It's like over here, you know what I mean? Whatever in their type thinking situation. So just learning more and you double back with Remota Park less than a year after dropping Vince Staples, Like was it your intention to return so fast? I mean, I mean I had them both. I was working on the boat at the same time, So yeah, Uh, I was working on Ramona. We ran out of the budget.

They wouldn't give us more money, so I recorded Uh to the True So I recorded Ven Staples with Kenny Bees at his house, and Uh, that's how we kind of got leverage to you know, do whatever with to finish the Ramota project. Oh, I'll just draw that out first to sort of get the leverage. I literally didn't know. I couldn't go still no more Star did something with My Honey. It was well received man, But Moona Park though, I feel like that's definitely like to me, you'll find

it work like I do. You feel like I appreciate it? I agree, yeah, yeah, I mean yeah, why not? You know, it's supposed to it's supposed to go like that, you know what I mean, it's supposed to be getting better as if. Other than that, there's no reason to do it.

To be honest with your full disclosure. You know, jay Z is the one that told me he put me on to the album, said it was beautiful, and it's like calling you one of the smartest, uh most creative rappers out there in the game right now coming off of Ramota Park. You said in the tweet that Vince Staples that a lot of people were criticizing you for that project, like it said it didn't sound like you like,

and he's trying to make sense of it. Do you remember that I wasn't even trying to make SENSEI I just think people are stupid, Like people are stupid because it's like, oh man, that's not you like you know me, nigga, no al, shut the funk up. Do you feel like you're unfairly criticized for that project? I don't care. I never care. I don't like you said, I don't care if I'm not if I'm impartial. If people like it,

I'm for showing partial if you don't like it. I feel like everybody is inside of their opinion, you know, once you put something on the universe, like you're selling something, it's okay for people to say if they like they don't like it, Like that's not really why I make music, Like I don't care how nobody feel about nothing to be hunters and honest, I appreciate them listening, and that's as far as it go, like how people feel. But conceptually, like going into the Ramona Park, like how did this

album form? Because like when you listen to with track when it sounds like a reflective day at the beach and like everything that you're going through internally in externally, Um, you mean like literally or you know both, because you know people asking different questions. Literally, I just always know what's supposed to happen, like where, what goes where, So I make like the songs not in order, but like

I know what's gonna be the beginning to end. It's just kind of like finding the beats to making make sense. So kind of just finding that, trying to have through lines, no expression through lines, because no, we don't album like it's not really a thing no more. We all obviously know that. So uh, but when I was growing up, that was the thing for having to through line, I having like understanding ship like that. It's kind of where

I derived from. So, you know, just trying to make sure that we have the through lines creatively in the way that things are written, like the stories itself have through lines and versions of through lines of different cadence and stuff like that. Like we're real specific about tempos and keys and things of that nature. The intro probably like middle the oldest songs is like leiminate like three years old. What else is old? Then they're like three

years old. Magic. That was like a random freestyle that my engineer like cut up. Sparks Fly was new, player Wise was new, road Street was new. Paper Cuts was like the three songs out his name was like the last week week before I went on tour. Sparks Fly was like sparks Flyer was a couple of months old. That was around like the Magic point. I reported sparks Flying Magic in the same day because I had a bunch of beats, So I like, it's a long story,

but I had like a bunch of beats. I just like was doing stuff on him to kind of see what stuck in. Magic was kind alread done. So I just that was obvious because the sample it was just it was just the loop, and then I saw I did the song and then must have finished the beat um bang that is some years old. Slide is a couple of years old. Wow. Yeah, So I just kind of having the things and figuring out. It's funny, like you said, take your pride of being like an album's artist.

I think that's how people consider you, right, because like you're defined by your full bodies the work. So when I heard magic. I was like, oh, like this sounds like you know what quote unquote hit right or hits certainly write parameters of what it it is. And I know when like number nine rhythmic radio, like in your mind, was that like something that you was trying to achieve

with that? No, I just knew to sound like because we all know that you pay for that, so if you don't pay for it, then it don't happen no matter what the song gears. And you know it getting paid for is the position that you have with the label.

How to strong the radio departments and relationships that they had within the radio department, who worked there, who just left two months ago to go to you know how all that stuff was so um you know, we were just in a good position, I guess, and they panned out. But the thing about it being number I don't that's not my marketing employ you know. You know, you've got to be a certain kind of person to past certain thresholds.

And no one knows that it was that how in the radio because I'm not gonna sit there and take the picture with the radio or the build streaming plaque and all the other bullshit that they like to do. So you know, it just don't matter. Man, if people like the music, they like the music. That's kind of when I stand on because if you went around ask like, hey, what was number nine rhythmic radio today, Like nobody cares, like, you know me nothing, so but means something is that

the music kind of means something to people. But I felt like with that O Lemonade, like check those boxes of like big hooks, do you have a consence of Like I don't want to seem like I'm trying to go for this sort of well, I think it's all. I think it's all subjective because you know, Bobby Smurder, Hot Nigger don't got a big hook, a little Pump, Gucci Gin don't got a big hook, Cardi b Butter Yellow don't got a big hook. It's a bunch of

songs that become hits that don't have big hooks. It's just about the place in the time in which the song was created and like kind of the mistique that's behind it, Like you can't define like what the hook is, you know what I mean, it's different for everyone. I've been foresciming what it is. It's a different thing for every artist, and I feel like you trying to chase those things. It's like if somebody put out, you know, in the club today, is it gonna work? It's mony

