Vince Staples Delivers Tiny Desk Concert With Selections From ‘Cry Baby’

Vince Staples brought his signature intensity to the Tiny Desk.

The Long Beach emcee performed selections from this year’s Cry Baby and a highlight from 2024’s Dark Times.

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The rapper assembled a vibrant young band for the performance. The group featured Jennifer Haack on guitar, Mikaiah Lei on guitar, Chloe Haack on bass, and Myles Martin on drums.

Staples created a tense moment during the set. After the second song, he called out to the audience:

“I just wanna see something. If you know who George Jackson is, in the crowd, raise your hand! What about Bobby Hutton?”

No one raised their hand. He continued naming slain members of the Black Panther Party, including Larry Kimmons. The song ‘Go! Go! Gorilla‘ details the Black community’s fear of law enforcement. The tension carried throughout the entire performance.

The setlist included ‘Blackberry Marmalade,’ ‘White Flag,’ ‘Shame on the Devil,’ and ‘Only in America.’

Staples’ evolution has been remarkably rapid over the past decade. His wit and unintentional humour have made his interviews must-see TV. In 2024, he launched The Vince Staples Show on Netflix.