For people who only know Vince Staples from his Netflix comedy The Vince Staples Show (recently renewed for a second season) there’s more to him than his bone-dry sense of humor. The rapper, actor, and Odd Future crew member has garnered acclaim for his music which tackles social issues with a raw and introspective approach. His sharp social commentary knows no bounds — from critiques of consumer culture, to gang culture, violence, and personal struggles. His work has received Grammy and BET Hip-Hop award nominations.
More: Vince Staples brings his absurdist worldview to Netflix (The Treatment, 2024)
In his Treat, Staples reflects on the ways he connects to his fans and how important it is to understand his demographic. He believes that embracing a simple approach to life and art keeps him grounded, and facilitates his growth as an artist and as a person. Having experiences with his fans outside of conventional settings like concerts or meet-and-greets, he argues, moves him out of his comfort zone and helps him maintain a true understanding of his creativity and the impetus behind it.
This segment has been edited and condensed for clarity.
Throughout my days, I try to keep a relatively simple approach to how I live life, how I view myself and others. And I think leaning on that simplicity has helped me as I've grown as an artist. But it's also helped me understand that growth is impossible throughout the constraints that we have as human beings.
Making sure that I'm the person to take my trash out, do my yard work, greet my neighbor, go to the grocery store, do family things… It's kept me grounded and has allowed me to speak to and meet the people who digest what I create. And it's allowed me to see that they all view it differently. That keeps me from being forced into any kind of parameters that I feel would make me comfortable. That keeps me from, I guess, discounting the audience, keeps me from losing track of what creativity necessarily is.
I feel like the world's greatest kind of trick that they play on artists is separating them from humanity, and from their demographics in the early stages of 'golden eras', so [that is] to say… all media. There wasn't much financial freedom that was gained from the stage. You can feel that in the purity of the art and the purity of the historical outlook that these things have in current time. And I think it's really, really important to remember what we're doing and why we're doing it. And doing it for the reasons that inspired the ones that inspired us. But we will lose these art forms and we will lose ourselves in the process.
Forcing myself to not have social anxiety, forcing myself to have experiences — bookstore, library — meeting people where they are, is really, really important. Say [for example] the only time you run into people is at a Vince Staples show or a meet and greet. Then it's about where you are, not necessarily where they are. You have to know your demographic.
So me being able to find connectivity and find my reflection in the people that support me and support the things that I create is what's been inspiring me lately, and I think it's inspired me my entire career without really knowing, and I'm grateful for it.