Vince Staples

Tight rap.  I'd never heard of the dude until just now, but I'm liking what I hear quite a bit. His Spotify bio says that he is part of the group "Cutthroat Boyz," which I've also never heard of, but then goes on to say he's been on Odd Future-related projects as well.  Which would tend to lead me away from him, but I can't deny the fact that his beats and style are solid.

Staples has two albums available on Spotify, 2014's Hell Can Wait and 2015's double album Summertime '06.  Summertime appears to be a biographical album of sorts, kind of like the Good Kid Mad City-type stories of gang-banging and life getting by in the 'hood.  According to Wikipedia, Staples is actually a Crip (a Naughty Nasty Gangsta Crip).  So, make sure to wear the right colors this year at ACL, or at least avoid the Bud Light Lime-a-Rita Stage when Staples is playing.

His most-listened-to song on Spotify is "Blue Suede," from that 2014 EP, with almost 3 million spins.

When that beats kicks in, right the hell on.  That is going to freaking crush at the festival in the fall.  I can just imagine my pearl snaps rattling to that bass.  Unlike many of the other people I've been reviewing, his YouTube count is significantly higher than his Spotify count, which is interesting. Austin watches the 43rd most, just ahead of Ho Chi Min City. Seriously.

"Senorita" from that new album, with just under 2 million listens, is the most popular from the new disc.

2.6 million spins on YouTube though.  Crazy video.  But the beat that literally had me looking up from my work to figure out what was going on was "Blue Suede."  "Loca" is pretty salty as well, and I also dig the hook in "Norf Norf" of "I ain't never ran from nothin' but the police."  Cool, glitchy, bouncing beat and delivery of the rap.  I dig what the guy has going on and may just find him to watch the show in October.