put out mercy today, Is it gonna work? I don't know. Like it's kind of about being at the right place at the right time. So if you're kind of creating purely Maclamore, shopping through shopping, not getting yeah. Yeah. So it's like that when you can like lemonade, that's that's still very organic to you. It's not like like, yeah, that song, like I said, that's one of years old,

that's only on two different beats. It's just the last couple of days and home he's playing the beat and I was like, put that song on that beat, and that's how I happened. So how's it? How meaningful is it for someone like Obama to be listening to Magic? It made his summer playlists? Man, I appreciate whoever made

that playlist for that was Barack Obama himself. N I don't make my playlist, so I don't know if he made any players, but now I appreciate the Regardless they said, the fan might help them out, the daughters might help him. That's what. Yeah, that's what I'm saying. Whoever, I don't want to lean nobody out, That's all I'm saying. Like you still trying to put him on the set. Oh Mama fokeled Obama man. I like Obama, you know he

smoked Siger. It's like you to still be doing that two like you called man from Hawaii and Chicago like they don't get colder, but oh yeah, like I focus Obama man. I just appreciate anybody who you know, anybody on who put me on a playlist, Like to me, it don't mean the same thing because it's all the number at the end of the day. So like if you can get that, you do you do acknowledge that when the best of Year and best albums thing, when you do get marked on those lists, I feel like

you always acknowledge that. You don't all yeah because somebody wrote it, you know what I mean. It's like it's not I don't care about the list. I care that somebody like was like, oh I'm thinking about stuff that. You know. If somebody said that to me on Twitter, there ran the person. I'm like the commoners like, thank you. It's all the time you know what I'm saying, because it's not like the publication ain't the one who said that.

It's the person who worked there, who wrote this thing, who got a commission, you know, thing to do, who you're on their favorite lists, whatever the think tank they did. Those are actual individual people who have their own lives, and they're saying that they your music resonated with They like that's the important part the platform. I don't give a funk about m read in the l A Times that you said, going into this album, you feel like you had less to say. Why was that? I don't

even know why I said that? What was the What was the question they asked? That's probably trying to get me any set like some ghetto ship, probably, but they would say, like going get into this project, that you felt like you just didn't have I guess much to talk about. Oh yeah, I mean life man kind of music just about life, I guess just if I'm thinking generally, you know, all you can really talk about is your experiences, like music having like nuance and broad subject matters like

the dumb and ship in the world. Every Motown song, damn, there's about the same thing, and nobody can plain so I don't fall into those things like oh I'm in love, I love you, you broke my heart Motown. You know what I'm saying. Nobody was telling smokey jobs like hey man, why do you keep saying about the bitches? Like nobody said that? So I just think, you know, you can only make music about the things that you relate to

in your life. So I think I would just say, I'm a I'm at a unique place in life, like I'm not young no more, you know what I'm saying. So just trying to reassess your value system of things you care about kind of how you spend your time those is kind of I'm at a different point in time with that in my life right now. So that can kind of leave you in a weird space as far as your perspective, because it's like people say, like, well, this guy's a strugg dealing, Why is he's still rapping

about hustling? He's so much removed from that. But like you're saying with you, like you different? You know, why do you know why that's the thing? Right? Okay, Like you know I'm not gonna say that you know why that's the thing? What do you mean you're going, we can, we can keep going, ain't gonna. But you still touch on gang gang culture, right, like you know if your experiences or company in that place, Like why do you feel like you know how many albums haven't been staying for?

That's what that's that's my life. I'm talk if you're talking about youre talking about who you talk about jay Z, You're talk about ja Z talking about young niggers, I talk about selling drugs. It's a difference. Yeah, Well, I think it's as you get. I think what the criticism always like, what's the range of it? Like once you know, what's your challenge as a writer, once you're no longer living a certain lifestyle? And jay Z how how from

from the crack area? Young Niggers rap about crack and things like that because they want to hear black people talk about crying, because black people are crying to people that's not black, and to black people as well. So they he's gotta look a certain way, act a certain way. You don't act like that. You want to make it.

That's why, and everybody know that's why. We just pretend it's, oh, it's the culture, and then we want to be sad when bad should happened, and it's just it's you know, it's said no, no, you don't have to be genuine because it's not just nobody saying nothing because you know you who popping. But you know it's a very hypocritical nature to things. That's why if he's on my jay Z, that's different because that's his life. I'm I thought you men, just as far as like, because I know that's a

CRITIQUI get a lot. But if you're talking about as far as like music in general, like if somebody came out talking about they want to be an astrad, now, ain't nobody playing that ship? Like we can't really blame the artist for doing what's gonna get them out of poverty, like you know, like that's why people do this. We

can't pretend it's people nowadays. It's like, oh, man, I grew up, you know, studying the five elements of hip hop spinning on my head all day, like no people trying to get rid of So so how much is that background still define you? Because I mean, I think that's so it's different for me. I don't wearing my security guard where my entourage came by myself you know the difference between people that do things and that don't. But the thing is this industry is you see the

motherfucker they got that kind of edge to him. You're gonna be like, oh yeah, let's pay attention to them because that is what we see as it's likely be trying for the basketball team and you six eight niggi you on the team. They can figure the rest out because you got the natural gifts that make you successful. It's like how people say, oh man, we turned all these street nigga got off the streets and turn the wrap, like you don't think that's ironic that that's everybody's story.

