Vince Staples is one of hip hop’s most versatile young artists. Slowly but surely rising to prominence over the last decade, he has successfully carved out his own lane in the genre with a unique sound that can’t be labelled.
Akin to other Los Angeles acts such as Tyler The Creator and Kendrick Lamar, Staples has always been unscathed by trends, showing unparalleled authenticity and artistic integrity with his music.
The 27-year-old rapper has always been eclectic with his art and has always provided his fans with projects that fuse genres and push boundaries. First exposed to the mainstream through his features with Odd Future, it is no wonder that his music is sonically distinct and refreshing. Staples’ 2015 album, Summertime ‘06, received an abundance of critical acclaim, and since his appearance on the 2015 ‘XXL Freshman List’, he has gone on to prosper.
The rapper now has five albums under his belt, with his latest album Ramona Park Broke My Heart (2022), peaking at number 21 on the Billboard 200. As a Long Beach native, Staples has previously revealed that he grew up on a lot of West Coast hip-hop and, in an interview with TIDAL, disclosed he had a love for Snoop Dogg’s 2002 project, R&G (Rhythm & Gangsta): The Masterpiece.
The musician has also cited The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, Back to Black by Amy Winehouse, College Dropout and Unknown Pleasures by Joy Division as some other projects that he enjoys and has been inspired by.
However, during the height of the pandemic, Staples was asked by fans to name his definitive tope ten rappers of all time dead or alive, and the lyricist was pretty swift to give a response. You can see Vince Staples’ top 10 rappers ever in the list below.
Vince Staples’ 10 best rappers of all time:
- Lauryn Hill
- Andre 3000
- Scarface
- E-40
- Snoop Dogg
- Kurupt
- Missy Elliott
- Blu
- Kanye West
- Young Thug