Vince Staples, a 21-year-old Long Beach native, tells stories of his youth as a gangbanger and his escape into music in his debut album Summertime ‘06.
Vince Staples has been busy these last five years.
Since his first extended play, Shyne Coldchain Vol. 1, was released he’s performed with artists like Mac Miller and Common, played at SXSW and placed in XXL Magazine’s 2015 freshmen class.
And that was all before he even released a full album.
Staples’ debut album, Summertime ’06, details a period in Staples’ life when it was “the beginning of the end” of everything he thought he knew.
Like his previous tracks, the 20 songs in these two CDs detail the rapper’s life as a gangbanger in southern California. The sound of a gunshot, which represents the moment that changed his view on the world, separates the album with his first describing his increasing involvement in gang activity, and the second half describing him trying to escape it.
The album is definitely a departure from his previous extended plays, with a more serious and pessimistic tone, which might turn off some fans. As heartfelt as his stories are, Staples wants to remind listeners that they “might not make sense but that's because none of it does.”
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The 30-second opening track, “Ramona Park Legend Pt. 1,” starts with sounds of the beach and ends with a gunshot.
“Norf Norf” deals with Staples’ life as a gangbanger. The chorus is catchy enough to be shouted at a concert, and the verses transition well between each other.
“Birds and Bees” describes the artist’s family involvement in gang activities and the extremes families like his took for financial security. The tone of the lyrics and the melody seem pessimistic, which Staples probably does to illustrate the lack of opportunity he faced growing up and how the hardships he faced shaped the methods he took to survive.
“Loca” steps away from the violence of gang life, and takes a look at Staples’ relationships, where he wants to relax and be himself. The melody is a bit more aggressive toward the middle of the song, but it’s nice to see a break in the harsh tone and see the softer side of Staples, which is seldom done in rap. Sadly, the paranoia from gang life is evident in his love life, as illustrated with lyrics that ask if someone would die for him or lie in a courtroom for him. It then ends with his girlfriend telling him to get his act together in Spanish.
Continuing with the theme of relationships, “Lemme Know” describes Staples’ perfect relationship with a woman, and although there are problems, he wants to stay with her — but only for the sex. Like the track before, it’s nice to see a more vulnerable side of Staples, even if it’s something that will antagonize listeners. The soft beats and smooth melody also play well with the tone of the lyrics.
In “Dopeman,” he explains how drug addiction, like fear or violence, is a method used to control people in Long Beach. The double-track vocals, arioso whispers and spoken word in the middle of track create a paranoid feeling, which is great when trying to make the listener feel under the influence.
A mix of West Coast styles and Atlanta artist Future’s hook, “Senorita,” shows Staples’ sociopathic side with a tropical 808 drum machine in the background that feels a little out of place with the lyrics. The lead single off the album gives listeners a glimpse into the dystopia that is Staples’ childhood.
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The tone of the album changes from a gangster rap to soft-rock with “Summertime,” the final track on the first of the album’s two CDs. Contrasting with the rest of the first CD, the artist is optimistic about his relationship with his girlfriend, which helps him cope with the harsh reality he lives in, with pressure from institutional and societal racism. The last lines, “Don't leave me alone in this cruel, cruel world” provide a great ending to the first CD. It is one of the better songs on the album.
The second disc starts with a gunshot in “Ramona Park Legend Pt. 2.” The song is about glorification of gang culture in his community. In “3230,” which is the address of the house he lived in, Staples describes a day in his life of “thuggin’.” He also describes how pressures from police raids and snitches resulted in the death of his brother, which he attributes to “the price of bangin’.” The casual manner in which he explains his brother’s death shows that he’s probably desensitized to this type of environment and wants to escape it.
“Surf” is backed by a techno beat, where Staples reveals how one of his friends was killed during the summer of 2006, and explains that cycle of gang violence that youth should avoid. Here, the artist is maturing from the first CD by trying to move on from his past. The muffled melody with hints of erie guitar plucking helps convey the dubious environment Staples is treading into.
Haneef Talib performs a spoken word track in “Might Be Wrong,” where he talks about the killing of black men, such as Trayvon Martin and Eric Garner, as well as police brutality in the black community. Many are denied justice, as iterated in the chorus, “We might be wrong / might be guilty / We might be right this time.” The autotuned chorus seems a bit too gospel, which clashes with the digital voice recordings in the verses.
With a soft drum track in the background, the album’s second single, “Get Paid,” features fellow Long Beach artist Desi Mo. Staples and Mo explain how joining gangs was the best way to make money, but it wasn’t a nine-to-five job, because gangbangers are “On the block all night.” Similar to earlier in the album with “Birds and Bees,” money is the ultimate goal in Staples’ mind, and he even claims it controls people in a Matrix-like world. The duet is performed extremely well, with Mo proving to be a good hype man and rapper when needed.
“Street Punks” follows the theme of the glorification of gang life and acting tough set in “Ramona Park Legend Pt. 2,” and “Birds and Bees.” The verses mix well with a subpar chorus, but the phaser that’s present throughout seems half-done.
A$ton Matthews contributes to “Hang n’ Bang,” in which Staples and Matthews talk about growing up in a gang, and how they were geared toward violence with the availability of guns in their youth. This is continuing Staples’ acknowledgement of factors that lead to his gangbanging lifestyle. The chorus seems typical of a rap song, and Matthews doesn’t make the song more pleasing. This track is one of the more weaker in the album.
“C.N.B.” expands on the societal issues facing the black community, such as gentrification and institutionalized racism. The piano and drum beats are well done, and the backing vocals give off a ghoulish vibe, which emphasizes Staples’ feeling of being black.
“Like It Is” is probably one of the more heartfelt songs on the album. It sums up the album’s themes about police brutality, relationships and dreams of making it out of Long Beach. It also ties back to “Lift Me Up,”one of the first songs on the first CD, with its mention of the afterlife: “Been stackin' money and problems as I wait for the rapture/ Death never been no threat, I be chillin', relaxin'.” The background music seems too distracting with a convolution of instrumentation, but nevertheless, the spoken word verses make up for it.
The album ends with “’06”, where it suggests that this album is just an episode of Staples’ life. The static at the end is abrupt, leaving the listener eager for what’s next. These last 48 seconds provide a great ending for Staples’ first album.
Summertime ’06 gives the chilling reality of Staples’ childhood. The musician’s stories of love, lost, hope and hate mixed in with soft melodies and tough beats. Staples might not have the flashiness of Kanye or technique of Eminem, but his album provides a snapshot of the current socio-economic realities of the black community, which delivers a bigger message than any other melody could.
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