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This EP was released on August 26th in 2016. I really should have done this review a long time ago. In fact, I’m pretty sure someone requested a review for this project a while ago. I just never got around to it unfortunately. I’m gonna try to catch up on a lot of the shit I missed tho. That’s one of the reasons I finally got around to reviewing Honor Killed The Samurai a few days ago. Anyway, I remember hearing a lot of mixed thoughts about this project. I’m not really sure why. I actually don’t really know anything about this project. There’s only one beat from No I.D., who produced a lot of Vince’s debut album, so this will probably have a pretty different sound. I don’t know. I’m gonna go ahead and listen to it now.

Track 1: Let It Shine

I couldn’t find any production credits for this track in particular, so I’m assuming it’s just a skit or something. It is only 41 seconds after all. Alright, it’s starting now. OH SHIT. Ha. Damn. That scared the fuck outta me. I damn near jumped outta my seat. Vince was singing This Little Light Of Mine with a really weak, faint voice, and then there was a loud ass gunshot sound outta nowhere. He got me. Hahaha. I wonder what percentage of listeners got the shit startled outta them when they heard this track. Haha. That was good. It’s not a song tho, so I’m of course not gonna give it a rating.

Track 2: War Ready (Prod. James Blake)

What the hell? Oh shit. He sampled an Andre 3000 verse. It’s from ATLiens. What the fuck… This is weird as hell. It sounds really bad… I mean, the way the Andre 3000’s verse is incorporated… It doesn’t sound good at all. This beat is kinda weird too. I’m not really feelin’ the hook either. Wow. Oh shit… The beat is actually kinda cool. The first verse was really dope too. “Fought to the death, never gave in / Write that on the grave that I get laid in / Heaven, Hell, free or jail; same shit / County jail bus, slave ship; same shit.” This hook actually doesn’t sound too bad when the beat is further developed like this. Damn. That second verse was dope af too. “They only fucking with the rapper if the rapper rich or got a platinum hit; a chain or two / Seem the music interchangeable.” Nice. I really didn’t think I was gonna end up liking this song, but it’s actually really cool. Well, actually… I still think the way Andre 3000’s verse was incorporated sounds really bad. That honestly kinda ruined the track for me. The hook isn’t that great either. I mean… The hook is alright. I don’t know. That Andre 3000 sample really brought this shit down. I’m probably not gonna listen to this shit again. It’s decent tho. I really liked the verses and the beat was kinda cool. 3/5

Track 3: Smile (Prod. DJ Dahi & John Hill)

I’m not crazy about this beat. The singing on the intro isn’t that good either. I was hoping I wouldn’t hear anymore singing from Vince Staples after that first track… I guess it’s tolerable tho. The first verse was cool. Yeah… Nah… I’m not feelin’ the hook. The electric guitar in this beat is just really annoying to me. Oh shit… Okay… It’s over. He didn’t really rap again. He just repeated a lot of the same words over and then it ended. Nah. Nah, I’m not feelin’ this one. The only thing I really liked about it was the verse at the beginning, and even that wasn’t that great to me. This is wack to me. 2/5

Track 4: Loco Feat. Kilo Kish (Prod. DJ Dahi & John Hill)

Vince starts goin’ in as soon as this track starts. Geez… This is really crazy. The first verse wasn’t bad. The production kinda sounds like some Yeezus shit, except less abrasive. I’m not really feelin’ this hook with Kilo Kish. This is really strange. The second verse was nothing special. Yeah… Nah. This isn’t for me. If you like, Electronic, Yeezusy production, you might like this. The beats on this EP are really weird so far. They aren’t the kinda beats you’d expect Vince to rap over. I usually expect to hear dark, gritty production when I’m listening to Vince Staples. So far I’ve gotten Electronic & Rock beats. This track isn’t very good to me. I like it a little more than the previous track, but I’d still never listen to it again. 3/5

Track 5: Prima Donna Feat. A$AP Rocky (Prod. DJ Dahi)

Oh shit. Okay, this beat is actually pretty dope. I should’ve known DJ Dahi would’ve brought some heat like this. I mean, he DID also produce the previous two tracks, but I’m gonna assume John Hill was responsible for the wackness. It’s still not the typical dark production one would expect from a Vince Staples track, but I fuck with it. The first verse was cool. The hook is weird as fuck, but I fuck with it. I think that’s A$AP Rocky. His vocals have a really weird effect on them. It sounds nice tho. The second verse was dope too. This is easily the best song on the project so far. It kinda sucks that A$AP Rocky just did the hook and a long winded bridge, but I guess he wouldn’t have really fit very well on this track if he spit a verse. I really fuck with this track. It’s dope af. 5/5

Track 6: Pimp Hand (Prod. No I.D.)

This beat is dope af. Vince’s flow is really nice too. The production on this track kinda does sound Electronic, but the bass is strong enough to balance out the more high pitched sounds. The hook is really catchy. Damn. This is even better than the previous track. The second verse was great. This is definitely the catchiest song on the whole project so far. I definitely fuck with this. This is dope af to me. 5/5

Track 7: Big Time (Prod. James Blake)

This beat is weird as hell. It’s REALLY fucking cool tho. The first verse was really dope. The hook’s not that great, but it’s tolerable. Wooah. The way his flow switched up for the second verse was awesome. Vince’s voice can be kind of annoying when he’s yelling like this. It’s not that bad tho. This beat is really strange. It’s dope tho. I would definitely understand if someone said it was annoying. The final verse was really good. I love the way the beat evolves over the course of the song. It sounds really dope during the outro. This is a pretty good track. I actually enjoyed this. I kinda wish the beat was pitched down a little bit, but it’s still a good song to me. I fuck with this. 4/5

Final Thoughts:

Well… That was interesting. I actually enjoyed this EP. It is VERY flawed tho. I definitely admire him trying something new and going for some more experimental production. I’m not really a fan of this Electronic sound tho. The beats were really hit or miss with me. Vince Staples’ rapping was pretty great. I have no complaints from the MC. I just wasn’t crazy about every single beat here. I think this project is worth checking out tho. Just don’t expect the typical dark production that Vince usually rhymes over. I kinda hope his next album doesn’t sound like this. It was cool for a short EP, but this isn’t the sound I want from Vince Staples. My dream Vince Staples project would be a sequel to Stolen Youth. That’s still my favorite project from him to this day. Anyway, this is a dope EP. It’s far from perfect tho.

Favorite Song: Pimp Hand

Least Favorite Song: Smile

Verdict:

73%

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