“How do you convince yourself that it’s ok to live in poverty?”:- that quote is as powerful as it gets.

Vince Staples is the funniest and most honest voice in hip hop imo, he could be Kendrick big but he chooses his level of fame and involvement within hip hop. Dude is one of a kind.

People like Vince don’t want you to idolise him, only wants you to do you.

"Summertime, '06" was Vince at his most seemingly nihilistic, but "Ramona Park Broke My Heart" kinda shows that was a facade.. a mask to disguise the hidden pain and tears of a "Stolen Youth." It's warm and nostalgic. Vince is definitely cynical, but he has a moral center. A drill rapper, he is not.

Vince is like the intelligence and black understanding of Huey mixed with the humor and bravado of Riley from the Boondocks. He’s essentially like both of their best traits molded into one dude.

Powerful. I feel like people won't truly appreciate his voice until he's gone . Mfs be addicted to a death culture unfortunately.

I hate fake rap. Drake talking about bullets, gang members talking about club life or bitches. Depressed dudes tryna sound happy, happy tryna sound depressed. Vince’s music is honest and direct, and I love how music changes with the artist.

Being from Norfside Long Beach I went to Jordan high school and I used to battle rap at Houghton Park and skateboard. He sound EXACTLY like most dudes from L.A. grow up. Rather they are from Watts, Compton, Or Long Beach. Most dudes are just regular guys who get caught up in Gang life style. For me my whole family is from Grape street. But I don't gang bang, But you cant tell my homies that. Everything this dude raps I relate to in every aspect. And shout out to Vince for being successful and from Norfside for real because it is not many who have this platform from that area on Artesia and Atlantic Blvd. specifically.

“I don’t give a fuck what your going threw, what you gotta do… I need bars sixteen of em.”-Vince Staples

I know Vince will have a longstanding career in many different mediums but Vince has one of the most dynamic discographies in hip hop and I just know it won’t be appreciated until much later.

Man I can relate. I tell my wife I had a good two three-year run of fighting everyday. You be tired. Tired of looking behind you. Physically tired from fighting. Mentally exhausted from always being in survival mode, or even a defensive mode.

What immediately drew me in to Vinces music was his way of rapping. His lyrics contain things that wider society would consider abhorrent but he says it all so matter of factly. Really gives insight about the experiences he's had growing up.

And the unfortunate truth is, what Vince speaks about isn't even a solely unique experience onto himself, his songs are a reality for many, MANY black people all over the country. Some people wonder why he and so many other people who had similar upbringings have this "it is what it is" attitude to life, but if you had to experience the reality of gang violence and poverty from a young age, you would be the same. You don't have to like it, but that IS the reality. It IS what it is, whether or not we want it to be. Great video man.

Vince is a great actor, him and Zack Fox are hilarious in Abbot. I can't wait for his new Netflix show he produced.

He deserves a forehead kiss. All these rappers all these children. Their lives really have become entertainment. Entertainment a good chunk of the population are unwilling to change. But with that being said, if you got to move. If you got to cut off everything you knew before just so you can keep your mental health and connection with God. Just so you can have peace so be it.

“We just have to know more about each other before we speak on each other”

That was beautifully done. Thank you for no gimmicks and a relaxed journey through the topic.

Vince is such a talented person. His pen game is as nice as virtually anyone. Since DOOM is gone now Vince might be “your favorite rapper’s favorite rapper”.

I think Vince’s best example of this artistically, was his album big fish. That self titled track off the album had so many great metaphors about being a big fish in a little pond. Both a braggadocios and humble statement. And he finally gave us “crabs in a bucket” another great metaphor he’s referenced a few times before. Seniorita also really spoke on what he was saying as far as “ what’s an action movie without an explosion?”

wow great video. i love vince staples. so real, so funny, and his music and lyrics are real.

