Are You With That?

Album: Vince Staples (2021)
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Songfacts®:

  • Vince Staples grew up on the north side of Long Beach in southern California among gangs and poverty. Here, he reflects on the misguided aspirations and dangers he faced in his teenage years.

    Are you with that? I want get back
    I'm gon' hop out and crack
    Are you with that? I want big racks
    I'm gon' flock, I'm gon' stack


    Staples is asking the listener if it's the gangsta lifestyle they identify with. He is now involved with speaking to the youth in his community about the dangers of getting involved in gangs.
  • During the two verses, Staples recounts how fraught his experience of street warfare was. Anytime he's tempted to look back fondly at his years as a Crips gang member, he stays grounded by visiting the graves of his deceased homies.
  • This is the opening track of Staples' eponymous fourth studio album. It features woozy production from the Long Beach native's frequent collaborator Kenny Beats (Ski Mask's "Foot Fungus," Ed Sheeran's "Take Me Back To London").
  • Staples made the 22-minute self-titled record with Kenny Beats over the course of eight nights in December 2021. The pair crafted around 30 tracks before cutting them to 10 for the album.
  • Jack Begert directed the video, which shows Staples being pursued in the middle of a suburban street. Begert also did Doja Cat's "Juicy."

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