Blowing the promise of his Hell Can Wait EP into an extraordinary double LP, Summertime '06 finds rapper Vince Staples with all the pieces in place.
Brevity ain’t the soul of wit on Summertime ‘06, it’s the soul of horror. Anytime Staples can use one word instead of three, he’ll take the short route, painting every vivid, terrifying picture he spits with callousness.
Staples’ wickedly backward upbringing is the focus of Summertime ’06, which could well be the fiercest, most ferociously focused street-oriented double rap album since UGK’s Underground Kingz.
Staples has so much to say in Summertime '06 that it’d be impossible to fully dissect in one listen, and his ingenious phrasing makes for a constantly amusing variety of vignettes. A record is only as good as the music that accompanies, though, and collaborative producer No I.D. delivers in spades and then some.
Summertime '06's coming of age tale is complemented perfectly by production that finds the nuance in Staples' stories and matches it, couching Staples' rhymes in a way that the streets can understand best
Summertime '06 is breathtakingly focused, a marathon that feels like a sprint. The production bangs and clanks throughout with a septic, rusted, retooled-buggy persistence, which Staples matches.
The music on Summertime '06, Staples' debut, is uniformly great, with spare, booming beats allowing Staples' sneakily technical rhymes to dart in and out of the rhythm. It's a vital entry from a burgeoning new star.
Vince Staples sharply illustrates a realistic and first-hand portrayal of gang life in LBC without any romanticized commercial appeal or taking on a highbrow discourse to its rationale.
He's an entertaining rapper, vividly reflecting his immediate surroundings in a relatable way.
In a year of impressive solo rap albums, Staples has managed to create one that’s arguably the most idiosyncratic of the lot.
There's a lot, sometimes too much, to take in, but Staples has tons to say, in a delivery that finds middle ground between Nas' wizened rasp and Too Short's melodic Cali lilt.
Summertime '06 is as bleak as mainstream hip-hop will allow for in 2015. It's not overtly enjoyable to experience because this is a reality that does not call for glamour.
Summertime ‘06 is the kind of coming-of-age story that’s common to hip-hop, but Staples delivers his account with a furious passion and refreshing insight. That the album is wall-to-wall with catchy, hard-hitting bangers is almost just a consolation prize.
West Coast hopeful Vince Staples releases his debut album.
Summertime ‘06 is a lifeworld compressed as densely as possible, but it’s not his moment. If No-ID and Staples could get their faces out of their Spotify analytics and get back to the work of moment-building, the result would be thrilling.
Undeniably bold, Vince Staples comes out bare-knuckled for his debut record that vastly expands the capabilities of the West Coast hip hop scene and takes the typical street life rhetoric and wraps it in some of the most dense and eclectic production a listener could find. Staples finds a perfect balance on Summertime '06 between the experimental, the straightforward gangsta rap style and unapologetic bangers on the double album format, finding different ways to utilize his voice regardless of ... read more
Vince Staples' debut, Summertime '06 is a great, consistent hardcore west coast record, with many song which slap and production which is both clean and creates that dark urban soundscape which works nicely alongside the themes of crime and violence for an omnious listen, alongside some of his best lyrics, making the record memorable and catchy and you have a create 2010's hip hop record.
Track Review
Ramona Park Legend Pt.1 7.5/10
Lift Me Up 9.5/10
Norf Norf 10/10
Birds & Bees 8/10 ... read more
A really dark, yet lively album of a depressed sounding, monotone Vince with gangsta beats and features to make bass filled anthems with undertones of street life. Every track feels like it's apart of a soundtrack, with siren filled anthems, lovely singing over dark production, or surprisingly energetic stuff. Even as a mild Vince fan, there's so much you can appreciate about this project and appreciate all the great, killer tracks on here. I was lucky to see him be one of Tylers openers and ... read more
While the beat selection and overall quality of the album is incredibly questionable, this album has some great technical abilities from Vince at showcase.
Favorite - Jump Off The Roof
Least Favorite - Hang N' Bang
It's crazy how underrated Vince is nowadays, this is insanely good, the dark production, the brutal honesty in the lyrics, the grim atmosphere, it's transforming a nightmare into reality in a world where both are the same. My only problem is that it kinda loses momentum on the second half, but apart from that it's really good.
1 | Ramona Park Legend, Pt. 1 0:36 | 77 |
2 | Lift Me Up 4:31 | 84 |
3 | Norf Norf 3:03 | 92 |
4 | Birds & Bees 2:41 feat. Daley | 82 |
5 | Loca 2:41 | 77 |
6 | Lemme Know 3:41 feat. Jhené Aiko, DJ Dahi | 77 |
7 | Dopeman 1:53 feat. Joey Fatts, Kilo Kish | 75 |
8 | Jump off the Roof 3:44 feat. Snoh Aalegra | 89 |
9 | Señorita 3:07 | 83 |
10 | Summertime 4:19 | 86 |
1 | Ramona Park Legend, Pt. 2 1:27 | 77 |
2 | 3230 2:52 | 85 |
3 | Surf 2:31 feat. Kilo Kish | 82 |
4 | Might Be Wrong 3:59 feat. Haneef Talib, eeeeeeee | 76 |
5 | Get Paid 3:12 feat. Desi Mo | 78 |
6 | Street Punks 3:06 | 77 |
7 | Hang N' Bang 2:06 feat. A$ton Matthews | 74 |
8 | C.N.B. 4:13 | 79 |
9 | Like It Is 4:36 | 81 |
10 | '06 0:47 | 77 |
#4 | / | Billboard |
#4 | / | Pitchfork |
#4 | / | Slant Magazine |
#4 | / | Stereogum |
#4 | / | Treble |
#5 | / | Blare |
#5 | / | SPIN |
#6 | / | A.V. Club |
#6 | / | Gorilla vs. Bear |
#6 | / | Reverb |