Vincent Jamal Staples (born July 2, 1993) is an American rapper and singer. Staples was once a close associate of

Odd Future Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All, better known as Odd Future and often abbreviated as OF, was an American hip-hop music collective formed in Los Angeles County, California in 2007. The original members were Tyler, the Creator, Casey Veggies, ...

, Mike G and

Earl Sweatshirt Thebe Neruda Kgositsile (born February 24, 1994), also known by his stage name Earl Sweatshirt, is an American rapper, songwriter, and record producer. Kgositsile was originally known by the moniker Sly Tendencies when he began rapping in 2008, ...

in particular. He is currently signed to

Motown Motown Records is an American record label owned by the Universal Music Group. It was founded by Berry Gordy Jr. as Tamla Records on June 7, 1958, and incorporated as Motown Record Corporation on April 14, 1960. Its name, a portmanteau of ''mot ...

and

Blacksmith Records Blacksmith is a music management company and a record label founded by Harlem born Corey Smyth and Talib Kweli of Black Star. Signees include Jean Grae, Strong Arm Steady, Vince Staples and Idle Warship. Kweli has stated he hopes to sign Camp ...

. Staples rose to prominence with appearances on albums by

members and his collaborative mixtape titled '' Stolen Youth'' with producer

Mac Miller Malcolm James McCormick (January 19, 1992 – September 7, 2018), known professionally as Mac Miller, was an American rapper and record producer. Miller began his career in Pittsburgh's hip hop scene in 2007, at the age of fifteen. In 2010, h ...

. In October 2014, he released his debut EP '' Hell Can Wait'', which included the singles "Hands Up" and "Blue Suede". His debut album, '' Summertime '06'', was released in June 2015 to critical acclaim. He was also featured as a part of the '' XXL'' 2015 Freshman Class. His second album '' Big Fish Theory'', which contains the singles "BagBak", " Big Fish" and "Rain Come Down", incorporates

avant-garde The avant-garde (; In 'advance guard' or ' vanguard', literally 'fore-guard') is a person or work that is experimental, radical, or unorthodox with respect to art, culture, or society.John Picchione, The New Avant-garde in Italy: Theoretical ...

, dance and

electronic Electronic may refer to: *Electronics, the science of how to control electric energy in semiconductor * ''Electronics'' (magazine), a defunct American trade journal *Electronic storage, the storage of data using an electronic device *Electronic co ...

influences. It was released in June 2017 to further acclaim from critics. In November 2018, Staples released his third studio album, ''

FM! ''FM!'' is the third studio album by American rapper Vince Staples, released on November 2, 2018, through Blacksmith Records and Def Jam Recordings. The album is primarily produced by Kenny Beats, with further production by Hagler, Cubeatz and Kil ...

'' In July 2021, he released his self-titled fourth studio album, and '' Ramona Park Broke My Heart'' in April 2022.

Early life and education

Staples was born in

Compton, California Compton is a city in southern Los Angeles County, California, United States, situated south of downtown Los Angeles. Compton is one of the oldest cities in the county and, on May 11, 1888, was the eighth city in Los Angeles County to incorporate ...

, but grew up in North Long Beach, after his mother decided she wanted to move away from Compton due to the high crime rates. Staples is the youngest of five siblings, two brothers and three sisters. Staples grew up in poverty. Staples attended Optimal Christian Academy from 4th to 8th grade, which he said was an influential and positive experience. During high school, Staples's mom sent him to Atlanta to stay with one of his sisters. He attended high school there for six months. After returning to Southern California, Staples attended other high schools: Jordan High School in

Long Beach Long Beach is a city in Los Angeles County, California. It is the 42nd-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 466,742 as of 2020. A charter city, Long Beach is the seventh-most populous city in California. Incorporated ...

, Mayfair High School in

Lakewood Lakewood may refer to: Places Australia * Lakewood, Western Australia, an abandoned town in Western Australia Canada * Lakewood, Edmonton, Alberta * Lakewood Suburban Centre, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan Philippines * Lakewood, Zamboanga del S ...

, Opportunity High School home schooling,

Esperanza High School Esperanza High School (EHS) is a public high school located in Anaheim, California and is part of the Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District. It is a California Distinguished School and is home to various California Interscholastic Fe ...

in Anaheim, and Kennedy High School, among others. Staples has been upfront regarding his involvement with

street gang A gang is a group or society of associates, friends or members of a family with a defined leadership and internal organization that identifies with or claims control over territory in a community and engages, either individually or collective ...

s during his childhood, and is involved with speaking to the youth in his community about the dangers of the gang lifestyle. Growing up, Staples participated in sports when given the opportunity. Most notably, he played in

Snoop Dogg Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr. (born October 20, 1971), known professionally as Snoop Dogg (previously Snoop Doggy Dogg and briefly Snoop Lion), is an American rapper. His fame dates back to 1992 when he featured on Dr. Dre's debut solo single, ...

