I know it's lazy/convenient to lump Vince and Kendrick together, and I love them both, but I'm finding myself favoring Vince in the same way I'm a Grant Hart partisan in Husker Du. I recognize Kendrick is more important, but I like listening to Vince more. (That said, nothing on this album touches "DNA" or "ELEMENT.")
― a man often referred to in the news media as the Duke of Saxony (tipsy mothra), Wednesday, 28 June 2017 15:26 (seven years ago) link
I'd put him below Jay Rock, Ab Soul and Schoolboy Q
even like Warm Brew tbh
― Universal LULU Nation (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Wednesday, 28 June 2017 15:28 (seven years ago) link
his opinions about art are some elitist trash fyi
― imago, Sunday, June 25, 2017 7:50 AM (three days ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
lmao cmon dogg
― Universal LULU Nation (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Wednesday, 28 June 2017 15:32 (seven years ago) link
I know he's fighting against other elitisms but that paragraph about preferring the idea of an elevated refuge for art is a turn-off I have to say
― imago, Wednesday, 28 June 2017 15:35 (seven years ago) link
i actually dont mind the production so much because its at least original (relative to rap) but i think his rapping is just ok
only two listens into this so I don't have a judgement yet, but I'm kinda shocked by how little focus he puts on rapping here. He sort of disappears into a lot of these songs. On that run from Shyne Coldchain II -> Hell Can Wait -> Summertime '06 I think he was on par with just about anybody else out there, but I don't hear any of that fire here.
― Evan R, Wednesday, 28 June 2017 15:43 (seven years ago) link
I'd put him below Ab Soul
ok this is heretical
― a serious and fascinating fartist (Simon H.), Wednesday, 28 June 2017 15:43 (seven years ago) link
To each his own. Part of what I like about Vince is his triphop/dubstep shading, which imo sets him apart from the Black Hippy pack. But that's not necessarily a plus for everyone.
― a man often referred to in the news media as the Duke of Saxony (tipsy mothra), Wednesday, 28 June 2017 15:59 (seven years ago) link
I do think Jay Rock has been unfairly slept on
― a serious and fascinating fartist (Simon H.), Wednesday, 28 June 2017 16:00 (seven years ago) link
I also love Vince's delivery, but I get how it could be too staccato for some tastes. I like his crispness -- even when he's mumbly, he's precise.
― a man often referred to in the news media as the Duke of Saxony (tipsy mothra), Wednesday, 28 June 2017 16:01 (seven years ago) link
He's sharper than Jay Rock, more entertaining than Ab Soul and not miserable like Schoolboy Q
― Evan R, Wednesday, 28 June 2017 16:11 (seven years ago) link
He sort of disappears into a lot of these songs.
I agree with this, like it's cool that the tracks are unpredictable and have a lot happening, but they could use more rapping.
― change display name (Jordan), Wednesday, 28 June 2017 16:19 (seven years ago) link
m@tt you gotta take ab soul off that list its true.
― down that brown path (Spottie), Wednesday, 28 June 2017 16:40 (seven years ago) link
7/10 UK house album, looking forward to the 'Little Fish Theory' remix album.
― Matt DC, Wednesday, 28 June 2017 16:58 (seven years ago) link
okay ab soul might have been trolling but I'm 100% on Jay Rock and Schoolboy Q that's real talk
Jay Rock 90059 is such a great album, for whatever reason his thing is too normal street to have a media "narrative" but he's a fucking great rapper, I don't think him and Schoolboy Q are really far off Kendrick, they just all have their own things
― Universal LULU Nation (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Wednesday, 28 June 2017 17:10 (seven years ago) link
I think Isaiah Rashad suffers from the same problem to an extent
― Number None, Wednesday, 28 June 2017 17:53 (seven years ago) link
this does make me appreciate the azealia banks album more in retrospect
― Listen to my homeboy Fantano (D-40), Wednesday, 28 June 2017 18:06 (seven years ago) link
agree w. matt, btw, and isaiah rashad is better than vince too imo
― Listen to my homeboy Fantano (D-40), Wednesday, 28 June 2017 18:07 (seven years ago) link
Yeah parts of this remind me of Azealia but that isn't a bad thing imo. Her actual music is not the problem with AB.
