Netflix has extended its platform to some of hip-hop’s most renowned figures – Kid Cudi, Travis Scott, and Vince Staples. The latter has been quietly grinding out the release of a Netflix limited series titled The Vince Staples Show. What initially began as a promotional campaign that followed his album, FM! opened up the floodgates for an Internet series that shared a glimpse into Vince Staples's satirical and dry sense of humor. However, it also became a project that appeared to solely exist for the intention of promoting the album initially.
Fortunately, with the help of Black-ish creator Kenya Barris, The Vince Staples Show has finally materialized. On Wednesday, Jan. 17th, Staples formally unveiled the official trailer for the show, along with a release date set for February 15th, 2024. So far, there’s limited information on the series but we will be unpacking what we do know about the Netflix show below.
Background
In 2019, Vince Staples began unveiling a few episodes of The Vince Staples Show as a YouTube series. The inaugural episodes were accompanied by a new single, “So What (Episode 01),” “Sheet Music (Episode 02),” before he unveiled “Hell Bound (Ad 01),” along with an advertisement for the fictional streaming service.
The brief episodes for The Vince Staples Show provided a glimpse into a satirical world that encompassed his pop cultural presence and included appearances from Buddy and Ray J, among others. Although it undoubtedly won over fans, it would take nearly five years for the show to hit streaming services. The show followed Vince Staples through a series of mishaps. For example, in the first episode on YouTube, the rapper finds himself getting into a hilarious brawl at a barbershop located in a Blood neighborhood after a child rips his headphones for everyone to hear the Crip-heavy references in his music. Meanwhile, the second episode followed Vince Staples in his attempt to avoid his taser-wielding girlfriend who caught him cheating. Eventually, he escapes to the home of Ray J, who lectures him on being a better partner.
Trailer & Release Date
This morning, Netflix finally unveiled the first trailer for The Vince Staples Show, which hits the streaming platform on February 15th, 2024. Similar to the original YouTube series, the trailer for the series finds Vince Staples diving into a series of misadventures in Long Beach, from a day at the amusement park (and a possible feud with the mascot), a family barbecue, shootouts, and a bank robbery.
Read More: Vince Staples: Redefining West Coast Rap
Plot
Similar to the YouTube series, The Vince Staples Show is a limited series dramedy that explores the wild and unexpected side of Long Beach. It’s a semi-autobiographical show where Vince is “thrust into adventures while navigating life as a kind of famous, kind of rich, kind of criminal (but not really) rapper. Unfortunately, anything that can go wrong usually does,” per Tudum. Throughout the five-episode series, we get to follow Vince as he navigates through satirical tales rooted in his stomping grounds. Although not many details have been revealed about the episodes, we can already bank on the fact that this will be a hilarious outing with Vince at the helm of it all. Ultimately, Netflix’s upcoming series summarizes the show as “just another day in the life of Vince Staples.”
Cast
The all-star cast of The Vince Staples Show on Netflix will be led by Vince Staples himself in the lead role. Additionally, he’ll also be joined by This Is Us star Vanessa Bell Calloway and #BlackAF star Andrea Ellsworth in recurring guest roles. Myles Bullock, Scott MacArthur, Bryan Greenberg, Naté Jones, and Arturo Castro will also appear across the show. Of course, it seems as though Vince is also pulling from hip-hop for a few cameos, such as Rick Ross, who offers a lemon pepper chicken wing to the rapper.
The Vince Staples Show Creators
The show was created by Vince Staples, alongside Marice Williams and Ian Edelman. Staples, Williams, and Edelman also serve as the executive producers of the show alongside Kenya Barris, Ian Edelman, Maurice Williams, Corey Smyth, and William Stefan Smith.
[Via]