For those of you who haven't heard it, Vince Staples' debut album last year,
debut double album, produced by No I.D., largely,
is called Summertime '06,
and for me, hands down the most important album last year.
I wrote about it for the NY Times magazine, I was like, you guys need to hear this,
and it's for all the reasons you say, his voice is so unique, it's so apart, you know,
it's very in touch with what's going on in the rap world, but it's utterly himself.
And on top of that, the musical universe you created around it
it's deep, it just ends up to so many repeat listens. I had that on repeat for months.
I would love to hear a little bit...
I would love to get some insight into how that came together
because it's so cohesive at the level of lyric, rhythm, flow,
and just the kind of sonic landscape.
Thank you.
Actually, it was interesting
because the first thing I suggested to Vince once we got into working was
that I not work with him.
And that he put out some music without me
because I felt like I would be too much of a distraction to him.
And the first project we kinda worked on...
was a mixtape
and I told him only do songs that have to do with your highschool years.
Because another reason, I think especially in rap,
people age quickly in people's mind.
People start out in the Lamborghini...
rich... where does this end up? I don't know.
So the first thing I did was I wanted him to present himself, I thought he was a really interesting guy
and he made songs about how his father was a street person and his mother and his family
and this was influencing him as a child,
although he's intelligent, so it was kind of the 'why?'
Why are you who you are?
And once we got past that we began to work on an album
and it took some time, it was a lot of...
experimentation, and me knowing this unique individual, I had to find a sound
that would make him more unique.
It couldn't be No I.D. with soul, and... this sounds like a common Akai, or...
It had to be something else.
So one day we were working, and I think these key words...
happened, he had this song called Norf Norf...
and I was like, you know this record can be a hit,
and he goes, "I don't want a hit."
And I go... Okay.
But, being a creative...
and not just a business man, I said alright.
So once I realized what he wanted to accomplish
which was tell a story, not make a hit record,
I didn't look at that as a negative, I looked at, okay, this gives us more space to grow.
So...
that gave me a more...
I believe melody is key to hits.
And that's when we began to pull back on the melody.
And it began to be about sounds.
Dissonant sounds.
Sounds that get under your skin. - Absolutely.
Kinda Public Enemy, but not Public Enemy.
And then, you know, we kinda got into...
this space where these records just started happening,
cos' the majority of that double album happened in the last couple of months.
We worked on it over a year, but I would say most of the records came...
I love your emphasis not only on process, although that's central,
but on this idea that it really is how all these things connect - it's the whole signal flow,
as much as with the studio technology
as it seems like with the people, the musicians you're working with.
So one question I have is say you're working with an artist
and they take a direction that you think is detrimental to the way the song is developing
how do you deal with a situation like that?
I'd go with him.
I have no...
Because it's not about me.
It's not about me, it's about the artist.
So even if an artist has to run smack dead into the wall, that is necessary.
If I stop them because I know better, they won't... It's one thing for me to tell you,
Hey, run over there and trip over the step.
Yeah, yeah, yeah...
But if you trip over the step and hit your knee you won't trip over that step anymore.
So I don't, you know, this is what it's about, it's about a journey, it's about self awareness,
being able to bring the best out of an artist,
helping them grow. One of the best feelings in the world is to help someone find themselves.
Again, this is the secret to me having a very long career, cos' it's not just about me.
It's about people saying I did a good job with them.
And them being big enough, that when they say I did a good job, the person goes:
"Really, him?... hey great, maybe I'll go to him so he can do a good job with me."
And how does that approach, which is wonderful, it's very humble, it's very zen in a way,
but how does that work with the money people at the labels
who are saying: "Hey man, we need a hit record, we need a top ten single"?
You're saying let it run into the wall, and then they're like, give us these dollars.
I'm mean that's just balance, cos' you say "zen", and that's balance, so...
as executive, I will say I'm gonna sign this many artists
and we won't put pressure on them
and I'm gonna sign this many people with commerse.
They have records that will work, I'm not worried about them developing because
they're not trying to develop, they just have records.
And we all know who they are, I mean, we hear a record and we like the record
and you don't know who the artist is and you don't care, and it doesn't matter and it's okay.
It's not a crime actually, it's just that's what they... that's their purpose.
Again, if they make you dance...
then that's the point. Who cares whether they're good artists?
But there are artists that you want to develop
because they are cultural experiences in human...
in human form.
Those are the ones you have to take time.
It's like, you know...
don't put the seed in the ground and pour 10 thousand gallons of water on it
and shine a bright light and expect a tree. You just gotta let it grow.