So who you think making a story? But you feel like you still always draw from that and tell that story. Tell that up ring because that's my life. But I know it's a bad thing. I don't think it's good. Like if I get cracked tomorrow and end up having to go to jail, I'm not gonna be like I didn't do nothing. You get what I'm saying, because I'm not ignorant to like my my background. I changed the way I'll be doing it, Like I don't be really walking around no more. But I'm not gonna be ignorant

to that thing. But it's like, in the same breakfast, like what we think about we treat allis we can't be like, oh man, you're keeping it real. It's a real know the ship that we care about them. When somebody go chips something, they'd be like, oh man, that was stupid, why you do that? But that's what we were saying. We liked there was somebody jail. It's like, oh they um, they they got it out For this type of ship, it's like, come on, bro, like sooner later we gotta grow the funk up and like use

some compensation. But that's not the rappers fault or the artists fault. That's the people who picking. If you notice that all these kind of people are getting picked, you're gonna put on the uniform because you want to get out of whatever your situation is. And that's how we get, you know, to where we are? How do we get to where we are? On the album cover right, because the first thing that stood out to me or motor Park was the pictures of your mom on it, right, Like,

why was that your artistic direction? I mean I always use my family for stuff. I mean, it's just important to show like where you come from, Like you know my mom and I know pastor you know what I mean. And I don't think people realize how real some of these things gets are. Like if I then was like the PC picture, like if I got other ship and my family, that's like it's surprising, you know what I mean.

Like so it's like just being able to see kind of the same look in the mystique and like just to kind of you know, you can tell a lot my grandma. You say, you can say a lot about somebody by their eyes. And if you're looking like the eyes of my mom on a picture, you can kind of see what she was on. And I think that has a lot to do with the subject matter. And

she was a little kid, but it's just there. My mom was born in Compton in the nineteen fifties, Like you know what I mean, it was only one way to kind of be at that point. It's home. She started storing you for using her pictures on the work. She happy about it, man, she really appreciate it. My mom still. I see my mom's every day, So you know, we'll be talking about you said she'd be active to right, My mama Hang out with all her friends. She go

to Content. Every go to Content to pick up fried chicken and go right back to where we live at. Like my mom is very but so it put her the community because it's like once you take the negativity out of it, like or whatever, the stereotypes of being from these places. Once all of those that relieve, you just got black people living. And I think that that's the thing that we don't ever want to acknowledge, like that people and we see in wrap like we just

we use it the wrong way. But like people actually living these places, like they wake up in these places, go like I lived there my whole life, went to school there in my whole life. Might never unless I was in trouble and I had to get busted out from like that, I never get an opportunity. You're like, be outside of this thing. So my family don't see the problem with where we come from. No, we don't see a problem with anything that you have to be removed from this or whatever. Yeah, I mean, but a

lot of that's just continuing. You know. We don't really teach to be people to be continuing Moore. So that's like a thing. It's funny you say that because it's like listening to your music, you often reference the homies, Like even on Lemonade, you said, like how you won't stop to the whole hood's fed. Do you feel like you have a sense of responsibility of taking care of everyone that's surrounding you. Not at all. They don't either.

I'm just my friends. That's just your friends. Yeah, I don't got for nobody and nobody go acts, you know, I don't don't nobody, Like I said, like where's my entrege? I don't got those things. Like when you have certain things come with certain parameters, like you say a certain thing and it's not necessarily true that you've got to deal with the consequences of that, and then you've got to leverage certain things to be able to get your

lives off. So with me, luckily, I I kind of always stayed in who I am, I trying to be bigger than I was and things that I nat yourself, my people just like proud of me. I help people out when they need it, but it's not a responsibility like because like it's a viewpoint advantage prob Like my homies just you know, becoming truck drivers and contractors and doing things and getting real trades and like taket care of life. Getting out of prison. I got homies that

want your job for a hot one. And he did a long time and got out. Once he got out, he got shot up. But he's still driving his trucks. He's still you know, doing all this other stuff. They just call you to talk to you, like they're my real friends. So it's like we don't talk about music. They don't care about the post my stuff. But they don't like you know what I mean. My little homies ain't The young ones ain't listening to me. They're listen to the NBA, Young Boy, you know what I mean,

Like yes, CG. Like that's that's the music of the youth right now. So it's like they don't really care. I'm just stay homby, and my older homies really don't care because they see me grow up. So I don't really have that. But I do want the best thing you can do for people's give them like open advice, you know, support friendship. We've been friends forever, so they don't need to go past that. But I do want

them to be good. Oh yeah, for sure. Who else I'm gonna talk to he's like you nor you know a rapper, that's that not me that said they're my friend. I can't. Yeah, that's want of you, you know what I mean. So it's like I'll be I still I got my same friends when I grow up. It seems like you have a good relationship with DJ Quick. You need the song after him on the album? Yeah, I love DJ Quick And you said he did the scratches

on the project as well. Yeah, Like what was his response when he found out that you need to record after? He really had no response, like he said, thank you stuff. Crick as Quick as as an interesting person man like Quick love music so much and you know so much about music. Him and his son came through. You know,

they're just like a wealth of knowledge. So he was just he rewired the board while he was there, Like just he just every time you see him, he just got so much to say about music and where it comes from and where it can go. So I just appreciate seeing him all the time. I appreciate Quick like he's a good person, Like it doesn't really get his just do as much as he should. So I was

