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Vince Staples has long established himself as not only a talented musician but also one of the wittiest minds in entertainment. Vince Staples is currently basking in the early positive chatter around his new Netflix series, The Vince Staples Show, with some saying this could be the start of an epic series run for the rapper.
Vince Staples, 30, has long been considered one of the brightest minds both in music and other forms of media due to his sharp intellect, command of language, and ability to remain deadpan during the humorous retellings of his life. The Vince Staples Show, in that regard, is a direct look into the mind of Staples, which puts him in a variety of zany situations that he somehow navigates through his mental savvy and the fact that he’s a famous figure.
Kenya Barris of Black-ish fame serves as one of the executive producers for the show alongside Corey Smyth and showrunner Maurice Williams. The writing room gets a boost from Staples himself, Williams as mentioned earlier, Winter Coleman, and Crystal Jenkins.
The Vince Staples Show follows Staples around his hometown “The Beach” which we can safely assume is based in his native Long Beach, Calif. His character is semi-famous but still very connected to street life and adjacently finds Staples in the middle of some surreal moments that only could work in this medium.
Stapes isn’t new to acting as he’s made an appearance on the hit sitcom Abbott Elementary, along with other roles over the years. Fans of Abbott Elementary should get a kick out of Staples’ show during a key moment.
On X, formerly Twitter, Vince Staples had his name trending with fans celebrating the genius of the program while noting that he also is urging folks to demand a second season of the show. Based on this reaction, that appears to be in the bag.
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Photo: Getty
Queen Bey is back outside! Notorious for her elusiveness, Beyoncé has been out and about since the 2024 Super Bowl, where she kicked off her new country era — also known as Act II of the three-act project she began with 2022’s Renaissance. On Thursday night (Feb. 15), the “Break My Soul” singer graced the […]
Source: Hip-Hop Wired / iOne Digital
Vince Staples is multitalented and multifaceted, but you probably won’t ever hear him calling himself a genius or whatever ego-stroking adjective of the moment creatives choose. Instead, the guy who you probably first came to know as the critically acclaimed rapper repping North Long Beach, California,—or maybe as an actor, like the scene-stealing Maurice in Abbott Elementary—is simply, and humbly knocking his creative endeavors out of the park, as is the case with The Vince Staples Show.
The series, whose five-episode season premiered Thursday (Feb. 15), was commissioned back in 2019, before COVID-19 changed history’s trajectory. But while many shows ended up abandoned, Netflix stood steadfast with the series—loosely based on Staples’ everyday life—which includes Kenya Barris (Black-ish) as an executive producer.
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“Covid kind of stopped everything so for us to still be around after Covid when a lot of things got canceled, [that] said a lot about how they felt about the project,” Staples told Hip-Hop Wired. “So we wanted to make sure that we executed, and we executed in a timely manner and did something that was specific and special for the platform. And so many things are on Netflix so we just wanted to make sure that there was no other show like the one we were creating.”
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The Vince Staples Show, which itself can be considered the evolution of his YouTube series, will garner plenty of comparisons. Chappelle’s Show is an easy one, along with Curb Your Enthusiasm or Atlanta. That’s not bad company to keep but it’s Staples’ dry wit and deadpan delivery often seen and heard in his interviews that filter onto his onscreen persona and gives the series a sharper edge and tone that makes it anything but derivative.
In one moment, Staples could be getting the “otherwise qualified Black guy seeking a loan” treatment at the bank, then conversing matter-of-factly with the leader of the bank robbers who happened to be starting the heist when the protagonist was trying to walk out the same building. The crashing of everyday struggle with “is this really f*cking happening right now?” instances, and plenty of hilarious moments, is a staple, no pun, of the series.
“We definitely wanted to do that,” explains Staples, who co-wrote all the episodes with a team of writers that include Maurice Williams and Ian Edelman. “It was intentional because that’s life, you never know what it’s going to throw your way and within these environments, sometimes it can get extremely crazy. But also, we’ve been taught to keep our composure. And if something is normal you don’t understand when it’s abnormal to the rest of the world.
