Today I'm reviewing the new mixtape by Vince Staples, Shyne Coldchain Vol. 2. Vince Staples has definitely become more well-known over the past year in the underground rap scene, and a lot of this can be attributed to his work with Earl Sweatshirt. Vince's connection with Earl, someone with a huge fanbase, has definitely helped with his increase in notoriety. Another reason for Vince's breakout is just his raw rapping skill. The guy can spit, as evidenced by feature verses, freestyles, and his mixtape that he put out last year with Mac Miller, Stolen Youth. Vince has a classic, west coast sounding voice and can flow with the best of them. With a lot more eyes on this guy than before, how will Vince's new mixtape play out?
Starting with the beats, Shyne Coldchain Vol. 2 features some of my favorite production out of any project i have heard this year. The beats are varied, dense, and sound very smooth. Each and every one of them sounded like they really took the time to make it sound as good as possible. A lot of the production on this mixtape is done by famed hip hop producer No I.D., and he really killed it on this collection of beats. One instrumental that he did which really stood out was on the song Locked and Loaded. This one featured a great mix of some unorthodox drums and a repeating vocal sample. It was a serious head-bopper and was also very unique. The vocal samples were something that No I.D. utilized on a few of these beats, and he did it to perfection. On the song Turn, he chops up the sample in an awesome way and makes it blend with the bass and drums. It was a fantastic beat. My other two favorite beats on this album were made by Evidence, on the songs Progressive 3 and Trunk Rattle. Progressive 3 is probably the most subtle beat on this mixtape, as it just features a very clean singing vocal going throughout, with some soft drums complimenting it. I loved the beat because it had a clear vibe to it: chilling and raw. It is a simple beat, but it really sets the tone for the mixtape being the first track. Trunk Rattle, a much more traditional beat, was very memorable. The drums were very catchy and the high-pitched piano keys just added to the vibe. The beats on Shyne Coldchain Vol. 2 were fantastic, and I wouldnt complain about any of them. No I.D. and Evidence did a great job here.
Now it's time to talk about Vince Staples. This guy has consistently wowed me with his feature verses, but I honestly felt he didn't sound nearly as good on Shyne Coldchain Vol. 2. This is not to say Vince did a terrible job. He had a handful of highlights on this tape, from the catchy hooks on Locked and Loaded and Trunk Rattle, the personal lyrics on Nate, and the raw emotion he had in the song Earth Science, Vince had some good moments here. There is no denying this guy's ability to rap, as he can seriously flow and has a great voice for rapping. I think Vince's voice is his strongest asset as a rapper; it is such a classic West Coast sounding voice and it doesn't really sound like anyone else. As far as lyricism goes, Vince has a pretty good line here and there, but he didn't really say much here that stuck with me. My main problem with Vince, though, is how monotonous he becomes. He really doesn't change anything up throughout this entire mixtape, and while it was only 10 tracks, it still became a little boring. While sometimes this would be fine, Vince ruins it by having absolutely no features on this mixtape. I almost couldn't handle this guy on 10 solo tracks. It got a little too dull. This tape really could have benefited by features by guys like Earl, Domo Genesis, Mac Miller, or others whom Vince has worked with in the past. I thought the lack of features hurt this project a lot. Vince's delivery also didn't sound as fiery as it usually does, and I felt Vince was a little too laid-back on this tape at times. Don't get me wrong, Vince can really spit, but I was a little dissappointed by the way he did it on this tape.
SHYNE COLDCHAIN VOL. 2 WRAP UP
+Incredible production
+Beats sounded unique and fresh
+Vince has undeniable talent on the mic
-Really could have used some rapping features
-Vince's rapping became a little monotonous
Best: Progressive 3, Trunk Rattle, Turn
Worst: Shots
Vince Staples- Shyne Coldchain Vol. 2
7.6/10
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