You might recognize Vince Staples as the critically acclaimed rapper known for his albums like Summertime ‘06, Big Fish Theory, and Dark Times. He’s worked with everyone from Kendrick Lamar to The Gorillaz to Flume. Or, you might know him as the charming Maurice on Abbott Elementary. Maybe you’ve even seen the “Vince Staples is hilarious” compilations that circulate on TikTok and X.
If you don’t recognize him, you’d be remiss to not make his self-titled show the reason you know him now.
The Vince Staples Show logline sells the second season as an Odyssean voyage: “In the wake of a tragic death, Vince embarks on a wild journey in search of inner peace. However, his path is littered with reminders of his haunted past.” With all six episodes of the second season out on Netflix on November 6, right now is the perfect time to dive in.
The first 30 seconds of episode one gives the viewers two very important pieces of information: the second season will be about grief, and it will be funny. Staples learns his uncle has died. How, he asks? Cancer, his mother replies. “I thought he was a gemini,” Staples deadpans.
Often compared to Atlanta and Dave (possibly because all three shows were helmed by rappers, possibly because all three shows blend the lines of comedy and drama), The Vince Staples Show also calls to mind plenty of other television.
In the second season especially, there’s a dreamscape texture to the show that makes me think of Julio Torres’ Los Espookys and David Lynch’s Twin Peaks. There’s even some action sequences in the second season that call to mind pulpier fare like Bullet Train and John Wick. Netflix considers the show falls under the mastheads of “TV Dramas,” “Hip-Hop,” and “TV Comedies,” but it clearly lives in a more expansive space than any single genre on the streamer’s platform.
Amid a scrumptious color-grading, fight scenes, and emotionally moving meditations on grief, there’s always razor sharp comedy. The timing and writing brings to mind Curb Your Enthusiasm and The Chappelle Show, but the show still stands firmly on its own two legs, drawing from Staples’ own life and contentions with fame. With each of the season’s six episodes averaging about 25 minutes, you won’t miss the points it’s making.
Ultimately, The Vince Staples Show knows exactly what it is trying to say and how to accomplish that.
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