He adds, “That’s something I wanted to make sure the characters felt; when things get crazy to their standards that doesn’t mean it has to be crazy to our standards. And we wanted to make sure we played that fine line of being able to know the environment is outrageous, but not thinking it’s too much for the characters because it is their environment.”
The aforementioned bank episode (Episode 2 titled “Black Business”) features one of Staples’ favorite scenes, and for good reason. “I think it was shot really well. I think the dialogue was very unique and specific, and it was something I think people aren’t going to be expecting to come from me, or to come from the show. So I’m actually very happy we were able to pull that one off.”
The episode is when The Vince Staples Show really finds its rhythm and is destined to become a fan favorite. One particular line from Staples that resonates is when he waxes philosophic on dealing with redlining, gaslighting and gatekeeping—just several realities even the most upwardly mobile people of color deal with inevitably.
“The line is just typical to what we deal with within these communities,” says Staples. “It never goes away and I think that was an important part of this show. To showcase that a lot of the issues that we have as people, as Black people, as Black people from these environments; they’re not gonna go away just because you get a little bit more money because the systems are so deeply rooted in the structure, in the fabric of this world, of this culture, everything. It was definitely something that you still feel and something that I try to string throughout the episodes.”
Vince Staples keeping it cool as everyday life in North Long Beach, whether blatantly or subtly, goes off the rails? Definitely on brand.
The Vince Staples Show is streaming right now on Netflix.
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Top Boy, one of the most thrilling crime dramas to emerge since the heights of The Wire, recently concluded its fifth and final season but more action might be on the way. Ronan Bennett, the creator of Top Boy, says he’s currently in talks with Netflix for a spinoff series featuring Jaq, one of the central characters of the show.
As spotted by Deadline, Ronan Bennett, 68, sat down with BBC’s Nihal Arthanayake and shared scant details about the possible spinoff featuring Jaq Lawrence, who is played by Jasmine Jobson. Bennett says that he’s in talks with the streamer and production company Cowboy and that Drake would return as an executive producer.
Bennett says that while he believes Netflix might be a bit upset for him mentioning the development, he can’t confirm if the show will see the light of day.
“You just never know if they’re going to get made,” Bennett said. “And in fact, most shows that are developed actually don’t get made. You can write the script and, for whatever reason, they don’t get made. So you end up looking like a bit of a fool for mentioning it. But I have hopes that this will work.
Starring Ashley Waters, Kano, and the aforementioned Jobson, Top Boy remains one of Netflix’s top British shows. The show initially aired on the British network, Channel 4, and was initially canceled after two seasons. Drake helped revive the show, spawning seasons 3 through 5.
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Photo: Netflix
Spotify shares gained 4.7% to $214.13 this week, helping the Billboard Global Music Index improve 2.3% to a record 1,595.11. Spotify’s fourth consecutive weekly increase came two weeks ahead of its fourth-quarter earnings on Feb. 6, which will show the full impact of its recent price increases in the United States and other major markets.
If a rising tide lifts all boats, Netflix’s superlative fourth-quarter earnings report explains why Spotify shares posted yet another positive week. Netflix shares rose 18.1% to $570.42 this week — including a 10.7% gain on Wednesday alone — after the company said it added 13.1 million subscribers in the fourth quarter, the most since 2020, with revenue up 12.5% to $8.8 billion. Not only was the quarter encouraging for streaming in general, the video streaming giant offered the music business some insights about finding growth in a maturing market: Netflix’s growth hasn’t been hurt by either the company’s constant price increases or its recent efforts to limit password sharing. In fact, pricing played an important part in that growth.
“As we invest in and improve Netflix, we’ll occasionally ask our members to pay a little extra to reflect those improvements, which in turn helps drive the positive flywheel of additional investment to further improve and grow our service,” the company stated in a letter to shareholders. Cutting down on password sharing has made an impact, too. Netflix said “millions” of subscribers are using features such as Transfer Profile (a user transfers a profile from a shared account to a new account) and Extra Member (adding a user to an account for $7.99 per month in the United States), and that paid sharing “is now a normal course of business.”