just happy that I was able to do that. Yeah, So he tweeted that you said thank you for the game, Like, are there some things that he told you that stuck with you? Everything? He's like, because you gotta think he doesn't got through, hedn't been everywhere to being you know what I mean, and through much worse. Like he from away, bigger neighborhood in a way different time, and he was able to, you know, escape that and still make creative music and do his own sound. And he wasn't the biggest,

but he wasn't the smallest neither. And you can learn a lot from somebody who was able to operate the way that he was able to operate, you know, like he was somebody who I think was very is very important to music out here. Yo, Yo, rapper it up podcasts quick, yo? Man' sating with it? What's up? Brother? What's Oh my god? The Staples is here? Man? I just you know, I thought about you were just taking saying nice things about you. Man, Hey, man, that's what up?

What's up? Roy feeling? Man? I'm filling with my hands, you know. I mean, I'll talk about the hockey and I let you a little bit earlier, but I didn't hear uh remixing all this old school music. Man with this old school equipment, being an old man in the studio, so doing old doing old ship. Said you'd be fixing boys and ship. But I remember that he was like, he ain't doing this album unless you came to at

the end. Man, Hey, that's a big flex bro. Like, hey, man, I appreciate that, young hop me look at me like that, bro, because VS you're a big guy. Man. I'm gonna tell you, I got a little key star struck when I've seen that little accurate Integral commercial because it took me back to accurate Integrat. Was hot to see you levitating. I'm like, man, they better get that. They better get him that. I appreciate you. Definitely, thank you. Who fucking better bro thinking better?

So I tell him, man, you got the album of the year up in the conversation. Man, you don't want to take these flowers. Mat I try to tell him, Hey, bro, your album as sweetest bear me Bro. I was like this.

I was like, okay. When I heard it in the studio, I was like just pleasantly surprised, like somebody that's reaching out more than just trying to be a trap king and just do the same trap trap trap ship on the Trap and Trap you just you just expanded, bro, like you you wanted the premier artists of of this decade, brock Shore. So you know, take that from a niker

that I've been on. I had an unbroken record on the billboard charts with Tupac and all the ship I was doing with him, Like I was on this ship for like a hundred weeks. I was like, oh my god, nobody prospect. When Tupac when all eyes, when he fell off the charge, it was like it was over. But you, my man, you got this new sound all wrapped up in the boat and take it. Thank you. I appreciate it, bro for real? Alright quick, alright, quick, thank you legend

for checking in. Man. Sorry, I'm like, man, I'm smoking weeds and showing on his motherfucking mushrooms. I've been to the baby Yeah, DJ Quick in the motherfucking house, was in the motherfucker halse for real? Yeah quick, You're good dude, absolutely, Like he's talking about creatively man. Like one of the records that stood out to me when Sparks Fly, Like that's about a gun, Like, how did you come up with that? Were you listening to nas I gave you

power something I hadn't. I never heard that song until uh really when I but I never heard that song until I didn't really listen to music growing up. I still remember this some music like to be honest now, it was just, you know, this was natural, like I thought, I don't really be thinking about songs like that. I don't know how to explain it. Like if I got

an idea, I got an idea. If I don't, I don't like I'm not I don't sit down there like, oh, this would be interesting because you know I never wrapped that. I know these mcs had wrapped about this metaphor that the girl is a gun like you No, I mean, bro, I didn't you gotta think about music when I was growing up, like we had no I like CDs, you

know what I mean? iPod cool, like you got a computer that you can plug an iPod and you got internet like our internet was the thirty dollars the thirty day three things from the front of the State of Brothers for a O L dollar. We wasn't download enough music like how the iPod I had confiscated at school and then I gotta listen to the music you know what I mean, So I wouldn't really it wasn't really

my thing. My uh my sister, my sister, baby daddy at the Gang of Cities, I stole from him, but he had like spice, well he didn't care and not like that, but he had like spice one like a bunch of like bace ship and like down here ship like because he's from content. But I never heard a lot of that stuff like my first time here, and a lot of music was because Corey was like, you should listen to you, just listen now, But I didn't.

I don't really have the access to be able to like my mom don't got fifteen dollars for you to go buy a CD, you know what I'm saying. So that I I was I had that kind of upbringer, so I didn't get the privilege of kind of being into things like that like music videos all right. We didn't have cable and said I was like in the team grade, so like, you know, I just didn't have to access

to do that kind of stuff. But um, idea, hear the song after I put it out, like and I was like, I was just grateful to be you know, putting that same category or you know, have something similar to something that now as well. Yeah, you mentioned Corey a lot, like what wakes in your perfect partner manager? Like can you speaking believe about your journey like connecting in business? I mean I don't know, to be honest,

it's I don't even look at it. You don't even I don't care about business, bro, Like I don't want to be broke. I ain't stupid. I don't spend no money. I'm not that kind of person. But I don't care about get into a certain level. I don't got no goals. I'll just make songs. Bro. That's crazy to hear you say that, because it feels like corporate America loves Vince Staples. You've done business with Sprite, Calvin Klein, the NBA, ACRA.

