Vince Staples Changed Our Lives
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If you’re reading this it’s too late, but Vince Staples came to give a talk at Harvard Tuesday afternoon. The 23 year-old rapper was invited to campus by the Black Men's Forum to give a talk with David Wall Rice, a professor and chair of the Department of Psychology at Morehouse College. Don't fret if you missed it—Flyby was there to cover it for you. Or actually, do fret. You freaking missed Vince Staples.
The Rundown: Wait, what was this?
So the event consisted of two main parts: a conversation between Staples and Rice and a Q&A with the audience. Overall, it was about an hour and a half of everyone in the room realizing that Vince Staples was smarter than them. The majority of the time Vince told his story of growing up in Long Beach, California and what led him to create his art.
Quotables: So what did he say?
Dude is seriously smart. His answers sounded like the perfectly constructed answers you think you’re giving in class, but, for you, it turns out sounding like flowery crap. Peep the examples below:
“They’re not buying music at this point. They’re buying ideas and identities.”
Think about this the next time you say, “Omg. This [insert SUPER generic artist] just gets me, you know.” Also, think about this the next time you’re tryna be fake deep about some lyrics.
“A lot of times we’re running from as we’re running to.”
Staples said this in reference to his choice to actively never forget when he came from. This is the type of stuff that makes you introspective af. And here you are having a Jaden Smith moment. You’re probably gonna use this as an insta caption.
“The hardest thing is getting someone to look themselves in the mirror, to face their own identity.”
Now, listen. Think about your life. Think about all the things you’ve ever said. Do you think that you could ever say something this profound? The answer is no, you couldn’t. And he’s 23. When you’re 23, you can but hope to be a functional alcoholic realizing ~the real world~ can’t support your college drinking habits.
Final Thoughts
Vince Staples is better than you, and us. If you already listen to his music, great. If you don’t, start with “Norf Norf” or “BagBak.” You’re welcome in advance.