Vince Staples' latest project proves to be one of the most ambitious extended play albums in recent years. Ever since Staples' debut with the group Odd Future, he has been on track to be one of the best emo rappers of our time. With production contributions from James Blake and iconic features from Kilo Kish and A$AP Rocky, "Prima Donna" sets the bar higher than most small releases, but it only rouses the musical tastebuds enough to leave the listener hungry for more.
Right from the first track of this piece, Staples makes sure that the audience clearly understands the underlying tone of his latest work. While Staples is known for his depressing lyrics, this opening song expresses an even more apathetic side of his character, as he sings a monotone cover of "This Little Light of Mine," that he calls "Let It Shine."
This style continues to show up at different points in the EP, typically at the rear of each song. While I do appreciate the effort to provide some sort of concept to this artwork, I regretfully say that it becomes slightly annoying and redundant after only three listens, and loses its overall impact as a result. If there were ten more tracks on this release, then I could see it working much better.
Moving on to the actual meat of this collection, I have nothing but fantastic things to say — aside from a few minor cons here and there, such as the brevity of "War Ready." For starters, "Loco" is undoubtedly one of the best tracks. Vince's delivery matches the insane instrumentation provided in this song, and Kilo Kish's collaboration in the hook sounds like something straight out of a Massive Attack record with its dark and gritty bass section. Another fantastic song is "Big Time," which is heavily influenced by James Blakes' typical sound. The song contains chiptunes that create an overall unique experience.
One attention to detail that I truly appreciate is the effort put into the references Staples makes to his previous album "Summertime '06." References like the seagull sounds on the "Prima Donna" track harken back to "Norf Norf," and the Spanish spoken words that remind me of the song "Loca." All of these small details help contribute to the idea that Staples has an intentional agenda within each of his releases and listeners should treat these records as sequels that build upon each other.
Aside from a few flaws, this EP truly stands out amidst a sea of other hot releases this month. It may not be perfect, but "Prima Donna" serves as a prequel to an inevitable full-length album that is sure to build upon this already genius sound. My honest opinion of this album is a 7.8/10.