Like why you think they're so attracted to you? I mean being able to being able to speak, you know, having ideas. Uh, yeah, that's all. I wouldn't think. I could really think about we got that Spike deal because somebody else I ain't want it in respond to the emails and time, and then we got it. Like that was lucky, and it was a really big artist that was supposed to go to But it's like as you got lucky accurate, um, kind of a snowball effect. Once

you get one, other things start coming. But just having ideas, um converse was a big one. I got opportunity from Tim and lindsay. Um. Yeah. I think it's just you know, being able to speak, having ideas, being able to function in that environment because you gotta be on zones and you gotta be on time. You gotta have opinions and ideas, and you gotta, you know, make sure that you understand the processes. And I think that's something that I'm able

to do, so that helps me more. I feel like they get so professional with that, like you take it seriously like you're not. Once you get these out, you're not messing around you. I take I take everything serious. Yeah, I'll take everything serious because even like on the record like paper cuts to me that sound, I was like, you're very business minded, like you have that actimen and you're not at all. You're not at all. I don't care about none of that, bro, I'm not money for

I live in a regular townhouse, you feel me. I gotta I dry that accurate every day and I dry that tesla like I don't care about stuff like that. You know, I mean, I'm pretty because like I'm on

the blues. You said your money makes you dumb, right, So why are you so apathetic to like money and the trappings of I just never had it and making more money than help me with nothing to changing my perspective on how I view things in life, change everything, Like it ain't no amount that you can put on somebody being a better person, like learning more about life.

So money gives you who she appreciate, gives your access and space to not be stressed, and then you're able to think, to have that space to process, will see your mind and you know, ask yourself how you feel? What do you want to do? And people like, oh man, what do you like to do? And I ain't never done nothing but like a couple of things in my life, you know what I'm saying. So it's like I don't nobody like to do that. It's just that's what we do.

But um, some people like to do it. But that's what you do it like it is what it is. But I never had no hobby, Like hobbies, hobbies cost money, you know what I mean? And if you grow up without no money, like what you you know what I mean. My mama ain't taking me to like the theme park in the park. Yeah, you know what I mean, And that's my momayn't take me there. Mom. We played basketball a Cherry park. We walked from on the park because one of my friends, I don't even know the hood

was there when I first started going over there. But it's like, you know, I mean, that's how it that's how it happened. And you realize where you live at when you get older, when you kill on all that stuff manages you just where you at because of yo surroundings.

Like I grew up taking the bus, Like that's how I learned how to speak to people taking the bus and get kicked out of schools and have to go to school with long bees diverse, so I don't go school white people, Asian people going to school with small I'm going to school medics going to school to black people. I've had to learn how to speak to different people

but not offend nobody, you know what I mean. It's interesting like your worldview because even like on The Blues, you have a literally talk about success and I was wondering, do you think success really does bring guilt and stress. Yeah, for a lot of people. Yeah, for you, it does. I don't care about success, like that's what I mean. Of course I do think it's true, But like what is success? Like you know, what is success? I guess is relative depending on who you know what I'm saying.

So it's like, but success in the worldview to me is like overachieving, Like to be successful, you have to overachieve. Like I don't know if the world typically looks at the person who has a good job it's successful. I don't know if we're looking at the mailman, the trash man, instruction workers, plumbers, you know, plumber can make a hundred

thousand dollars a year, you know, and upwards. But I don't know if we necessarily look at them as successful, like from our worldview, like the scope of how we view the world. So that's kind of what I'm saying about. We don't know. You can kind of pick your own ship,

It's basically what I'm saying. So it's like, why would I like, oh man, you don't want this award of that award of this acknowledgement, Like no, because it don't affect my day to day life like my mama had to make me hang my plaques up in the house. Really them ships was on the ground next to were the dog sleep, So what's validation? And got them as gifts? I gotta buy the ship, you know what I mean?

What does validation look like to Vince Staples? Then they don't know you gotta buy plaques like this is crazy. You can get You can get anything on the black. You gotta everywarre but um, but validation. I don't know, man, It's you know, being able to have um, you know, a peace of mind on who you are and on kind of where you want to go next. It's all personal stuff, man, It's for anybody, like anybody can pick that own. You can pick what you want, what you

don't want, what you like, what you don't like. And for me, I think, you know, just having uh, being comfortable, you know, um, peace, being able to make decisions. You know. I'm I'm a little stuff bro. I get to go to grocery store and I don't gotta be like, oh how much you know what I mean. I ain't know how to drive until I was in my twenties. I don't have a bank accountil I was twenties, Like I used core you start to bring me five dollars ago

get food and I was nineteen years old. You know what I mean to see the daughter go back to the hood obvious, like you know what I'm saying, Like it's it's it's a different I have a different upbringing and I guess a lot of people that you would put me in the box with, So I don't have that kind of value system. To be honest, I've never I've never seen in the war show. I've seen a B T Wars at aunt when I was a little kid. You see me J Blodge and ship like that. But

those aren't the wars that people care about. Already got one of them and I'm grateful for it. So what else do the funk I need? Grammy would be nice because I think it would elevate your profile and put you in different places and spaces. What are those places? Though? You know, um in Middle America were already there. We got accurate commercial you give what I'm saying, That's all I'm saying. If you really want to say that, like we just we got what do we need? We plant?

