I like this kid ... a lot. I think he's smart and witty and has a lot to say in his music and interviews. The musicality (that a word?) isn't 100% my flavor, but when I strip it down to content/lyrics, that locks me back in. The inspiration for Vince Staples' "Hell Can Wait" is said to be the summer between his 9th and 10th grade, which gives me a sense of nostalgia in my own way. Diggin' into the lyrics reveals the depth of his project, for example, on "65 Hunnid," Vince says, "You alone, car full of n!ggas but you alone / It's time to show how much you love your homies / One n!gga outside, two niggas up inside the store / One n!gga gon' die, the other two can come along ... Don't stop 'til he drop, don't shoot for the skies or shoot for his toes / I told you before that n!ggas gotta die for this shit to survive / Is you with it or not? Get to knockin' then ... Common sense missin' from your head when the pressure on..." That's real heavy. Combined with the artwork, you can piece together the storyline of "Hell Can Wait." It should be no surprise then that navigating the rap game is easy work for the cerebral MC from the West. Beyond that, I pray he navigates life as well as he does the music game, and that he has a bright future ahead of him. A sentiment that echoes with Nipsey Hussle, who I also respect and admire immensely in and out of music. Listen to the EP below...