Long Beach, California emcee Vince Staples released his debut album, Summertime ’06 in June as a double disc project.
Instead of relying on a popular radio single, Staples is building a name for himself through authenticity. He says the people will make certain songs popular.
“There’s no such thing as a hit,” he says in an interview with Hypetrack. “If that was the case, we’d only be hearing the same songs. It’s something that connects with people, and I can’t really pick what connects with people. I just make songs that I have to make. I should feel like every song should potentially be huge. No one really ever knows what’s going to be big, they just choose songs that are reminiscent of something they once felt. It has to happen to the right person at the right time and situation for it to become a hit, so I don’t really try to focus on singles. I just aim to make the best body of work – no one is talking about the best single from 10 years ago.”
The 22-year-old is mentored by No I.D., who encouraged him to make quality projects instead of a hit single.
“A hit is just something that worked,” the producer says. “Once it works, then everybody calls that a hit and try to make something that sounds like that. It’s like research. It’s not a hit when it didn’t hit. Adele wasn’t the biggest artist in people’s eyes before it worked. Now we have 50 more who try to be that. For me, it’s a connection with the most amount of human beings who are interested. That sometimes can’t be researched because it’s a new thing, and if that’s the case, then it’ll just go in a circle – which happens – but every now and then somebody has to break the cycle in order to make a new direction.”
No I.D. says he likes the Summertime ’06 cut “Jump Off The Roof” because it is evidence of his natural relationship with Staples. The executive vice president of Def Jam says that building rapport with the rapper was more important than feeding him a formula for commercial success.
“That’s one where we did everything at one time,” he says. “It wasn’t an ‘I got this beat that you should do,’ or ‘Let’s start an idea, we’ll finish it later.’ It was more of an ‘I like that, let’s do that’ – a back and forth, collaborative process.”
For additional Vince Staples coverage, watch the following DX Daily:
Productive wise aside, Summertime was setback for Staples as an artist as compared to Hell Can Wait. The former EP was a honest observational expressions from the product of a dysfunctional household, whereas Summertime seems like a forced attempt at sounding “real.” A hit is a hit – Adele was a hit the very second her music was pressed; it was just a matter of worldwide recognition because the exceptional talent was present. Staples doesn’t have a hit, because to date, he hasn’t proven capable of making hit material. When you hear artists talking like he’s doing in this piece, it’s typically indicative of a coping process. When you come-out-the-box on fire the way he did, and then cool off real fast while watching other artist catch fire, it’s not an easy developmental process.
Yall need to check out King Shampz and Azzan on Soundcloud and Datpiff They the Monsters of the EAST!!!
No
everytime this dude talks smh…i swear i wanna stop supporting rap music. you can’t disregard or ignore singles regardless if its a hit or not fetty wap had 5 certified singles on the charts before his album even dropped you can eat off singles smh
Power1911 speaking truth. I had high hopes for homeboy after hearing “hell can wait”. “summertime 06 was gahbage tho” only tracks I kept off there were “3230” and “street punks”. fuck his opinions tho. he mus be hangin wit lord jamar
Power 1911 He could have a hit he’s with Def Jam…. I bet Power 1911 has never experienced fame from art so power 1911 is just making shit up. Get a career mf
Mini Soda Slick can you give him time? you act like he’s washed up. This nigga can still become great and i bet his opinions are more accepted by the general public than yours in weak ass Mini Soda
washed up? I’m jus saying he switched his style up a bit from “stolen youth” up to “summertime”. I’ve been paying attention to his music from the jump so don’t speak on a situation you know nothing about
You may have been listening from the jump but you can’t say his most recent body of work is “gahbage” and say that you “had high hopes” for him and not expect that to be interpreted as “washed up” #MyBad
true. its not complete trash i guess. different topics than you heard on progressive and HCW tho. as far as him talkin shit i just think that he’s on some tyler the creator shit and trying to get a rise out of people. look at when the MN timberwolves coach Flip Saunders died. VS said RIP Flip “The Crip” Saunders lol.
https://hiphopdx.com/news/id.36019/title.vince-staples-9th-wonder-derek-minor-pay-tribute-to-minnestoa-timberwolves-coach-flip-saunders
Them niggas King Shamps and Azzan aren’t bad at rapping they just need to stop biting flows, produce they songs better, and make they bars just a little more slick. I feel like when I listen to them someone is lecturing me. They talk about real shit it’s just not at a professional level. They only had music on there for a year and it sounds like he literally started rapping in 2013. buy hey All Gold Everything was made in 10 months… Get yo trinidad James on nigga lol #SoundCloud
brah all gold sold 500k and were this dude is at now? and that was a single aint no one telling stapes to go make a hit but the advantages of a having a hit single can help this dumb nigga career. t james career was build of all gold and earned like 200k+ royalties of that one song and t james aint even out here doing shows…..I kno yall saw him on vice on the trap Atlanta documentary wit his grill fixed….man some one go tell staples to go a make hit cause when the shows aint coming royalties could be coming in. even corny ass flo-rida albums are GARBAGE but when it comes to the singles no one is touching that dude all his singles are are either 6x platinum or gold nothing less..and vince staples is more talented then flo-rida
Trap Hey sues is a hater. Fetty Wap is a character. People can dress up as this nigga for Halloween and you can’t play his music daily and keep your sanity.
you aint playing his shit daily i aint playing his shit daily…but he got certified platinum and gold singles…do your research. If a single has been certified most out of the times its a hit. i’m using fetty as an example he had 5 fuckin 5! on the billboard charts this whole summer as a new artist too
what staples saying is kinda idiotic to say there no such thing as a hit and no one is talkin bout a single from 10 years ago they play singles in clubs all day i was stadium (Strip club in dc) and other clubs niggas is still bumpin the club, so fresh and so clean, rosa parks, cant nobody hold me down, put your hands were my eyes can see…but what i know im just a hater according to a fuu fuu boi