Because of its large market capitalization, Spotify’s gain was a major factor in the Billboard Global Music Index’s 2.3% gain this week. The top-performing music stock of the week was iHeartMedia, which gained 26.7% to $2.85, putting it 68% below its 52-week high of $9.01. Music streaming company LiveOne was another high performer, gaining 13.5% to $1.51. The company announced on Thursday that Podcast One — LiveOne spun off the podcast company and remains a majority owner — reached new agreements with two of its most popular podcasts, The Adam Carolla Podcast and The Adam and Dr. Drew Show. Elsewhere, Sphere Entertainment Co. shares rose 8.7% to $34.45 following the company’s recent hire of Jennifer Koester, a former Google executive, as president of Sphere Business Operations, effective Feb. 5. One of Koester’s duties will be to develop a corporate conference business for product launches and other events.
Eight of the index’s 20 stocks fell this week — although none dropped more than 3%. SiriusXM shares fell 1.5% to $5.34; the company announced Wednesday that it would maintain its quarterly cash dividend at $0.02666 per share. Hipgnosis Songs Fund fell 2.1% to 0.7057 pounds per share amidst multiple regulatory filings that hinted at tension between the company’s new board and its investment advisor, Hipgnosis Song Management. Hipgnosis shareholders will vote on Feb. 7 on a proposal that would result in paying a fee to bidders on its catalog.
Stocks were broadly up in the United States this week as positive economic news made an impact on markets. The tech-heavy Nasdaq climbed 0.9% to 15,455.36 and the S&P 500 rose 1.1% to 4,890.97. Microsoft, Alphabet and Meta reached new highs this week, though Tesla shares fell 13.6% after the company warned vehicle unit sales in 2024 “may be notably lower” than last year. On Friday, Intel shares fell 11.9% after the company offered investors a disappointing outlook for the current quarter during its Thursday earnings release.
On Thursday, the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Economic Analysis released data that showed gross domestic product grew at a better-than-expected annualized rate of 3.3% in the fourth quarter of 2023. Then on Friday, the Department of Commerce released data that showed personal incomes ended the year on a high note by increasing 0.3% in December. What’s more, a measure of how much people are spending showed that price increases have slowed. Personal consumption expenditures in December were 2.6% higher year over year (and 2.9% higher excluding food and energy). Last week, new consumer sentiment data showed an improvement in Americans’ feelings about the economy and their expectations for future inflation.
Stocks also improved outside of the United States. In the United Kingdom, the FTSE 100 rose 2.3% to 7,635.09. South Korea’s KOSPI composite index improved 0.2% to 2,478.56. And China’s SSE Composite Index jumped 2.8% to 2,910.22.
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Source: Netflix / Netflix
Rejoice ’80s and ’90s babies for it seems like Netflix’s upcoming live-action iteration of Avatar: The Last Airbender will be as faithful to the 2000’s animated series as it can possibly get.
Netflix released its latest trailer for the highly anticipated series and even with fanfare already as high as can be, the fandom was kicked into overdrive as the series seems to encapsulate everything that made the original Nickelodeon series such a hit in the mid-2000s. Centering around the young boy known as Aang (Gordon Courmier) who’s tasked with taking down the oppressive Fire Nation, the trailer takes us back to the fantasy world where the four nations of the Air Nomads, the Earth Kingdom, the Fire Nation and the Water Tribes reign supreme.
With some superb CGI being used to create the likes of the beloved air bison Appa and adored winged lemur Momo, you’d think Avatar: The Last Airbender was some big budget Hollywood film set to release this summer. With some pretty cool action sequences showcasing how the four elements are manipulated during combat along with some witty dialogue between the characters in the story, it’s pretty safe to say that this series may very well redeem the reputation of Avatar that M. Night Shyamalan destroyed with his own film based on the series back in 2010. (That joint was hella struggle.)
Check out the latest trailer for Avatar: The Last Airbender below. Let us know if you’ll be checking for it when the series drops on Netflix Feb. 22.
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The Billboard Women in Music Awards are back! Tracee Ellis Ross will host the awards. The annual event will feature musical performances and honor women powerhouses who are shaping the music landscape. Beyoncé’s mom, Tina Knowles, sets the record straight on if she was really shading Janet Jackson online. Lovers & Friends announced the lineup for this year’s event, and it’s stacked. The trailer just dropped for Kelly Rowland’s new Netflix film ‘Mea Culpa.’ Billboard caught up with the cast and creatives of Netflix’s ‘Griselda’ on Karol G’s acting debut and Sofía Vergara’s “challenging” new role. And more!
