Album Review: Vince Staples 'Summertime '06' A Monstrous Display of Lyrical Talent

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Not many artists can produce a 20-track double album that keeps you engaged with every track, but then again Vince Staples isn't just every artist and he proves that with his new album "Summer '06."

(Spotify Album Stream Below)

West Coast rap sees another remarkable Hip-Hop talent as Long Beach's own Vince Staples shares a monster album with his fans. The fact that "Summertime '06" is 20-tracks long might seem a little intimidating to some while others will rejoice at the large body of work.

You're eased into the album with a 36 second intro titled, "Ramona Park Legend Pt.

1." Following that track, Staples dives into the lyrical onslaught with "Lift Me Up" and "Norf Norf," two tracks that both address gang-banging and being a target of the police.

The production on "Summertime '06" is pretty mind-bending with it's trippy synth heavy sound. "Birds & Bees" featuring Daley is a splendid example of that as Staples raps about being a gangster like his daddy.

following the next track "Loca" is "Lemme Know," featuring Jhene Aiko and DJ Dahi.

It's one of the stand-out tracks on the album next to "Norf Norf," that fans will appreciate because of the combination of artists, Staples' ability to really wow us with his lyrics and the fun production.

"Dopeman" featuring Joey Fatts and Kilo Kish is another intense track where Kish's whispers are sure to stay with you long after the song has ended. The Future sampled "Senorita" single serves as a bit of a break from the synths by providing fans with a mostly piano and organ drive beat.

"Summertime" is a masterfully produced track by Clams Casino that mellows out the first half of the album and prepares fans from the transition into "Ramona Park Legend Pt. 2."

"3230" and "Surf" featuring Kilo Kush are closely related in terms of overall sound. Staples continues his ability to tell stories and spew lyrics about race relations and what it means to be black in America, specifically on "Might Be Wrong" featuring Haneef Talib and eeeeeeee.

Things lighten up a bit in terms of tempo with "Get Paid" featuring Desi Matthews.

To fully dissect each song would be a daunting task that is seemingly unnecessary because of the way "Summertime '06" was put together. It's meant to be enjoyed for what it is which happens to be a perfectly executed album both lyrically and production wise. No I.D. and Clams Casino did an excellent job on their respective tracks with an added nod to No I.D. who served as the album's executive producer. It's still early in the year but "Summertime '06" will without a doubt fall somewhere in the top 10 Hip-Hop albums of 2015. You can stream the album below.

Listen to Vince Staples "Summertime '06" below.