Kendrick Lamar's "Pop Out" show will go down as a classic moment. E-40, a guy who has seen a lot, deemed it one of the greatest nights in hip-hop history. All the heavy hitters from the West Coast were in attendance. Well, almost. Vince Staples is one of the few L.A. stars who was not present at the show, but it wasn't for lack of support. Fans questioned why Staples was missing in action, and DJ Mustard set the record straight on social media.
The answer was simple enough. Vince Staples just dropped his latest album, Dark Times, and is gearing up to go on tour. DJ Mustard let it known that Staples was working when the "Pop Out" was popping off. "Vince Staples was overseas making the blacks proud on Juneteenth," he wrote. "Other wise [sic] magic would of been magic on stage." The producer is referencing the song "Magic," a collab that appeared on Staples' previous album, RAMONA PARK BROKE MY HEART. Vince Staples' Instagram seems to back up Mustard's claim. The last time the rapper posted was on June 8, and he included photos from a show he did in Germany.
Vince Staples Shut Down Rumors Of Kendrick Drama
Vince Staples' busy schedule didn't stop fans from asking where he was. The rapper even hopped on X (formerly Twitter) to quiet the speculation. "Stop politicking on my behalf," he wrote. "Enjoy the beautiful moment." The rapper also voiced his approval over the surprise appearance of Tommy the Clown at the "Pop Out" show. Staples tweeted the L.A. icon's name, before elaborating. "In all honesty," he wrote. "If I knew Tommy the Clown was gonna be there I would’ve cancelled the tour. I been waiting for my moment since ‘02." Tommy the Clown is a dancer best known for pioneering the "clowning" style. In true Staples form, his comment is both hilarious and sincere.
Vince Staples is a Kendrick Lamar supporter. That being said, he didn't love the impact that Lamar's beef with Drake had on the music world. He spoke on the matter during a Long Beach event in May. "[Artists] are getting priced out of our contracts, we're getting priced out of our imprints," he explained. "There are no labels, basically, that are incentivized to sign Black music." He then criticized media personalities and label heads for hyping up the beef. "While Taylor Swift is fighting for people to be able to have streaming money," he noted. "N**gas is on the internet arguing with each other about some rap sh*t."