Plant your flag more in that space? I guess like household names, you know, we say the Drakes, we say the jay Z's we could say you've ben stables. I think, and then what and then what you can continue to get more? Get more out of it? Marta, what of success? More out of looks? So when you speak with Cord, you guys have these kind of conversations. Seat to see we ever spoke about? Yeah? Have I ever told you

I wanted anything? I would like to see you with the Grammy though I'm not thinking anything that's some one gives me because of my music. I appreciate it. But what I'm saying is if I go back to my neighborhood and say, hey, look I gotta grammy, mm, They're not gonna care if I'm like, oh look, I remember when I first got my car, like just a car, and my homies was happy for me. You know how

to park it? I saw the guy you know the parking break we we we were on Plymouth in the middle of the hood, the middle of it be somebody who died down the street and my hommies that teach me how to parallel park because I got a car and I was a dude that walked down the street and had a car. Cash She's going to park my car and then and tea scrap watching the street right before he died. If I show up with a grammy, they're gonna be like, that's what's up. They're not gonna

care because what did that mean? Like, you know what I mean. I don't mean saying that the grammy doesn't mean anything in the grand scheme I'm talking about. When I go home, that don't mean nothing where I come from And we all said, we come from these places, but we don't want the values that come from these places. You know what I'm saying. We want we want to go be with the with them people, validation from other

from them people, you know what I mean. And that's all I'm saying, Like how long we've been talking about Nick is not going to the b too? Or what is we're talking about? You get what I'm saying, Like we can all pretend that that's not the thing, but I ain't gonna pretending. I don't. I ain't worry about what nobody got to say about that, because when I go home, where I stay, well, I'm always at that. They're just happy that I'm doing okay because of what

I was doing before. And if that's not enough I don't know what to tell nobody. You must not be okay with yourself? Is that what? That's hard to make rapper friends because you've built this sort of very unique I'm not gonna coming along me, coming on, come along, hang out, don't You're not gonna ever see me in the saws like I do. Got rapper friends like j I did. That's my homie, alcam Is. I'll talk to him a lot. Of course, we know mad with Tyler Tyler. We and Tyler talk a lot. I got a rapper

homies that ain't nobody checking foul that they don't. They might not fit what people see, like do like all Black. I love him and his kids, like a lot of homies that make music. But Ja through Fire that's my homie, Like Loving the Death. I know a lot of people. So I'm just trying to figure I'm not leaving nobody. But as far as people I check on me that I talked today, Jack Harlow, I know him really, I'm real probably, but we should do shows together. He was drinking.

We did show his eighteen birthday, you know, in Louisville. So yeah, but yeah, I got homies. But it's like just the I lived my life different thing. My lifestyle is not conducive to hanging out with niggas that rap if it me, So what do you mean? What do you mean by that? Like your life, you ever see me anywhere? I mean, you're famous, so I guess, but you'd be seeing famous niggas. But I've never been the war shows, brunches, mixtures always have to show. No, But

that's where I'm not. I'm not shipping on nobody. I'm saying that's kind of I don't do those things, So I'm not running in the niggas, you know what I mean. So, like that's all that and it's nothing, not a slight to anybody. I'm just saying literally, like Bodi James, that's my homie, like girl, like these is people I kind of talk to like and I respect for everybody and I know everybody, but just like I just as far as like friendship, Yeah, I mean, like really my boy,

like I talked him a lot. Ye yeah, like Jack, a lot of them do is I talked to a lot. So and your family moved back through the pandemic, you guys, Yeah, my family stay with me. Yeah, So I got I got enough friends. I got a whole hood of honeys, like the hood like it's a lot of them, Bro, it's not. I would be like I got baby showers ago to like I gotta go down honies, I gotta go to the little hume baby showers, Like come on

thirty bro, Like I'm because they gave you. That was a good volbum moment with Speedy when he's like, nobody know what come in my house? That people come? But he was trying to ask me, was was violence happening on the premises of my house? And I'm not stupid enough for that. So that's the answer, you guys, if we want to really be real, But everybody whacked like he didn't Sy, You ain't never looked at your security camera see some crazy ship. We're even seen waiting, but

we act like that type of ship don't happen. But I can't say that because I look crazy. So I'll just be playing with niggas. What do you think they would ask Martha Stodop she ever seen some crazy in the security camera? Well she is a felon. That's my point. I'm coming to her, like, come on, bro, but your views of ray J have not changed. He doing he's doing this thing. Will ray J be redeemed and whatever

controversy with the Kadashians, will he get his way? I don't even know what you're talking about, and I'm dead serious. I have no idea. Did some priests taste the other day? He's out for he's out for redemption. I do love the fact that you gave ray J a little bit of flowers. We interpolated one wish on the album, soh yeah, that's my I love that song. I love the album man,

it's good. Also love the videos as well. Man, um, I know Road Street is the first director directorial debut for INCA hand no money, so they ain't give us no money, so we just did that. Hey when I don't give us no money, so we just did that. Yeah, I ain't even have a freedom. But that's probably last music that you ever see. But really now we got to see the magic continuation because it was to be continued. I know what happened was the budget was sucked up.