I love Vince for how he's able to accurately depict the mindset and struggles of someone within his lifestyle while remaining human. The way he balances becoming part of the danger while reminding you his reality is fucked up is brilliant to say the least. He's one of the only artists whose work I see as accurate, not only to the greater picture but to himself and what he seems to have been through

Theres a this clip is when he said that people dont gove gifts to be kind, they do it just to please their own egos. Look at how they react when they give you something. Mind blown!🤯🤯🤯🤯

Most of us that are from Southern Cali zip codes know exactly how easy it is to conform to the environment for protection or doing whatever we gotta do to escape those circumstances. Excellent vid 🏆

Vince really the shikamaru of rap😭🙏🏽

This was masterfully crafted! Had my attention every second, even replayed it! Thank you for this

Dog, this was a seriously well edited, researched, and narrated video!! Thank you!!

Damn this is a high quality video essay. You deserve 100x more subs

I wasn’t ashamed being from the ghetto and I didn’t make it my personality, I believe my mother raised me right in standing up for others and being happy with what you got

Some people find inspiration in the flashy look at me shit but Vince has always inspired me bc he just wants to stay out the way, live a relatively normal life, and take care of his people. That’s something realistic that everyone can relate to. Vince has been one of my favorite rappers since I was a freshman in high school. I’m 25 now and I still find inspiration in the profound things he says in his lyrics and interviews. My favorite is the NPR mic check interview he did with Earl in 2015.

I wish so many people didnt miss the purpose of this video. It’s great y’all are complementing him. But a ton of ppl see trauma from communities and almost treat it like a movie. Once the show is over they get to leave, live, and continue their lives. While it’s real day to day life for others. Then you ask those people what type of humanity is that…

This was such an amazing video, I look forward to watching all your other ones!

If Vince dropped an hour long interview or an hour long album.....I'm copping the interview. I say that as a person who still buys music and enjoy Vince's music. Music limits his expression. I wish he had a producer he could work with to craft one single body of work that best captured his mind and then he can move on to the bigger work he's here to do. in my opinion. He's as eloquent and potent and poignant as Pac and Nip. That's good bad company. Get him out of LA and out of Hip Hop and somewhere else where he can keep impacting the world.

Well made video. Thank you! I've always loved Vince and his music and this compilation and story telling was excellent.

I remember my English professor a white dude from North Carolina put me onto Vince Staples and man dude can really spit

Vince represents the fact that no matter who you are in whatever circumstances at the time, there's always basic human needs, insecurities, and interest that influence our decisions. He's an anthropologist analyzing his own childhood as if it was a science experiment. His lyrics are filled with theories, observations, and contradictions of the human experience. It's ashame more people aren't acknowledging his genius. Especially other kids going through the exact same things.

Great video! I look forward to seeing your future videos!

What a great video! Thank you for sharing this!

Consistent with his words and hides NOTHING from the masses. This is why I fw Vince Staples.

This was spot on. Excellent work! You highlighted everything that drew me to him as an artist, and that makes him important as a voice in the culture

Vince Staples is definitely at the extreme end of a definition of a "REAL ONE" in this genre

Man, this is so well made, I really enjoyed this.

I enjoyed this video! Great work, love the writing and editing

Amazing work with this video. I have a greater understanding and appreciation for staples ✊🏾

im so happy to watch this video. ive always had a mixed feeling about rap going all the way back to biggie/tupac. i love that black artists get to tell their story and talk about these real things that happened in their community. its real, its raw and its needed. but additionally i noticed post 2000s as rap and hip hop really became mainstream, the media curators of rap always wantef to glamorize these unspeakable hardships, they claim that it is necessary to be legitimate as an artist and on top of it create a cycle of inspiring young children not to make art but to perpetuate the cycle of violence because its marked as a necessary backround check to make this form of art... glamorizing it even. just how hard drugs are being used to escape the crushing hardship when picking up and moving out isnt a viable option, in the case of purple haze and lean; young kids are treating it like a background check and some of these aspiring artists are dyinging young to sell and commodify their trauma. theres even been the rise of these white upperclass soundcloud rappers who lived perfectly good and well off childhoods who then attempt to almost parody and act like these impoverished hardships are just a selectable character traits that they can pluck out of inner city culture and mime/clown for profit. and im not sure whats worse; those who went through it and are treating it like some great thing that made them better despite the friends who didnt make it, who dont get to lyricize their side, seemingly forgotton. to "flex" the life that took so much... or the pantomime of artist who have never lived that experience and their parroted promotion of its themes are a faulty and offensively warped characterization of what they "think" living that life entails.... and how both cases are selling it with half truths.

