For the third consecutive year, Long Beach rapper
Vince Staples issued a standout effort that continued to push creative boundaries while deepening his lyrical prowess.
Big Fish Theory followed 2016's excellent
Prima Donna EP. Continuing along the path of that set's "Big Time,"
Theory is a skittish thought piece wrapped around the nucleus of the Chicago footwork sound. Like a collision between the creative energies of
DJ Rashad and
DJ Spinn, and even the brightness of mainstream house from the likes of
Disclosure,
Theory finds
Staples taking steps away from the ominous anxiety of the
Clams Casino/
Flying Lotus drone of his breakthrough
Summertime '06 (produced primarily by No I.D. and
DJ Dahi), without sacrificing any intensity or heft. Here,
Staples assembled a studio team comprised of L.A. beat music producer Zack Sekoff, electronic duos
GTA and
Christian Rich, Detroit glitch artist
Jimmy Edgar,
SOPHIE,
Flume, and more. The guest list is equally impressive. Longtime collaborator and tourmate
Kilo Kish joins
Bon Iver on the standout "Crabs in a Bucket," while
Juicy J joins
Staples on the most traditionally big bass rap burst of the title track. A pair of collaborative team efforts boasts the highest-profile names on
Theory, but one sticks the landing better than the other. "Love Can Be…" features
Damon Albarn,
Kish, and
Gorilla Zoe on the
GTA-produced track that pops and jitters without ever evolving. Meanwhile, "Yeah Right" is a potent double-team effort that recruits
Kendrick Lamar on a booming echo chamber of a number courtesy of
SOPHIE and
Flume. The latter half of the album is equally unrelenting. "Homage" rides an anxiety-ridden,
Radiohead-esque landscape with the help of
Kish and
Rick Ross, while the twisted "Samo" returns
SOPHIE to the fold with
A$AP Rocky. "Party People" is a propulsive standout, but it's lead single "BagBak" that remains king on
Theory. A "Humble"-sized beast that condenses
Prima Donna's ethos into a single song, "BagBak" is a lyrically dense powerhouse that aims a fist directly at the intolerant and troubled state of America in 2017. On an album of thrilling highlights, it's worth the price of admission alone.
Big Fish Theory cements
Staples' status as one of the most talented and forward-thinking voices in rap in the late 2010s. ~ Neil Z. Yeung