The house was too small, so we had to edit it around and make it look like that. Really, are you serious? Look right there? He right, none, None of this is making We're just saying I was just nice, not it's nice. The truth we didn't have them. We didn't have the money for it. That you think that you think that give me that about the Grammy think I get the budget to make a music video that's gonna get us Grammy? No, manute, like, let's really talk

about how you get those things. Don't see We're not gonna see that. We don't know how that happened. When you get what you pay for, they call it campaign you know, campaigns cause money or money. Yes, some bro like, let's not do that. They do like we know. That's why we contend we ain't stupid, like we know what the is going on, because like you directed Sparks Fly too. That was that looked like it was no, that was that? That was MoMA House. Uh my mouse the platform that

kind of allows you to have live shows. So we did like a live show, live stream show type situation. We was able to cut that and we carved that out of the deal so we could put that on YouTube. So that was a free video that just getting monetized. Resourceful man, I love that. Look, man, you gotta shove with ships sometimes, you know what I'm saying. Yeah, and you turned the ship into fertilizer man like then Staple Show. Yeah, man, we finally Staple Show. Now. I was just we have

been doing just COVID. We can get on production office during COVID. But yeah, we we we we did with that was I kind of scored away ago, but you know, I'm happy they still picked it up after, you know everything that A lot of companies also a lot during COVID, So the fact that we was able to kind of still be on that docket is cool. So we're in the writing room for right now, like literally right now actually down the street. I had to learn how to

write scripts and like format and stuff like that. So just working with a lot of good people, like I can't say their names contractually, but it's a lot of smart people in that room. That's really helpful. So I'm just happy to be able to do that. I was gonna say, how the Kenya Burrowers get involved? Uh, He's just the only one that I wanted to do it, the only one I was gonna do what I say. You know, it's funny because I've seen people like, oh man,

why are you working with black Age? The black dude? I don't like him. He but don't know, abody give a funk about None of these white boys that's producing all this ship. Well't ever know their names, but as soon as it's nigger, they're mad. As I just think

that's so interesting. But whatever they can. But yeah, shout out king Uh yeah man, I mean I'm just grateful the opportunity, you know, to be able to try something new and different from the because use those vignesam with calmatic like yeah, we was trying to were trying to, you know, for that situation. You know, we was trying to set up and stabish us in and nobody was trying to do it. So we just shot that so

we didn't have that bag no more. Yeah, you said you love this like you you're getting into this like ten am six pm like a job, almost going to the writing room and really chopping. Yeah, man, every day on every day? What about writing the scripts? Like are you doing screenplays yourself? Or here is a team now? We got a team before, we have a team now just me and one another person. Yeah okay, and you also off the two man accomplished author the Limbo Beach

graphic novel series. Yeah, man, I just be doing ship. You know what I mean like that was Z two Z two to a lot of stuff, a lot of artists though, um any universal system Um no, that's one of the bones that throw us. So we was like I always been like trying to put the artists with the company whatever, and they is we just made something scratch. Really, they just make it's based off the the music and

they just build your liking as well. I was like, that's kind of we might as well to do something if you don't see how if I can do it. So it was a cool experience. We're going back to this state. But so like what what what should people look out for? Like what what do they look at it? Like it's like Kirby enthusiasm type of thing, like, oh no, it's just new. It's not it's not it's not kind of done yet. I don't I don't have That's why it's like a thing. That's why it's taking a long time,

is just trying to make something new. We don't have a skeleton, we don't have like a something like to follow, so you know, we'll see it should be interesting though, yeah, but it's it's it's looking good so far. So if this takes off, though, we're gonna it's gonna steal you away from the music. You think long term? Funny? How long? How long is that's a long term? I think as long as you can, as long as you can rap

at a high level. But want you if you're wrapping at a high level and creating, you continue to make more Ramona Park albums. Hell yeah, wrapping it should be a little bit more cost effective these days, you know, to make an album, but it's not as much as it used to be. You know, I ain't got a

back in right what do you read? This is never coming out like I'm just I'm just letting you know I haven't got it back against teams everything we pay for you know, we pay for the fund video right me and we split it and we got paid back years later. Wow, it's d I y for real. But I think if you could, if you can rap, as long as you have the ability, everybody they can't fance. A lot of people fall off, like the abilities just aren't what they used to be. I don't think it's that.

I think it's what you want from certain people. You know what I'm saying, Like, what are you talking about? Who are you talking about? Not like give me like an archetype. You know what I'm saying, Like if say you got somebody like Ja Rule, Um, his skills might not a decrease, but him being able to make that kind of hit in which we put with his name

is going to be harder because time changed. But I don't know if him literally rapping there like a lot of rappers perspective, know, I mean, so it just gets harder over time. Yeah, I think cool he doing ll cool J ship probably still, but it's like, I don't know if they want to hear that. If he came out with radio today and like all that's crazy, Like we can't just hear him it's end do I do think you have to with the times. But also if LLL Cool they drop radio right now, right now, like

not that that style of rap. But I think there are people that can make comebacks after their peak. I think every sermon did it back in the day with music, you know what. But That's what I'm saying, like it's it's really hard to do you Jaz open up, open it up a lot, just being able to be mature, like they remember they was calling things old like to make fun of us, you know, what I mean. So like jay Z kind of changed a lot, so I

think it's very very possible. But I think we have to just you know, if we're making music to make music, and let's just make music. But when we're throwing all this other stuff in it, that's when I'm like, no, I'm cool. But do you seem like like you you kind of you kind of had your ambition before whatever music sets looks like. But it seems like with something like the Vince Staple Show, I feel like you're kind of more more all in right, like you would would

like that to be. I'm all in on everything, bro. Yeah, It's like it's either it's or go back home like that that's real. I don't I can't. I just say my family with me, right, which means if this ain't work, worlds like and go. So I always been all in, you know what I mean, Like I had I graduate from high school. Someone's going to Tim Gray for me.

