Vince Staples has 2 LPs & a Netflix show on the way, appears on new ALLBLACK album

Desus: With Nipsey's passing, that was huge—major—across the whole world. And you're someone who comes from a similar background. You're not Nipsey, but you're a successful rapper. You still be out there. How does all of that make you feel?

Vince: I think it all depends on what you stand for. If you look historically at people in leadership roles—especially leadership roles in Black communities, especially in urban communities—there's no connection if you're not physically there.

D: Right.

V: From John Huggins and Bunchy Carter in Los Angeles to when you think about what Ralph Abernathy and Fred Hampton and all these people did from all the different places. Huey Newton, Angela Davis. People that have touched people. They had to touch people physically on a local level. And to me there's no difference from these people and Nipsey Hussle. I mean, Nipsey Hussle is Gil Scott-Heron. Nipsey Hussle is James Baldwin. He hears these people that had a message.

Crazy as it might seem, Black leadership is something that's always different in hindsight. You know what I mean? I wasn't there for Malcolm X. My mom, she'll tell me about Black Panthers being in L.A. and Compton. She saw how things transitioned and how things turned out afterwards. She saw the whole thing. The end of the story is just as important as everything else. So I can't say if it makes me feel any other way, except motivated and inspired, because, you know, Nipsey Hussle died doing what Nipsey did. It's not like he died doing anything else. He died in that parking lot taking pictures with kids, giving them money.

Vince also talked about how a typical day for him has started during the pandemic, saying, "I wake up early. I watch either First Take or Undisputed, depending on who I'm trying to hear. I'm not watching live sports or anything like that right now. That's all I need: First Take or Undisputed. Start making coffee. I'm trying to get off the coffee, though, so sometimes I'll make tea. I brush my teeth like a psychopath—to be honest, way too many times a day. It's probably not healthy. Then I'll drink my coffee, go through these emails I try not to respond to, and brush my teeth again."

Read the interview in full on GQ.

Vince is also one of the guests on the just-announced album by Oakland rapper ALLBLACK, TY4FWM (Thank You 4 Fuckin’ With Me), due May 7 via Play Runners/EMPIRE. Other guests include Drakeo the Ruler, Mozzy, ShooterGang Kony, E-40, G-Eazy, Sada Baby, Kenny Beats, and more. Drakeo the Ruler and Kenny Beats are on the just-released single "Ego," which you can check out below.