The rise of Vince Staples from unknown Odd Future affiliate to Def Jam signee has been a fascinating journey to witness. Ever since the Long Beach emcee made his presence felt with a barrage of killer guest verses, it was evident that Staples was a rare breed and cut from a different cloth than his OF brethren. With a series of strong mixtapes and his 2014 EP Hell Can Wait, Staples wasted no time in showcasing wisdom beyond his years, a blunt yet cognitive mentality that was birthed from growing up in an environment where nothing was sugarcoated. While this quality shined in a less structured form on his previous releases, Summertime ‘06 has a more well-polished backbone as Staples’ debut studio album. The music of Vince Staples has an uncompromising foundation and he does not let his major label association sway him from taking risks, with Summertime 06’ existing as a double-disc LP being the most glaring of chances. Similar to the harsh inner city based realities that Staples raps about, this album is a dense collection and not easily accessible for your average listener. However, the conflicted aspects of an artist with shrewd awareness yet a questionable history of morality is what makes Summertime ’06 such a worthwhile listen.
Vince Staples wastes no time in setting the scene for us with the vivid sounds of “Ramona Park Legend Pt. 1” intro and from there we are hit with a heavy dose of street-driven content. An early highlight of these Long Beach narratives is “Lift Me Up”, a raw offering that features Staples unapologetically pointing out the hypocrisy of certain racially focused situations. However, Staples never admits to being above the influence of these societal ills. As a product of the projects, the pictures Staples paints are often geared toward how he stays true to his certified hood mentality while also rising in stature as a well-known artist. What results is every rhyme being fueled by brutal honesty and the fact that Staples welcomingly relays his raps over dark, reverberating, distorted, and psychedelic-influenced production brings his originality to a whole new level. Some may view these experimental sonic attributes as distracting, but the ultra-talented grouping of No I.D, DJ Dahi, and Clams Casino supplied Staples with just the right mixture of off-kilter cohesion.
But before disc 1 runs its course, Staples can’t help but show off his wide-ranging versatility to the closely watching industry. For those looking for a more traditional ‘banger’, (with the modern definition of the word in mind), have no fear. “Senorita” was the first official single we heard from Summertime ’06 and hearing the track in full context adds an extra layer of validation to its standout quality. The unforgiving scriptures of the street which resonate through Staples’ lyricism sound extra sharp over the bumping key-laden production of Christian Rich and when you add another renowned guest appearance from Future on the track, it’s no wonder our Summertime ‘06 experience began with this song. And from one track to the next, Staples is able to completely switch up his style on the thought provoking “Summertime”, a melodic offering which features mature lines from the Long Beach native such as “My teachers told me we was slaves, my momma told me we was kings, I guess it’s somewhere in between” and “They never taught me how to be the man, only how to be a shooter”. These are the type of gems that truly put Staples’ talents on display as he attempts to make sense of his cruel summer and self-destructive world.
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