On my short list for video of the year. Great work

Excellent. Thanks for making this.

Last line was so powerful. Thank you, it’s a privilege to hear your prose

good video, put a lot of ideas on paper that resonated and connected. keep doing u, great work.

Absolutely loved this video, bro. Keep up the good work 👍👍👍

This video was so beautiful man. Keep it going

Great video. I respect the hard work you put in to create this

We need more rappers like him 💗💗🙏🏽 I really love his music and personality! Great video!!

This is a great video, need more like this

Dope channel bro🔥 keep giving us great content 🙌🏾

Beautiful video man, I love it.

Great video! Love Vince and this was the deepest dive that I've seen into his art, upbringing and outlook on life I actually rewatched the whole video after finishing it the first time!

Dope ass video. You managed to delve even deeper into the mind of an already profound Vince Staples. Got my sub.

I remember in the XXL cypher I didn’t know him and his part made me a fan instantly especially when he was talking bout his homie and said “and Jesus couldn’t save him so I barley believe” sadly relatable

U did a great job with this short doc… I subbed in and hope for more greatness from you!!!

FM was a great expression of this premise. Yeah, you white kids in the burbs hear the bangers and the flows and the hooks. But when things actually get real? When people actually start tweaking? You turn the dial. You switch stations. It's done before you even realize it. The trauma, the pain, the folks he's lost, and the broken systems that either caused, don't care about, or actively exploit this situation, all of it is always in the frame, but never actually in the framing. Very key distinction. Excellent video, my dude.

Bow this is what i need more of stuff like this gives me hope

Thought provoking, and well made. Thank you for this

Well done! Great video

Amazingly insightful essay. Thank you for making this.

This is a great compilation.

Great analysis, top notch quality.

broooooo, thank god I was able to witness this. The video is amazing

dope video bro, i appreciate the effort you put into this

Dope content keep it happening🙏

The hypnotized instrumental had me dying man. Indepth vocabulary and elaborations with "booty keep bumping, bouncing up n down repeating in my head. lol

Heat. Great analysis, keep it up

Very inspirational piece Thank you

Never disappoints 🔥

I was already a VS fan but this video has made an impact on my mental. I always knew he rap different but I didn’t draw the complete conclusion. The way he thinks should b studied socially, by everyone jus for them to see it jus because u see and b immersed n a world doesn’t mean u can’t grow out of it n take as many people as you can with you to a better place. Shout to da boi, Vince Staples

Keep it going, much love ❤️

Vince is a legend and the world will see it soon…he never cap to his supporters

Great video well put together 💯

this is great - very well done!

Amazing video man

Summer Wars logo goes crazy. Great video man

you did an awesome job editing this video

Great video, you got me so hypnotized

Glad this video was created. Thanks man

i love your analysis. Great explanation too. Props

Amazing Essay! Ty for this...

Great video bro

Great video, you have me looking at rap in a different way

I stumbled upon "Are You With That" in a random spotify shuffle a couple years ago which was the first time I ever hear about Vince Staples and it was the very first time that I gain as much interest in an Artist that I came across randomly, and he's been consistently on the top 3 Artists that I listen to the most ever since, something about his songs feels really reliable in a way that I have a hard time describing. Recently I had the chance to get a ticket to his current tour which got me digging further into the picture he's painting and let's just say that I feel prouder for enjoying him as much as I do the more I dig and you really pushed the extent to which that goes with this video.

very well put together video

great edit!

Thank you for this. Hip hop will never die lets change it for good one love

Fiq sent me. Did not disappoint. Great work man!

Great vid, very well made

Just found your channel. Definitely subscribing this was a very interesting story of a young 👑

I have a heart full of love for vince. I'm thankful for the influence he chose to be.

Instant subscription. Going through your back catalog now.

How the hell does this channel have so little subs, when this mindless garbage today is just slaying? Dude, please keep this up. This is art; this is beautiful. Well done, my brother.

Keep ya'head up Keep putting in the work you gotit

Dope ass content , definitely love the insight into Vince as the artist and man.

Enjoyed your video great work 👍