Vince Staples, one of the hottest names in hip-hop today, will be making a stop at First Avenue on Monday, March 5th for an all ages show. Vince Staples has come a long way from his trying upbringing in Long Beach, California’s Ramona Park neighborhood. Releasing his critically acclaimed debut Summertime ’06 album in 2015, the then twenty-year-old saw his life turned right side up, going from being nearly trapped to having what appeared to be complete freedom.
Yet, as his most recent project, Big Fish Theory, suggests, appearances can be deceiving. The LP delves into the confusion of sudden fame and acclimating to a lifestyle antithetical to the one he’d known in Long Beach – one wrought with gang violence and poverty. It’s a fundamental narrative in hip hop, but rappers have always found a new way to breathe life into it. Staples brings forth a vision that’s brutal, elegant, playful, and despondent in one breath.
Such is the nature of his music, as self and socially aware as it is comical. With Summertime ’06, Prima Donna, and Big Fish Theory behind him, Staples has set the tone for what’s yet to come. A standout rapper in today’s hip hop world, he keeps his sound deeply tied to his west coast roots and his message one that knows no boundaries. In a world of full of painful departures, his art gives listeners reason to believe that, somehow, as he advances, the people who have left him and the people who he’s left behind will still be waiting for him at the end.
No openers have been announced but with a thriving local rap/ hip-hop scene I think it’s safe to assume that there will be some amazing supporting acts on the bill.
Surprisingly, tickets are still available but if this show doesn’t sell out in the next couple of days I will seriously be shocked to grab a ticket now right here!
Tour Dates:
MAR 01 Alliant Energy Center – Exhibit Hall Madison, WI
MAR 02 Aragon Ballroom Chicago, IL
MAR 03 Aragon Ballroom Chicago, IL
MAR 04 Eagle Ballroom Milwaukee, WI
MAR 05 First Avenue Minneapolis, MN
MAR 07 The Pageant St. Louis, MO
MAR 08 Jone’s Assembly Oklahoma City, OK
MAR 12 The Novo Los Angeles, CA
MAR 13 The Observatory Santa Ana, CA
MAR 14 Rialto Theater Tucson, A
