As anybody who’s seen one of music guru Nardwaur’s many interviews with musicians, artists and producers over the years can attest, the “Human Serviette” always seems to pull out a bit of information from his subject that no one has ever heard before. During his latest chat with Vince Staples, the Canadian interviewer went deep and got the Long Beach rapper to reveal how the Ja Rule song “Always On Time” featuring Ashanti basically saved his life when he was younger.
“When I was a kid, I was in Raging Waters, and I peed on myself because I started drowning, and then I got scared like I’m about to die,” Staples recalled. “Ja Rule and Ashanti’s ‘Always On Time’ was playing in my head, and then the lifeguard picked me up on his shoulder and walked me out. And then I ate a sandwich with my mom.”
When Nardwaur pointed out that maybe it was the song that caused him to hang on, Staples was quick to agree. “Wow technically, yeah, Ja Rule saved my life. Featuring Ashanti — we gotta give her her credit.”
We also learned from the interview that Staples is a huge Joy Division fan after Nardwaur presented him with a picture disc copy of the group’s single “Love Will Tear Us Apart.” He flipped out even before Nardwaur could explain what the gift was. “See this is what I’m talking about,” Staples exclaimed. “All that hip-hop n***a shit, all that militants, I don’t know nothing about that, but this my sh*t!”
You can watch their entire chat in the video above, and check out the song that, technically, saved Staples life below.
