Vince Staples Is A Thoughtful And Humble Rapper And Performer — Or, Basically, Nothing Like His Most Viral Haters Thinks He Is.
Dear Angry Woman Who Ranted On Facebook About How Vince Staples Was A Bad Influence On Children,
We know you’re probably in the depths of Facebook somewhere, so if this reaches you, I hope it finds you well.
But do you remember a while back when you took your kids to school that one day and you let your daughter put on that darn Power 104.5 station? You made a very expressive video regarding an artist that Power 104.5 just so happened to be playing whenever your daughter wanted to listen to the station. Vince Staples was his name.
This rings a bell, yes? I mean, I would imagine so. Based on your video, this whole situation seemed unforgettable and slightly traumatic. You expressed all sorts of emotions regarding the lyrics to a very popular Vince Staple’s song called “Norf Norf,” and it seems to have possibly skewed your opinion of him just a bit.
Luckily, we’re here to try and help you see the Vince Staples that we all love, the one who stopped off in Dallas this past Friday night for a show at the South Side Music Hall as part of his current Life Aquatic tour.
First of all, just know this: What Vince says in his songs are reflections of his own life — the situations and experiences he has personally gone through, the things he’s dealt with, etc. In your video, you expressed emotion about the line “school was no fun / couldn’t bring my gun.” You were actually crying about this — real tears! I understand your concern, but that’s not something he’s necessarily trying to promote to kids. That’s just how he grew up. This is a reality that you may have never had to experience, but there are tons of people in this country who experience a life different from yours, sometimes even around guns. It’s a sad reality, yes, but it’s a real one.
Another line you were also very expressive about was “I ain’t never ran from nothin but the police.” He’s not advocating running from the law here, he’s lambasting the police state and the way it profiles minorities. It’s a sharp criticism that line — par for course with Staples.
He’s a pretty thoughtful dude, actually.
Did you know that he doesn’t drink alcohol, smoke weed or do any drugs whatsoever? He takes a lot of pride in that, too. In this day and age, especially in the world of hip-hop, that’s pretty rare. I bring this up to point out that he’s definitely got a clear head on his shoulders, one that’s never altered by drugs or alcohol.
He’s even defended your honor online, in case you didn’t know. All in all, I’d say he portrays himself as a nice, respectful and often hilarious person.
He’s done well for himself, too. There’s a reason packed houses are showing up to see him perform all around the country.
They’re also getting a hell of a performance when they show up, just as they did enthusiastically here in Dallas this weekend — and not just from Staples. He’s brought along a fine second talent along with him on this tour, for example, a young female performer by the name of Kilo Kish. She’s also really talented, a very theatrical performer.
So, too, is Staples. Keeping with the them of this tour, he spends his time on stage acting as if he’s walking under, along or on top of the sea as he performs, standing in front of three large video panels and bathed in gorgeous blue lights. The whole thing really is a creative, artistic and visually stimulating experience — and, on Friday at least, he got plenty of love for the effort from his crowd, which featured fans both young and old.
If Staples comes to your city, maybe check him out. He deserves a second chance. Because, frankly, you have the wrong idea about him.
Here’s hoping these words and the above photos change your mind.
Because, while rap music just might not be your thing, genuinely decent people seem like they are. And Vince Staples is definitely one of those.
Sincerely,
Breanna Loose