's Snoop Youth Football League (SYFL). When interviewed by Sean Evans on the

YouTube YouTube is a global online video sharing and social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by Google, and is the second most ...

show '' Hot Ones'', Staples recalled playing against the Carson Colts and Mission Viejo Cowboys who he claimed had "grown-ass men on the field." Staples then went on to state, "Snoop really did it big, we got our names on our jerseys, we had the best cleats, the best helmets, you know Snoop Dogg really loved football."

Career

2009–2013: Beginnings and ''Stolen Youth''

Staples was discovered by Dijon "LaVish" Samo and Chuck Wun, alongside his cousin Campbell Emerson. LaVish took Staples on a trip to Los Angeles, where he befriended the Odd Future collective's members Syd tha Kyd, Mike G, and

. Although he had not intended to become a rapper, he made some

guest appearance In show business, a guest appearance is the participation of an outsider performer (such as a musician or actor) in an event such as a music record or concert, show, etc., when the performer does not belong to the regular band, cast, or other ...

s on their songs, most notably "epaR" from Earl Sweatshirt's March 2010 mixtape ''

Earl Earl () is a rank of the nobility in the United Kingdom. The title originates in the Old English word ''eorl'', meaning "a man of noble birth or rank". The word is cognate with the Scandinavian form '' jarl'', and meant " chieftain", partic ...

''. After featuring on some other tracks, he decided to pursue a career in rap. He released his official debut mixtape, called ''Shyne Coldchain Vol. 1'' on December 30, 2011, via applebird.com. In October 2012, he released a collaborative mixtape with Michael Uzowuru, titled ''Winter in Prague''. It was produced entirely by Uzowuru. In 2012, Earl Sweatshirt returned from Samoa and reconnected with Vince. Earl then introduced him to fellow American rapper

. In June 2013, Miller (under the alias Larry Fisherman) and Staples released a mixtape titled '' Stolen Youth''. The mixtape features guest appearances from Miller, Ab-Soul,

Schoolboy Q Quincy Matthew Hanley (born October 26, 1986), better known by his stage name Schoolboy Q (stylized as ScHoolboy Q), is an American rapper. In 2009, Hanley signed to Carson-based independent record label Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE) and in late ...

, Da$H, Hardo, and Staples's Cutthroat Boyz co-member, Joey Fatts. Following ''Stolen Youth''s release, he toured as a supporting act on Miller's Space Migration Tour. After making three appearances on Earl's debut studio album '' Doris'', including the single " Hive", the

liner notes Liner notes (also sleeve notes or album notes) are the writings found on the record sleeve, sleeves of LP record albums and in booklets that come inserted into the compact disc jewel case or the equivalent packaging for cassettes. Origin Liner n ...

revealed Staples had recently signed to the hip hop record label

Def Jam Recordings Def Jam Recordings (also simply known as Def Jam) is an American multinational record label owned by Universal Music Group. It is based in Manhattan, New York City, specializing predominantly in hip hop, contemporary R&B, soul and pop. The l ...

2014–2015: ''Shyne Coldchain Vol. 2'', ''Hell Can Wait'', and ''Summertime '06''

On March 13, 2014, he released his fourth mixtape, called '' Shyne Coldchain Vol. 2''. The mixtape features the production from Earl Sweatshirt, Michael Uzowuru, Childish Major, No ID,

Evidence Evidence for a proposition is what supports this proposition. It is usually understood as an indication that the supported proposition is true. What role evidence plays and how it is conceived varies from field to field. In epistemology, eviden ...

DJ Babu Chris Oroc a.k.a. Melvin Babu (born September 17, 1974), better known as DJ Babu or DJ Babu the Dilated Junkie, is a Filipino-American DJ and producer. He is a member of the hip hop trio Dilated Peoples, with Rakaa Iriscience and Evidence and ...

, and Scoop DeVille; as well as guest appearances from singer-songwriters

Jhené Aiko Jhené Aiko Efuru Chilombo (; born March 16, 1988) is an American singer who embarked on her music career contributing vocals and appearing in several music videos for R&B group B2K. In an effort to promote Aiko and cultivate a following for h ...

and James Fauntleroy. On March 2, 2014, Staples began touring in the United States with a fellow American rappers

and

Isaiah Rashad Isaiah Rashad Joel McClain (born May 16, 1991), is an American rapper. His first big break was performing on the 2012 Smoker's Club Tour with rappers Juicy J, Joey Badass and Smoke DZA among others. He is a founding member of the Chattanooga hip ...

on the ''Oxymoron World Tour'', to support the release of Schoolboy Q's album ''

Oxymoron An oxymoron (usual plural oxymorons, more rarely oxymora) is a figure of speech that juxtaposes concepts with opposing meanings within a word or phrase that creates an ostensible self-contradiction. An oxymoron can be used as a rhetorical dev ...

