FUSE TV - Vince Staples Interview: "I Don't Want a Lot of Money"

Interview and text by Jack Mulkern

Last weekend, hip hop artists and aficionados from the world over made their way to a vast field 25 miles out of Minneapolis. It was dreary, rainy and uncommonly cold for the local weather in late May. Only half a mile away was the legendary Canterbury Park racetrack, but no horses were galloping in the mud. Two miles down the road was Valley Fair, the regional capitol of amusement parks, roller-coasters nearly empty. This particular field, though, was full of tens of thousands of ecstatic people attending Soundset, one of the fastest growing festivals in the world. 

We had an opportunity to catch up with Vince Staples, a Long Beach musician with deep Odd Future connections but a deeper independent streak. After four mixtapes and a wealth of prominent guest spots, the 21-year-old's debut album, Summertime '06, releases June 30. It's first single, "Señorita," is a bouncing, almost aggressive track arguing with a semi-tragic music box backdrop, well reflected by the video down below.. 

Alright. Let's have a seat, or whatever's clever for you.

Let me stand real quick.

Definitely. Anyways, good to meet you. How's Soundset been going for you? 

Soundset is cool man, it's great to be around all these different artists, all these different people. I was reading earlier it's the biggest hip hop festival, ya know, so. 

Yeah, it's kind of crazy to have something this large in a sort of podunk part of the Midwest.

Well this is where it's at, this is where the people are.

And you've been by Minneapolis before?

Vince: I've played Mill City Nights a couple times. With people like Schoolboy Q, Earl Sweatshirt.