By Toby Wilkins
Since his breakout 2015 record, gangsta rap classic Summertime ’06, Vince Staples has established himself as one of hip-hop’s most adventurous artists. His sound has evolved with every subsequent release, from the club-inspired Big Fish Theory, to 2024’s more introspective Dark Times. That invention continues on the Long Beach native’s seventh LP Cry Baby, as he pulls in the sounds of punk & noise-rock to interrogate the current state of America (the cover features a cartoon of a crying baby, whose tuft of blonde hair can only be in reference to one person).
As Staples’ first independent record since leaving his Def Jam contract in May of 2024, he uses that freedom as an opportunity to delve deep into the punk sound. Where other rappers have dipped their toes into rock, such as A$AP Rocky’s ‘Punk Rocky’ from earlier this year, they tend to present the song as hip-hop first and rock second. Meanwhile, on this LP, Staples’ employs a full band to beef up the sound more than any other rapper has. Take for example, ‘TV Guide’: The leading riff is disgustingly gritty, contrasted with a super groovy bassline, and a surprisingly catchy chorus about the dangers of passive attitudes towards misinformation (“Movie magic up on the screen/ I think the television’s controlling me.”) Then, the final verse gives way to one of the few pure rap moments on the record, as he delivers a phenomenal flow over a more stripped back instrumental, with great lines like “Jim Crow swearing he fly, who gives a fuck though?”
Another highlight comes on lead single and album opener ‘Blackberry Marmalade,’ featuring perhaps the dirtiest guitars on the entire tracklist, perfectly matching the harrowing music video which follows a first-person perspective of a mass shooter. Even the most “hip-hop” instrumental on the LP, ‘The Big Bad Wolf,’ is still punk at its core. Record scratches and samples of Slick Rick’s ‘Children’s Story,’ (“Once upon a time, not long ago … cops shot the kids”), mesh perfectly with bulky bass guitars – if it was any heavier it wouldn’t sound out of place on a Linkin Park record.
How Staples tackles the morose subject matter is perhaps the album’s most impressive trait. Fears of police brutality and an unbalanced legal system permeate almost every song. “Know that behind every smile/ They thinkin’ bout killin’ you” he reveals on ‘Blackberry Marmalade,’ whilst ‘Go! Go! Gorilla’ sees him ponder why they “Gave wrist slaps to them and sentenced mine.” Earlier moments on the tracklist see Vince feeling defeated, such as on ‘White Flag,’ where he admits “I don’t wanna fight no more.” As the record progresses, those feelings morph into calls for a black revolution, although over a swift 10 tracks, and just 35 minutes, this transformation can feel quite abrupt. Closer ‘7 In The Morning,’ is perhaps the record’s most impressive track lyrically, detailing society’s desensitization to war, comparing soldiers to gladiators as he laments “Why is death our entertainment?… murdering our brothers for the love of Uncle Sam.”
Cry Baby is Vince Staples’ most ambitious record to date. The pivot to punk will no doubt alienate some fans, but beneath that, there’s an incredibly powerful political album, that maybe could’ve benefitted from a longer tracklist.
