Photo credit: Getty Images for Netflix
Vince Staples’ new show, “The Vince Staples Show” premiered on Netflix this week, and the 30-year-old rapper and actor wants viewers to know they can expect to see something new, yet familiar.
Staples, Ian Edelman and Maurice Williams serve as creators and executive producers on the project, and additional executive producers include Kenya Barris, Corey Smyth and William Stefan Smith.
Recurring cast members of the series include Vanessa Bell Calloway and Andrea Ellsworth, with guest stars Naté Jones, Arturo Castro, Scott MacArthur, Bryan Greenberg and Myles Bullock.
Staples expressed much excitement around finally bringing the eponymous series to fruition.
“Who’s Vince Staples? Well that’s a tricky question. He’s kind of famous, but he’s not. He’s kind of rich, but he’s not. He’s also kind of a criminal. But he’s…not? Follow him on his daily adventures, where anything that can go wrong usually does.”
AllHipHop’s Rea Davis spoke with Vince Staples about what viewers can expect from the show, handling adversity on and off screen, advice for up-and-coming rappers and more.
AllHipHop: What can viewers expect from “The Vince Staples Show?”
Vince Staples: I think you can expect something new. A new experience; a lot of commentary on things we probably all deal with. You know, it’s not out of anyone’s reach. It’s just the human experience, what it’s like to be, you know, just alive. What it’s like to have family. What it’s like to have friends. What’s it’s like to kind of be between a rock and a hard place, and just trying to get through a day, which we all can experience. I don’t think that “The Vince Staples Show” is out of anybody’s reach. It’s like we’re dealing with issues that people deal with everyday. Just trying to get through a day can be a lot for a lot of people, so this is just our take on that. It’s a day in the life and different things that life can throw your way and how you try to navigate those things.
AllHipHop: I feel like with your personality, you’re the perfect person to bring tales of satire to life, so how did the idea come about?
Vince Staples: It’s just been an idea that we’ve had for a long time. 2015/2016, it was just a small idea that we took some meetings on. Kinda had to work through, and then we eventually got the opportunity to do it through Kenya’s production company with Netflix, and then COVID hit. After COVID, we picked up, and so I’m very grateful to be able to do that. Around that time, a lot of stuff ended up getting the can, so just being able to get a date and things of that nature, I’m very happy with. But yeah, it was just a small idea that we tried to bring to fruition, and here we are.
AllHipHop: It seems like things often go left in life and in the show. So, how do you handle adversity in the show, and how do you handle adversity in real life?
Vince Staples: I think pretty much the same way. Just take it on the chin, and just try to find kinda where you fit, and try to find a happy medium. I’m a pretty easy going person contrary to popular belief, so I feel like a lot of times I end up in unique situations. You just gotta know that it’s all a part of life. I think with me, I just try to understand where everybody’s coming from, and just try to make sure everybody gets home feeling like they did whatever they could to have the best day possible.
AllHipHop: I saw Rick Ross makes a cameo. Should we expect any other celebrity cameos in it?
Vince Staples: I mean maybe, maybe not. We’ll know. We’re on the first season, so we gonna try to get many, many more people to be involved with this show. We got some really, really good people and some really distinguished actors. Some landmarks; we got some stuff.
AllHipHop: As you’re still a rapper in this series, what advice would you give up-and-coming rappers?
Vince Staples: I mean make whatever you want to make. Make sure that anything you create is important to you. Be financially responsible. Be content with your life, and the things you put out into the world. That’s pretty much it.
AllHipHop: What’s next for you?
Vince Staples: After releasing this show, see how people feel. Just a lot more creativity, a lot more music, a lot more film and television stuff, you know and trying to live as peaceful and as positive of a life as possible. That’s kind of where I’m at right now.