Vince Staples On His Friendship With Earl Sweatshirt & Imbalance in Hip Hop

Vince Staples might not be a household name just yet, but he's certainly on the rise. The Odd Future-friendly California rapper recently released his first official EP and things are looking up. 

"What can you expect from the album? Hell Can Wait is an EP, it’s not an album," he revealed to Fuse. "Everybody knows it leads up to the album. You have to make a prelude. It’s a real descriptive storyline. You have to pay attention, but it’s upbeat and fun. You’re not at school. You’re not in class. It’s not a lecture. I’m trying to get as creative with it as possible. It’s the first time I’ve really had the access to really be able to build my vision and make music that I want to make. Just expect something new. None of my projects sound alike."

Don't believe us? Just take Earl Sweatshirt's word for it. 

"I met Earl Sweatshirt in 2010," he said. "Our friendship grew from him getting in trouble, on the path to getting in trouble, being smart because I was never dumb. I saw him making the same mistakes I did. He was smart, he was gifted in certain things but he had always wanted to be a rapper. He would say ‘Oh, I’ve got to be at the studio, blah, blah—’ and I told him, ‘There’s no reason for you to not be able to be a rapper or go to school. Do you just want to be a rapper or do you want to be someone that can make an impact?’ He sees that now. I feel that our friendship has grown over the years just based on him growing as an artist and person. I appreciate him calling me the best rapper but I honestly feel like no one is the best rapper because it’s all your story. Everyone is important in the grand scheme of things. If there was the best rapper there would be one rapper."