― a man often referred to in the news media as the Duke of Saxony (tipsy mothra), Wednesday, 28 June 2017 18:28 (seven years ago) link
― change display name (Jordan),
otm. A pleasure to listen to, though, especially at night when I don't have to concentrate on the rapping
― the Rain Man of nationalism. (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 28 June 2017 18:30 (seven years ago) link
― Listen to my homeboy Fantano (D-40), Wednesday, June 28, 2017 11:06 AM (one hour ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
lol true.
― down that brown path (Spottie), Wednesday, 28 June 2017 19:11 (seven years ago) link
hate everything about this record
― r|t|c, Wednesday, 28 June 2017 19:28 (seven years ago) link
yeh im not a fan. might hate it more than the ep.
― down that brown path (Spottie), Wednesday, 28 June 2017 19:40 (seven years ago) link
I'm kinda shocked by how little focus he puts on rapping here. He sort of disappears into a lot of these songs.
It's not exactly that he lacks presence, it's just the wrong kind of presence for these beats. Also SOPHIE can gtf.
― Matt DC, Wednesday, 28 June 2017 19:44 (seven years ago) link
i liked many songs off summertime, i like a few here, but man he needs how to write a fuckin song
― nice cage (m bison), Wednesday, 28 June 2017 19:58 (seven years ago) link
*needs to learn how
The grey-scale minimalism worked perfectly for him on Summertime, but no need to do it again I guess. I'd love to hear Ka produce a whole record for him though.
― change display name (Jordan), Wednesday, 28 June 2017 20:21 (seven years ago) link
I love Ka but I can't imagine Vince on those near-ambient type beats
― a serious and fascinating fartist (Simon H.), Wednesday, 28 June 2017 20:24 (seven years ago) link
yeah if anything his best tracks are the loud busy ones, "Hands Up" "Blue Suede" "Norf Norf"
― Evan R, Wednesday, 28 June 2017 20:36 (seven years ago) link
Norf Norf and Blue Suede are really minimal too though (but in a normal drums + 808 + synth line way)
― change display name (Jordan), Wednesday, 28 June 2017 21:55 (seven years ago) link
The "I ain't run from nuthin' but The police" and those Joy Division synths are what I remember about "Norf Norf."
― the Rain Man of nationalism. (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 28 June 2017 22:02 (seven years ago) link
http://pigeonsandplanes.com/in-depth/2017/06/vince-staples-big-fish-theory-producer-interview
When you're a producer and someone asks you for beats, you think, "Okay, let me think about their last record.” So I sent some beats that reminded me of Summertime '06 that were kind of "Vince Staples type beats" (laughs). But then I realized that wasn’t what he was looking for from me. He really didn't want me to project any sort of idea about what he might want.
So, then I started going over and hanging out with him at Ty's house and played beats for him—going to the weirdest ones that I thought he wouldn’t like. And he kept saying, "Yeah, go in that direction." One of those was the beat that became "Crabs In a Bucket," which was kind of my take on UK garage with swing drums. Around September of last year, I realized that was the sound he was listening to. He was listening to Detroit music and house music and just electronic music of all kinds.
― change display name (Jordan), Wednesday, 28 June 2017 22:51 (seven years ago) link
Yeah that's the thing, this is obviously the album he wanted to make. It's not like it's Vince Staples rapping plus some other music, it's all Vince Staples music.
― a man often referred to in the news media as the Duke of Saxony (tipsy mothra), Thursday, 29 June 2017 04:16 (seven years ago) link
production sounds hella metallic on my headphones, kinda harsh
― j., Thursday, 29 June 2017 04:42 (seven years ago) link
i like Vince but my friend said he sounded like Siri and that made me lol
― Unchanging Window (Ross), Thursday, 29 June 2017 05:26 (seven years ago) link
I really like the back third, like from Homage on.
