Vince Staples Has A Flashback On His Gritty ‘Rubbin Off The Paint’ Freestyle

Vince Staples went in all weekend. On Ronnie Radke. On Anthony Fantano. On people who misunderstood his comments about Eminem’s freestyle. Yes, he called the BET awards freestyle “trash,” and said Marshall “can do better” with his anti-Trump laments. But he was just joking, as he stated on Twitter. He stated a lot more than that though. He showed off the affable personality that’s made him a fan favorite — and then he dropped something that showed off how he got on their radar in the first place.

YBN Nahmir’s “Rubbin’ Off The Paint” looks like it’s gonna be the next beat du jour to freestyle on, and Vince took off on it early with a wonderfully grimy freestyle. There’s not many introspective or futuristic vibes at play here, just the kind of in the trenches bars that’ll probably give even his toughest OGs — not named Oprah — the scrunch face.

Vince seemingly put himself back in the mental space he was in before rap, with rapid-fire bars detailing the treacherous, dire state of California gang culture. Vince sets himself apart though with vivid lines that are so palpable you feel like a fly-on-the-wall on his journey. A sample: “Shot him where he used to hold his daughter in his pictures.”

When gangsta rap is offered with the kind of imagery and poetic flourishes Staples delivered here, it’s not hard to see how it continues to captivate.

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