10 Dec 2016

Vince Staples: 'I care about schools, people going hungry, mental health'

From RNZ Music, 4:00 pm on 10 December 2016

Vince Staples talks with Leilani Momoisea about those annoying requests to do 'funny' videos, writing the perfect clickbait headline, and wanting everyone to just say his name.

Staples has strong opinions about the education system.

"It’s corny to say the children are our future, but it’s actually true, we’re going to die before them. I care about schools and people being hungry, mental health, homeless, crazy people who walk the streets and have nothing. We have more foreclosed and empty abandoned homes in the United States than we have homeless people.”

“There’s just not enough teachers to help the kids, that’s why we need after-school programmes, but those things cost money. It’s important.”

When his mum was trying to keep him out of trouble, people refused to help, he says.

“[My mum] had called so many churches and talked to all these people she knew that had decent jobs, and said she was trying to get somebody to mentor me or try to help me so I wouldn’t get in trouble, and she said literally nobody called her back. Not one person called her back. Nobody cared.” 

Staples says he understands the media "has a job to do" but would rather not be given a label.

'Conscious rapper Vince Staples', 'Gangsta rapper Vince Staples','West Coast gangsta rapper Vince Staples', 'West Coast thoughtful gangsta rapper Vince Staples'... Just leave me the f*** alone, and say my name. It’s so much easier.”

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