Tiberius Marks
Crimson Chronicle Reporter
Compton MC Vince Staples, known for his experimental take on a form of hip hop that blends elements of westcoast trap, g funk, and abstract hip hop, dropped his seventh full-length LP “RAMONA PARK BROKE MY HEART” on April 8.
This album comes after his widely acclaimed self titled LP which was awarded the number 2 spot in TIME’s top 10 albums of 2021[https://time.com/6125456/best-albums-2021/]. Leaving high hopes for fans, Staples released two singles before the album dropped; “MAGIC,” and “ROSE STREET.”
Staples did not fail to deliver the quality that he is known for. Moving away from the almost completely abstract hip hop of his last project and more into a West Coast trap album with this project. Staples creates a beautiful contrast between his lyrics and delivery delivering heartfelt lines filled with regret, remorse, want and so much more in a style which moves away from the bouncy positive g funk esque delivery of his older work and instead in a more slow almost R n B style that creates a bittersweet sound that when combined with the bouncy West Coast trap beats perfectly displays the tragedy hidden by illusions of grandeur that Staples raps about throughout the album.
This album almost depicts Staples creating a requiem for his youth in wanting to move past the trapping and gang life he was involved with earlier but he regrettably understands that that way of life is what shaped him and he can’t just leave it. In songs like “ROSE STREET ” where he in the chorus sings about how that life has made it so he can’t create a normal romantic relationship from the life he lived and the only real emotions he has is for the one’s he’s lost in his life.
In the end, this album is Staple’s most heartfelt album yet in painting this deeply personal and sad picture in a style unfamiliar to his other work some fans may find this album a bit harder to get into than his earlier albums, but listening to it deeply you can find a beautiful and special album which has been so far in the running for best album that has been released this year.