Vince Staples sixth studio album, and first full-length project since 2018 is a 22-minute self-titled album displaying a much mellower sound than Staples is known for. The album

is a quintessential Vince Staples album, like previous projects there are few features, a short run time, and a noticeable Long Beach influence.

This entire project was produced by Kenny Beats, a rising star in hip-hop production who carried out similar collaborations with Denzel Curry and Rico Nasty. Kenny Beats was also responsible for producing the majority of Staples last album

, which featured a much harder sound than

. In a 2019 episode of Kenny Beats’ YouTube show,

Vince Staples recorded a freestyle accusing Kenny Beats of being a police officer which has snowballed into an ongoing online joke.

Similar to Kenny Beats' aforementioned collaboration with Denzel Curry titled “

this album

features samples of conversations, monologues, and songs that have been distorted. The resemblance between the two projects is uncanny when you compare the LAKEWOOD MALL outro on

and the

intro to Denzel Curry’s

Compared to Staples’ previous albums,

has a far less cluttered sound. Vince Staples' delivery on this new album is much more relaxed than anything we’ve heard from him up to this point.

The only credited feature on

is former The Voice participant, and Harlem based vocalist Fousheé. To some, Fousheé may not be a household name - but Tik Tok launched her song

into the Stratosphere amassing more than 350 million streams on Spotify between the original and the remix. Fousheé sings the hook and outro on

, which is a song about the struggles of relationships, both platonic and romantic.

Vince Staples explained to LA Leakers in an interview that musically he’s moving away from traditional song structure:

This record consists of eight songs and two skits / interludes. None of the eight songs repeat their chorus more than twice.

was the first single released for public consumption in mid-June along with a cinematically styled music video.

is not a traditional single, but then again nothing Vince Staples does is traditional. The music video features beautiful shots of Long Beach and it’s citizens plastered with forced

smiles across their faces. Overall it’s a song about distrust and discontent towards others.

The second music video from this project is for

, the opening track to the album. It’s a song about Vince Staples overcoming his past - “Whenever I miss those days,

Visit my Crips that lay.” The

music video for

is masterfully shot, resembling the styling of Jordan Peele.

is an extremely concise and consistent album. It’s clear why these songs were packaged together, the record flows seamlessly which almost makes it difficult to tell the songs apart.

stands out as the most distinct song on the project, it’s more reminiscent of the early

Vince Staples that listeners may be more accustomed to.

If I had one critique of this album, it would be that there are no standout hits. However Vince Staples is not an artist that relies on hits or radio play,

will be a beloved success for Vince Staples fans - but likely won’t help bolster his profile any further. That criticism aside,

is an impressive piece of art - thematically and sonically it stays on message.

This album feels like a turning point for the already accomplished Staples, it shows a willingness to grow and share more of his personal life. Staples has put North Long Beach on the map; between his constant references to Long Beach cross streets, local landmarks, and the introduction to regional slang.

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articles, as we analyze the hottest new hip-hop.