''. On August 15, 2014, Staples released a

music video A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing devi ...

for "Blue Suede". The track was also made available on iTunes. On September 9, 2014, Vince released another new song titled "Hands Up" via iTunes. He released the EP '' Hell Can Wait'' on October 7, 2014. Prior to the EP's release Staples revealed during an interview with

XXL Magazine ''XXL'' is an American hip hop magazine, published by Townsquare Media, founded in 1997. History In August 1997, Harris Publications released the first issue of ''XXL''. It featured rappers Jay-Z and Master P on a double cover. In December ...

that it would include

s from

A$ton Matthews Matthew Lopez (born October 30, 1989), known professionally as Aston Matthews (stylized as A$ton Matthews), is a Guatemalan-American rapper from Los Angeles, California. In 2014, he began to gain recognition following the release of his second ...

and

Teyana Taylor Teyana Me Shay Jacqueli Shumpert ( Taylor; born December 10, 1990) is an American singer, actress, dancer and choreographer. In 2005, she signed a record deal with Pharrell Williams' Star Trak Entertainment imprint. Afterwards, she choreographe ...

, along with productions from No I.D., Infamous, and Hagler. On May 4, 2015, Staples released the first single from his debut album, called "Señorita". He later announced it that his debut studio album would be titled '' Summertime '06''., In June 2015, Staples was named as one of the ten rappers of '' XXLs "2015 Freshman Class", and was featured on the cover alongside fellow up-and-coming rappers Dej Loaf,

Fetty Wap Willie Junior Maxwell II (born June 7, 1991), better known by his stage names Fetty Wap or Harlem Fetty, is an American rapper, singer and songwriter. He rose to prominence after his debut single "Trap Queen" reached number two on the U.S. ''Bi ...

, GoldLink,

K Camp Kristopher Thomas Campbell (born April 27, 1990), better known by his stage name K Camp (stylized as K CAMP), is an American rapper from Atlanta, Georgia. He is signed with Interscope Records and released his debut EP ''In Due Time'' in 2014. He ...

OG Maco Benedict Chiajulam Ihesiba Jr. (born April 23, 1992), better known by his stage name OG Maco, is an American rapper from College Park, Georgia. He is perhaps best known for his 2014 debut single " U Guessed It" which peaked at number 90 on the U ...

Raury Raury Deshawn Tullis (born June 10, 1996) is an American singer-songwriter and rapper from Atlanta, Georgia. He is known for his eclectic sound mixing soul, hip hop and folk. He was born and raised in Stone Mountain, Georgia. He was also a member ...

, Shy Glizzy, Tink, and

Kidd Kidd Curtis Stewart (born November 26, 1983), better known by his stage name Kidd Kidd (formerly known as Nutt Da Kidd), is an American rapper from New Orleans, Louisiana. He was one of the first members of Lil Wayne's label imprint, Young Money Enter ...

. On June 15, Staples released the second single from his debut album, "Get Paid" featuring Desi Mo. On June 22, he released the album's third and final single, " Norf Norf". The track reached viral prominence after a video of a mom tearfully complaining about the song became popular on social media. The album was released on June 30, 2015. It received widespread acclaim and debuted at number 39 on the US ''Billboard'' 200.

2016–2017: ''Prima Donna'' and ''Big Fish Theory''

On February 23, 2016, Staples was announced as part of the line up for the 2016 Osheaga Music Festival. On August 25, 2016, Staples released his second EP, the seven-track ''

Prima Donna In opera or commedia dell'arte, a prima donna (; Italian for "first lady"; plural: ''prime donne'') is the leading female singer in the company, the person to whom the prime roles would be given. ''Prime donne'' often had grand off-stage per ...

'', which was accompanied by a short film. On February 3, 2017, Staples released "BagBak", the first single from his next studio album. A remix of the song was later featured in the trailer for the

Marvel Studios Marvel Studios, LLC (originally known as Marvel Films from 1993 to 1996) is an American film and television production company that is a subsidiary of Walt Disney Studios, a division of the Walt Disney Company. Marvel Studios produces the Mar ...

film ''

Black Panther A black panther is the melanistic colour variant of the leopard (''Panthera pardus'') and the jaguar (''Panthera onca''). Black panthers of both species have excess black pigments, but their typical rosettes are also present. They have been ...

