Vince Staples - FM!

Vince Staples
FM!
2018
Spotify

This is not Vince Staples' latest album, instead it's a sort of Mixtape EP hybrid until Vince's next project comes together. FM! does a couple of things, first it's a break form the electronic heavy beats including collaborations with Flume that have populated his most recent releases. This record is far more grounded in his G-Funk LA heritage. When album opens with "Feels Like Summer" and the familiar voice of Big Boy in the morning comes on you know this record is about to be a West Coast love letter and Vince delivers. On this album He goes back to that original record Hell Can Wait. Outside sounds like a Crip Walk personified in song as Vince indulgences his more gangster energy here. Vince is never afraid to push aggression but on FM! there is much more of a snarl than there usually is. Not every electronic is discarded on this record, tracks like "Relay" take some dark electronic sounds and then blast them through the G-Funk lens. The result feels like LA in 2050, somewhat post apocalyptic but still a diverse summer playground. As Vince scrolls through the FM dial He hits different sounds and different vibes but they all maintain a unity that is really incredible. There is one side of this record that feels loose and somewhat thrown together, but then another side that is razor sharp lines and beats. That is the effortless genius of Vince Staples, He makes it look so fucking easy.

Because the songs are shorter, most barely reaching the three minute mark, the feel nimble and fun. "FUN!" has this bop that is absolutely infectious. E-40 provides his signature "Tell Me When To Go" delivery while Vince does the real lyrical heavy lifting. "No Bleedin" actually has the damn sidekick message notification sound as part of it's beat further grounding this in an early 2000's vibe but dated this record is not. Tyga features on an interlude doing his typical Tyga shit that I hate, but luckily He is barely there. "Tweakin" however pops the good vibe bubble a bit getting into what happens when the party is over and you start loosing your friends. It shows just how much talent Vince has to be able to move from vibe to vibe and give it no further thought. Place holder or not FM! is a diverse and slick record that only further cements Vince Staples' claim to being a Los Angeles legend.

8.8 out of 10