“Dark Times” – Vince Staples

Album: Dark Times

Artist: Vince Staples

Year: 2024

Genre: Conscious Hip Hop, West Coast Hip Hop

Grade: A-

The older Vince Staples gets, the wiser he becomes. At the ripe age of 30, six albums into his career, Dark Times is perhaps his most reflective statement yet, with candid ruminations on race, relationships and the inevitable passing of time. As heavy as the themes might be, Dark Times is a beautifully laidback listen. Staples is busy “finding beauty in the darkness like Rembrandt,” which is one of my favorite rap lyrics in recent years.

The Long Beach rapper is perfectly at ease with his sound, no longer concerned with pushing musical boundaries like he was on his first two albums (Summertime ’06 and Big Fish Theory). And even though Dark Times isn’t as ambitious as those two classics, it’s still full of lyrical and musical invention. His rhythmic, laconic flow is matched by the percussive, slightly psychedelic beats, which sit comfortably between artsy alternative and thumping West Coast. These aren’t club bangers; these are contemplative late-night jams, with the occasional ambient jazz interlude to slow things down even further.

Staples’ raps are notable for their nonchalant terseness, and at 13 songs in 35 minutes, he continues his streak of conversational consistency. He has yet to release a bad album. Dark Times is one of his best.

NOTES & CHORDS

• The production is soulful and slightly left-field yet easily digestible. It reminds me of Kendrick Lamar’s DAMN: filled with sonic detail but not vying for any grand statements. That’s why Staples is still one of our greatest and steadiest rappers — his stories aren’t meant to influence; they simply exist, and that’s enough.

• I’ve always loved electric guitars in hip hop, and so it’s no surprise that songs like “Government Cheese” and “Shame on the Devil” are among my favorites.

• More DAMN comparisons: “Shame on the Devil” sounds greatly inspired by Lamar’s “PRIDE.”

• The atmospheric percussive beat in “Freeman” reminds me of Danny Brown’s “From the Ground.”

• “Label tryna give me feedback, told me bring the streets back/Fans said they 2015 Vince/Dropped Big Fish, cuh been weak since.” Don’t expect experimental Vince Staples to come back anytime soon, but rhythmic bars like that are more than enough.

• Staples has always had a knack for catchy, half-sung choruses. “Black&Blue,” “Étouffée,” “Nothing Matters” and “Little Homies” are all centered around some of his greatest lackadaisical melodies.

• Bookending the album with philosophical field recordings over synthesized ambient jazz is a profoundly ambiguous way to structure Dark Times, and the circular nature of the record makes this one of his most addictive listens.

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