''. On March 23, 2017, he was featured on the

Gorillaz Gorillaz are an English virtual band formed in 1998 by musician Damon Albarn and artist Jamie Hewlett, from London. The band primarily consists of four fictional members: 2-D (character), 2-D (Singing, vocals, Musical keyboard, keyboards), Murd ...

track " Ascension" from their album ''

Humanz ''Humanz'' is the fifth studio album by British virtual band Gorillaz. It was released on 28 April 2017 in the United Kingdom by Parlophone and in the United States by Warner Bros. Records. The album was announced on the band's official Insta ...

''. In an interview on

Zane Lowe Alexander Zane Reid Lowe (born 7 August 1973) is a New Zealand radio DJ, live DJ, record producer, and television presenter. After an early career in music creation, production and DJing, he moved to the UK in 1997. He came to prominence thro ...

's show Beats 1, he announced his upcoming album would be called '' Big Fish Theory'' and released an accompanying single, "Big Fish", which was followed by the album's third single, "Rain Come Down" on June 8, 2017, featuring

Ty Dolla Sign Tyrone William Griffin Jr. (born April 13, 1982), known professionally as Ty Dolla Sign (stylized as Ty Dolla $ign or Ty$), is an American singer, songwriter and record producer. He first gained major recognition in 2010 for his feature on Ameri ...

. The album was released on June 23 and received with widespread critical acclaim. He and rapper

Tyler, the Creator Tyler Gregory Okonma (born March 6, 1991), known professionally as Tyler, the Creator, is an American rapper and record producer. He is one of the founding members of the music collective Odd Future. Okonma self-released his debut mixtape ' ...

announced on November 15 that they would be doing a tour around North America from January 26 to March 4, 2018. Staples then collaborated with film composer

Hans Zimmer Hans Florian Zimmer (; born 12 September 1957) is a German film score composer and music producer. He has won two Oscars and four Grammys, and has been nominated for two Emmys and a Tony. Zimmer was also named on the list of Top 100 Living ...

on a remix of the

UEFA Champions League Anthem The UEFA Champions League Anthem, officially titled simply "Champions League", is the official anthem of the UEFA Champions League, written by English composer Tony Britten in 1992, and based on George Frideric Handel's '' Zadok the Priest''.

for the ''

FIFA 19 ''FIFA 19'' is a football simulation video game developed by EA Vancouver and released by Electronic Arts on 28 September 2018 for PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and Microsoft Windows. It is the 26th instal ...

'' reveal trailer. On December 15, Staples and celebrated singer and song-writer

Billie Eilish Billie Eilish Pirate Baird O'Connell ( ; born December 18, 2001) is an American singer-songwriter. She first gained public attention in 2015 with her debut single " Ocean Eyes", written and produced by her brother Finneas O'Connell, with who ...

released the single "

&Burn "&Burn" is a song by American singer Billie Eilish and American rapper Vince Staples. It was released for digital download and streaming as a single on December 15, 2017, through Darkroom and Interscope Records, and was later included on a r ...

", which would later appear on the reissue of Eilish's EP '' Don't Smile at Me'' later that month. The song was

certified Certification is the provision by an independent body of written assurance (a certificate) that the product, service or system in question meets specific requirements. It is the formal attestation or confirmation of certain characteristics of a ...

gold in the United States by the

Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/ ...

(RIAA) on April 2, 2020.

2018–present: ''FM!'', ''The Vince Staples Show'', self-titled album and ''Ramona Park Broke My Heart''

In 2018, Staples set up a

GoFundMe GoFundMe is an American for-profit crowdfunding platform that allows people to raise money for events ranging from life events such as celebrations and graduations to challenging circumstances like accidents and illnesses. From 2010 to the ...

page titled "Get the Fuck Off My Dick" seeking $2 million as a response to people criticizing his work; they could pay to have him retire early. However, it was briefly taken down given the low response. The money made from the page was subsequently donated to the Michelle Obama Neighborhood Library in Long Beach. On October 2, Staples released his third studio album ''

''. Produced primarily by Kenny Beats, the album is framed as a radio station takeover, featuring recurring skits hosted by Los Angeles radio host Big Boy. In December 2018, Staples contributed the track "Home" to the Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse soundtrack, which was originally previewed in the movie's trailer in December 2017. In 2019, he released three singles: "So What?", "Sheet Music" and "Ad 01: Hell Bound", with the first two singles released alongside episodes from his YouTube Show ''The Vince Staples Show''. In April 2021, Staples said he was scheduled to release an album in mid-2021, titled '' Vince Staples''. It was eventually released on July 9, to critical acclaim. Staples was also developing a

Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a ...

show. Staples released an album titled '' Ramona Park Broke My Heart'' on

Motown Records Motown Records is an American record label owned by the Universal Music Group. It was founded by Berry Gordy Jr. as Tamla Records on June 7, 1958, and incorporated as Motown Record Corporation on April 14, 1960. Its name, a portmanteau of ''moto ...

on April 8, 2022 to further acclaim.