I never had a job. To me, I ain't got no, ain't nobody in my family have no careers literally, like my sister nurse and that ship is you know that be when you're the one you don't you know what I'm saying, so we just here. So if I was always all in, people don't know this ship you gotta do to get at least right here with no back and no support, no friends, no entourage, no name that put in front of you. You know, everybody got their little cruel niggas. Iin't never had none of those days.

So I had to go. I had to go, and I had to be hype man and phocus closed for two years. Make sure you've got in the sprinter on time, and not do no songs but finding out a week part then said, who's two years finding out the per dam per week? Not much of one bare room is in in Long Beach, nine fifty in the hood. You you know what I'm saying. Even forward that after that, we have enough for mac Miller just to be there, um sharing a room with the security guard performing when

the doors up in fifteen minutes. Then Q let me on this tour. I didn't know what I was doing. Gave me a decent slot, going a far as they were shot after audio pushed music not translating. I didn't know how to make it. Never met anybody who would tell be anything. He told me your songs are too slow, first person to ever try to help me. Besides, like, that's not my friend. Your friend is gonna support. You can say your friends the first person ever give me

some advice that's gonna work. After that, we opened up with joy badass. Then we want to festive run playing the two pm when the door is opened a twelve Who can do that for teen years? If they're not all in? Mm hmmm. You know what I'm saying. My whole time, he paying for everything. You know what I'm saying. I gotta deal, had to pay him back because it was broke again. You gotta be all here that they're laughing. I'm not lyning off, so you gotta be all in,

you know what I mean. But it's it was it was more at stake for me. This wasn't something that you always you always go back to thinking the family and how much. That's the only reason I've ever done this. You gotta do another reason I don't. That's why I don't care about the other stuff. That's why I'm already happy. You know what I mean. I'm I wanted something small, so everything else is just like extra At this point,

exactly everything goes is extraly at this point. Once so once you know, my mama had a car, she eat and didn't have to go wake up and for my mama, sis didn't have to work up at wake up at two oclock and morning to go working selway, my mom might have to wake up at five o'clock and morning to go work in a call center for for Toyota on one of them ships on working for a tip agency. So you don't get in shelf. And you know what I'm saying, Once that wasn't a thing no more, What

do I have to complain about. I don't got a trophy. I don't got I'm not on the list. That's why anything I get like that, I'm super appreciative of it because I ain't even asking for it, you know what I mean. Like you ain't never heard me say that my ship was the best of this or that if I ever do something like that, I'm playing like I'm just grateful to be able to have opportunities to say something for a living, you know what I mean? You get them try things for a living, and that's good

enough for me. So with with the Stable show, for example, like what's the goal there is that just to make content that you know it's going to resonate with people. I got sick of making music videos for nothing and what was started? Yeah, what do we want to do? Who do you want to direct it? What's going on? I got sick of doing after nothing m and then I did dope and I was like, I can do this. Mm hmm. That's why dope the film, you know? Oh yeah, exactly, exactly,

thank you? Yeah I did. I did hear there's nothing, I said, any security cams, there's nothing. Yeah, thank you. I did Dope the film and I was like, I can do it. It seemed easy. Not easy, but it seems attainable. I'm saying, yeah, as far as the music is. One last point, I have a remote remote the park, like the dialogue and the skits to really tie into the album. Like why was that so important to incorporate? Because, like I said earlier, like people like these people ain't real,

you know what I mean? Um? First lady, that's a that's that's that's a little c J from each coach. She died when she was a teenager. Second lady, that's uh, that's Roundbot frottle, just park she died. Um, she died and then her sister got a clear for us. Um. We had a big ward from from from Mata Video. I think you from Lopez and he me if I'm wrong. He was on slide a Monster Cody he passed, you know, a spirit of Monster Cody. And it's like these people

you don't hear that we had. We had a lady from who I forgot her name, but she was now she's from Legends at the end of UM. I forgot what song it was, but we had her on their U UM. I think it's player was um. Yeah, just having people that stories matter to me because these just people I know who they is because of what they did out here, and you know, they kind of slid

and find their names before they passed. And a couple of still with us, but I think actually one of us it was Yeah, man, I think those people matter more than the rappers, more than the apps to where I come from, matter more than rappers and athletes and all these other people like these just people that die in the streets for the same thing that my friends is.

So it's not a new story, and that was the point of using it is because they're saying the things that's being said in these songs, and they were saying in the nineteen sixties, nineteen seventies, it's still sounding real. Bid. Yeah, lived by the gun, died by the sining right exactly exactly, there we go, but not even that, just live here. You don't even need a gun. Be outside of the wrong time. Yeah, I've seen that time and time again. Well,

thank you, Vince Man. Respect bro, thank you appreciate gonna say you got one of the best albums in the year. And I don't want you to think I don't appreciate. I do appreciate. It's just that My thing is if you say that and a hundred people say I don't that, don't negate what you said. And that's just the way that I look at it. You feel me like everybody voice matter, but that we don't. We spend too much

time not having to say nothing. So anytime somebody says something, I appreciate it because they said it, not because we're coming from a PUTI told me that walking down the street. It will mean just as much you're telling me that on the podcast. That's That's basically what I'm saying. I'm very excited about the Vince Table shows. Good to see you get. That should be cool, man, I'm gonna be interesting. If you need some cameos, you know, I got you

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