Vince Staples brings Cry Baby and Black history to Tiny Desk
His five-song set pauses to name George Jackson, Bobby Hutton and Larry Kimmons.
Vince Staples stopped his July Tiny Desk to ask the room about George Jackson, then Bobby Hutton. NPR’s Bobby Carter reports that no hands went up. Staples also named Larry Kimmons, bringing Black history into the space between the songs.
A question between the songs
Published July 21, the five-song concert draws largely from Cry Baby. “Blackberry Marmalade” opens, followed by “Go! Go! Gorilla” and “White Flag.” He then returns to 2024’s Dark Times for “Shame on the Devil” before closing with “Only in America.”
Carter describes “Go! Go! Gorilla” as a song about the Black community’s fear of law enforcement. The questions that follow extend that subject into the room, asking listeners to think about actual people alongside the music.
Jennifer Haack and Mikaiah Lei play guitar, Chloe Haack plays bass and Myles Martin handles drums. All four contribute background vocals, so the voices supporting Staples come from the same musicians carrying the set. Across those five songs, the concert moves between a recent album, an earlier record and an exchange with the audience.