Other ventures

Corporate sponsorship

Since 2015, Staples has appeared in advertising campaigns for Sprite and promoted the brand through his Twitter feed.

Philanthropy

On June 14, 2016, Staples announced his assistance in a

YMCA YMCA, sometimes regionally called the Y, is a worldwide youth organization based in Geneva, Switzerland, with more than 64 million beneficiaries in 120 countries. It was founded on 6 June 1844 by George Williams (philanthropist), Georg ...

program that will benefit young people in North Long Beach. The Youth Institute would teach graphic design, 3D printing, product design, music production and film making to 20 eighth and ninth graders at Hamilton Middle School. Staples donated an undisclosed amount to the program.

Personal life

Staples has stated that he has never drank alcohol or used illicit drugs, and that he follows a

straight edge Straight edge (sometimes abbreviated sXe or signified by XXX or X) is a subculture of hardcore punk whose adherents refrain from using alcohol, tobacco, and other recreational drugs, in reaction to the excesses of punk subculture. For some, t ...

lifestyle. He is of

African-American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American ...

and Haitian descent and lives in Southern California. Staples is a fan of the

Los Angeles Clippers The Los Angeles Clippers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Clippers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division in the league's Western Conference. The Clipper ...

. He is also an avid fan of modern art and has referenced the feminist French-American sculptor

Louise Bourgeois Louise Joséphine Bourgeois (; 25 December 191131 May 2010) was a French-American artist. Although she is best known for her large-scale sculpture and installation art, Bourgeois was also a prolific painter and printmaker. She explored a varie ...

in his song "Rain Come Down" and stated his appreciation for painter and photographer

Richard Prince Richard Prince (born 1949) is an American painter and photographer. In the mid-1970s, Prince made drawings and painterly collages that he has since disowned. His image, ''Untitled (Cowboy)'', a rephotographing of a photograph by Sam Abell and ...

Discography

* '' Summertime '06'' (2015) * '' Big Fish Theory'' (2017) * ''

'' (2018) * '' Vince Staples'' (2021) * '' Ramona Park Broke My Heart'' (2022)

Concert tours

Headlining

*'' Hell Can Wait'' Tour (2014) *Circa '06 Tour (2015–16) *The Life Aquatic Tour (2016–17) *Smile, You're On Camera (2019)

Supporting

- Space Migration Tour (2013) *

Joey Bada$$ Jo-Vaughn Virginie Scott (born January 20, 1995), known professionally as Joey Badass (stylized as Joey Bada$$), is an American rapper, singer, and actor. A native of Brooklyn, New York City, he is a founding member of the hip-hop collective Pro ...

- B4.DA.$$ Tour (2014) *

A$AP Rocky Rakim Athelaston Mayers (born October 3, 1988), known professionally as ASAP Rocky ( ; stylized as A$AP Rocky), is an American rapper, music producer and record executive. Born and raised in Harlem, he embarked on his musical career as a membe ...

- Rocky and Tyler Tour (2015) *

- Humanz Tour (2017) *Tyler, the Creator - Flower Boy Tour (2018) *

Childish Gambino Donald McKinley Glover Jr. (; born September 25, 1983), also known by his stage name Childish Gambino (), is an American entertainer, writer, director, and producer. After working in Derrick Comedy while studying at New York University, Glov ...

- This Is America Tour (2018) *Tyler, the Creator -

Call Me If You Get Lost ''Call Me If You Get Lost'' is the sixth studio album by American rapper and producer Tyler, the Creator. The album was released on June 25, 2021, through Columbia Records. The album is narrated by DJ Drama and features guest appearances from ...

Tour (2022)

Filmography

Awards and nominations

References

External links

*
Vince Staples by Simone White—BOMB Magazine
{{DEFAULTSORT:Staples, Vince 1993 births Living people 21st-century American male musicians 21st-century American rappers African-American male rappers Alternative hip hop musicians American rappers of Haitian descent Crips Gangsta rappers Musicians from Long Beach, California Rappers from Los Angeles West Coast hip hop musicians 21st-century African-American musicians