Vince Staples has always toyed around with mixing hip-hop with more experimental sounds butย Prima Donna was by and far his biggest leap into that more experimental realm. It was a short offering and one I generally enjoyed, but I thought it was more of a one-off than a precursor to what weโd get on his major debut,ย Big Fish Theory.
โCrabs in a bucket
Wanna see you at the bottom, donโt you love it?
When theyโre hatinโ so you hit โem with the encore
Sendinโ shots but you at the top floor
Let โem pop shit, give me some drums to go pop withโ
In interviews as of late, heโs been proclaiming that he doesnโt make rap music and with this latest project Iโm inclined to start believing him. With the exception of โBig Fishโ and maybe โ745โ, all of the songs are full of crazy synths and experimental electronic sounds that took me aback upon first listen. He still displays some of those raw, matter of fact raps that made me a fan in the first place but all in allย Big Fish Theory resonated with me far less than any of his previous projects, and it was a bit disappointing as a major debut.
Have you heardย Big Fish Theory? Whatโd you think about it? Did it resonate with you as much as his previous work? Let me know in the comments below and be sure to leave your own reaction and rating for the album.
