Snap, Crackle, Kapow: Unpacking Comedy and Violence in The Vince Staples Show
During the past week, I finally got some free time to watch “The Vince Staples Show” on Netflix. For those who are unfamiliar, Vince Staples is a well-known rapper from California who is famous not only for his music but also for his interviews. Like many people who spend a lot of time online, I have watched more hours of Vince Staples’s interviews than hours of his music videos because he has a naturally funny personality and is the source of numerous memes and turns of phrase.
Vince Staples is known for blending the conspiratorial views of the characters in Undercover Brother with the laid-back vibe of California rappers like Snoop Dogg. When he began branching out into television, he played a love interest for Quinta Brunson in the show “Abbot Elementary” for multiple episodes, showcasing his comedic timing and disarming demeanor — shortly after that, I learned that Vince Staples was getting his show, “The Vince Staples Show.” Many critics have compared it to shows like Donald Glover’s “Atlanta” because it explores the absurdism of being Black in…
