VINCE STAPLES

Vince Staples, born Vincent Jamal Staples on July 2, 1993, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and actor. He gained recognition through collaborations with members and affiliates of Odd Future, including Earl Sweatshirt's albums Earl (2010) and Doris (2013), Mike G.'s Ali (2010), and The Jet Age of Tomorrow's Journey to the 5th Echelon (2010). Staples signed with Talib Kweli's Blacksmith Records before releasing a collaborative mixtape with Mac Miller titled Stolen Youth in 2013. In 2014, he signed with No I.D.'s ARTium Recordings, an imprint of Def Jam Recordings, and released his debut extended play, Hell Can Wait, which received critical acclaim and entered the Billboard 200 chart. His debut studio album, Summertime '06, was released in 2015 and included the single Norf Norf, which was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. Staples followed with the albums Big Fish Theory (2017), FM! (2018), Vince Staples (2021), and Ramona Park Broke My Heart (2022). His sixth album, Dark Times, released in 2024, was his final project with Def Jam. His music is characterized as West Coast hip-hop, often featuring conscious themes and incorporating experimental production elements influenced by avant-garde, dance, and electronic music.