Provocative Netflix Series Severely Underrated And Deserves Your Attention
As the hip hop genre continues to dominate the music world, many popular rappers have found creative ways to expand their brand into the realm of film and television. Rappers such as Ice Cube, Snoop Dogg, and Eminem have bolstered films of their own, both autobiographical and wholly fictional, while artists such as Childish Gambino and Lil Dicky have taken their talent to the FX network for shows such as Atlanta and Dave, respectively. One new series, Netflix’s The Vince Staples Show, serves as an awe-inspiring project which puts rapper Vince Staples front and center.
The Vince Staples Show
In The Vince Staples Show, each episode presents a surrealist version of Vince Staples’ everyday life, offering a glimpse into the insanity of growing up on East Side Long Beach, where gang violence coalesces with suburbia. Some episodes see Vince falling victim to a bank robbery while applying for a business loan, while others see his entire family devolve into chaos over a simple offering of mac and cheese. In The Vince Staples Show, anything and everything can go awry at a moments’ notice.
The Creators
The Vince Staples Show was developed for streaming by the eponymous rapper in collaboration with the writing duo of Ian Edelman and Maurice Williams. Edelman and Williams previously helped to adapt Kid Cudi’s animated Netflix adventure Entergalactic for the small screen, proving that the pair have an established history of bringing rappers’ ideas to life. The series was filmed entirely on location in Staples’ real neighborhood of East Side Long Beach, California.
A Rapper And A Funnyman
Vince Staples has long held a reputation for being one of the funniest rappers in the music business, with his candid interviews and podcast guest appearances garnering just as much fandom as his room-shaking music. Over the years, Vince has produced such groundbreaking albums as Ramona Park Broke My Heart, FM!, and Big Fish Theory, though many of his fans have hoped to see him expand into television since he first broke onto the scene. The Vince Staples Show was originally planned as a soft-launch YouTube series, which premiered on Staples’ YouTube channel back in 2019.
The Origins Of The Show
Unfortunately, the original iteration of The Vince Staples Show only ran for 3 very brief episodes, before being unceremoniously discontinued for unknown reasons. Given the timing, many fans assumed the COVID-19 pandemic which mired much of 2020 caused the production to shutter, while others remained optimistic that a major network had picked up the series for streaming. After several years of waiting for updates, it seemed as though there would be no resolution to The Vince Staples Show.
Netflix To The Rescue
That is, until The Vince Staples Show was announced as a full series on Netflix earlier this year. Though the series currently only touts a brief season consisting of 5 half-hour episodes, the production value and scope of the show prove that Vince and his team have been hard at work ensuring quality over quantity.
For those who are fans of Vince Staples’ music, or simply fans of absurdist comedy, The Vince Staples Show is currently available to stream on Netflix. The series has received numerous glowing reviews from critics, though it seems to have completely flown under the radar in the month since it premiered. If you’re looking for something surreal to fill the Atlanta-sized hole in your heart, look no further.