― change display name (Jordan), Thursday, 29 June 2017 15:27 (seven years ago) link
Vince on Hot 97 w/Ebro
Probably the best interview with a rapper I've seen in forever, starts with Rosenberg trying to goad him into shitting on Tyga, then Vince completely in a very real and human way cuts through all that shit, calling him out without causing a beef, and then really gets into his life and the industry and analyzing the media in a very brilliant way. highly recommended
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kMS9J26kctI
― Universal LULU Nation (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Thursday, 29 June 2017 16:06 (seven years ago) link
Vince seems to usually be the smartest guy in any room he's in. for that reason alone i'ma trust his re-direction on Big Fish Theory
― alpine static, Thursday, 29 June 2017 17:58 (seven years ago) link
i enjoy this album for the most part, but i wish vince would attack the beat a little bit more, instead of the weirdly passive approach he takes on this album. he seems much less confident than usual, maybe because of the unfamiliar musical surroundings.
when kendrick pops up for his verse on yeah right, it's such a burst of energy and a major contrast to vince's approach throughout the album
― black covfefe in bed (voodoo chili), Thursday, 29 June 2017 18:20 (seven years ago) link
Finally circling back to this to see if my initial "oh my god" reaction was a fluke
It wasn't; I am not sure what everyone who hates/dislikes this is reacting against.
― a butt groove but for feet (DJP), Thursday, 29 June 2017 19:02 (seven years ago) link
I think I get it (the ratio of rapping:not-rapping is unusual for what is ostensibly a rap record, especially a relatively short one; the beats are unorthodox in a possibly "dated" way; etc.) but I also think those are p dumb and unimaginative criticisms
― a serious and fascinating fartist (Simon H.), Thursday, 29 June 2017 19:15 (seven years ago) link
I think I also hear what people are saying about him not being in MC "attack mode" or whatever but again I'm not sure it's really a problem against these beats (apologies if I am strawmanning anyone's complaints)
― a serious and fascinating fartist (Simon H.), Thursday, 29 June 2017 19:20 (seven years ago) link
It's funny that people think the beats are dated because, (I'm guessing?) the whole 2-step rhythms/Disclosure thing was like 2013? But I think texturally they're really forward-thinking in like a Flume/PC Music/FlyLo kind of way? Like trying to anticipate where beats are headed in the same way that, like, Charli XCX's recent stuff is. Remove a little of the rhythm and the Sophie stuff is not too far from what, like, Chino Amobi or Oneohtrix Point Never or w/e is doing
― Sutcliffe Juugin' (Whiney G. Weingarten), Thursday, 29 June 2017 19:27 (seven years ago) link
There's really only one part that sounds 2-steppy. And knowing that Seckoff is an L.A. beat scene kid who went to London and got interested in UK club music, the sound makes a lot of sense.
― change display name (Jordan), Thursday, 29 June 2017 19:30 (seven years ago) link
― nice cage (m bison), Wednesday, June 28, 2017 3:58 PM (one week ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
this has stuck in my head, I don't think its true, & even if it may be it doesn't really matter
― johnny crunch, Tuesday, 11 July 2017 12:15 (seven years ago) link
the beats sound super-modern to me.
― billstevejim, Saturday, 15 July 2017 05:46 (seven years ago) link
watched vince's first weekend coachella set and it was great
as a bonus, he gave us this interviewhttp://www.vulture.com/2018/04/vince-staples-calls-out-r-kelly-during-coachella-interview.html
― mh, Monday, 23 April 2018 14:46 (six years ago) link
new album out tonight apparently
― wayne trotsky (Simon H.), Thursday, 1 November 2018 15:14 (five years ago) link
prediction: worse than the last one
― imago, Thursday, 1 November 2018 15:21 (five years ago) link
nah i have high hopes, kenny beats production is a good sign
― devvvine, Thursday, 1 November 2018 15:59 (five years ago) link
I like the album cover
― josh az (2011nostalgia), Thursday, 1 November 2018 16:23 (five years ago) link