Vince Staples

Recording artist Vince Staples, an American rapper of Haitian descent, has come a long way from his trying upbringing in Long Beach, California’s Ramona Park neighborhood. Gaining recognition through his association with the alternative hip-hop collective Odd Future and his membership in the hip-hop trio Cutthroat Boyz, Staples has made a considerable name for himself in the music industry. He first signed with Talib Kweli's Blacksmith Records, releasing a collaborative mixtape with Mac Miller called "Stolen Youth" in 2013, and later with No I.D.'s ARTium Recordings, an imprint of Def Jam Recordings.

Releasing his critically acclaimed debut "Summertime ’06" album in 2015, which included the platinum-certified single "Norf Norf," the then twenty-year-old saw his life turned right side up, going from being nearly trapped to having what appeared to be complete freedom. Staples was named one of the ten rappers of XXL's "2015 Freshman Class." His subsequent albums, "Big Fish Theory" (2017), "FM!" (2019), his self-titled fourth studio album (2021), and "Ramona Park Broke My Heart" (2022) have continued to receive critical acclaim.

Yet, as his most recent project, "Big Fish Theory," suggests, appearances can be deceiving. The LP delves into the confusion of sudden fame and acclimating to a lifestyle antithetical to the one he’d known in Long Beach – one wrought with gang violence and poverty. A standout rapper in today’s hip hop world, Staples keeps his sound deeply tied to his West Coast roots and his message one that knows no boundaries. His conscious subject matter and thought-provoking lyrics have earned him nominations for the BET Hip Hop Awards and the Black Reel Awards.

In addition to his music career, Staples has also appeared in films such as Dope and White Men Can't Jump, and the television series "Abbott Elementary." He has been featured in various publications such as HipHopDX, Noisey, Complex, SPIN, The FADER, NPR, and All Things Considered. Furthermore, he has appeared on TV shows like Hot Ones and ESPN's Highly Questionable. Staples is also starring in "The Vince Staples Show," a comedy series based on himself.

Staples has used his fame to give back to his community, assisting in a YMCA program benefiting young people in North Long Beach. In a world full of painful departures, his art gives listeners reason to believe that, somehow, as he advances, the people who have left him and the people who he's left behind will still be waiting for him at the end. Staples, who follows a straight edge lifestyle and does not drink alcohol or take illicit drugs, has been upfront about his gang involvement in his youth and now speaks to young people about the dangers of being involved with gangs.