Tetris KellyBillboard’s Women In Music 2024 is honoring some major stars, Karol G makes her acting debut alongside Sofía Vergara, Tina Knowles says “Sorry,” Kelly Rowland’s starring role and a super nostalgic festival lineup. And we learned five things about Don Omar. Happy Hump Day, I’m Tetris Kelly it’s Wednesday, January 24 and, we’re kicking off this episode of Billboard news with an exciting announcement. Women in Music is around the corner. And I’m so excited to let you know some of this year’s superstar honorees.
Alyssa CaverleyBillboard’s Women In Music is back!
Quinta BrunsonTonight, we honor the women who have been leading the way.
Alyssa CaverleyWednesday, March 6th at the YouTube theater in Los Angeles.
Sabrina CarpenterI wanted to take a moment to say what an amazing inspiring night this has been.
Lainey WilsonThis is absolutely insane. I feel so honored and blessed to be here.
Olivia RodrigoThank you, Billboard.
Alyssa Caverley Honoring Charli XCX, Ice Spice, Kylie Minogue, Luísa Sonza, Maren Morris, NewJeans, Tems, Victoria Monét and Young Miko and soon to be announced Billboard’s Women of the Year with host Tracee Ellis Ross.
Tracee Ellis RossAnd it’s about to be an epic night. Come celebrate the start of Women’s History Month with us
Alyssa Caverley General tickets on sale January 27th with Amex card members getting early access on January 24th.
Karol GThis is me and I’m happy to be here, thank you Billboard.
Kim PetrasThis is a huge honor. Thank you so so much.
Taylor SwiftI want to first thank Billboard from the bottom of my heart.
Alyssa CaverlyGo to BillboardWomenInMusic.com for all the details.
Watch the full video above!
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Source: Ethan Miller / Getty / WWE / Monday Night Raw
WWE’s Monday Night Raw is again on the move, and Netflix has made a significant push to be a force in live programming.
The professional wrestling world is shaking after the WWE announced it inked a $5B media rights deal with Netflix, which will see Monday Night Raw jump off the top ropes and land on the streaming giant starting in 2025.
This will also mark the first time Raw will not air episodes on a linear television network in its three-decades-long history. The popular wrestling program currently airs on the USA Network.
Per Variety:
WWE’s current deal with NBCUniversal has “Raw” airing on USA Network until October 2024. According to an individual with knowledge of the situation, exactly where “Raw” will air between the end of that deal and the beginning of the Netflix deal is still being determined.
Under the deal, Netflix will become the exclusive home of “Raw” in the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Latin America, and other territories once the deal begins, with more countries and regions to be added over time. Netflix will also become the television home for all WWE shows outside the U.S. That includes fellow weekly shows “SmackDown” and “NXT” as well as annual live events like WrestleMania, SummerSlam, and the Royal Rumble, as well as documentaries, original series, and additional projects.
This partnership is one that will break new ground, and take @WWE to new heights. Thrilled to bring #WWERaw to @Netflix coming January 2025. Now we change the game!!!!” 14-time WWE Wolrd Champion, now Chief Content Officer of the company Triple H said in a post on X, formerly Twitter.
Fans Emotions About The Deal Are All Over The Place
The WWE continues to be a massive force in the sport’s entertainment world. As you can imagine, fans are reacting to the news that they will now be “Netflix & Body Slamming.”
We shall see if this deal will positively or negatively affect the WWE’s momentum. It’s a huge win for Netflix as they push to show more live content.
News of the deal also arrives as one of its biggest superstars, Dwayne’ The Rock’ Johnson, joined the WWE and UFC board.
The streaming giant took its first step to show live events with Chris Rock’s post-Will Smith slap comedy special Selective Outrage and, most recently, the Screen Actors Guild Awards.
You can see more reactions in the gallery below.
1. Good question
2. We would be down for both with you Mami
3. Lol, damn
4. Definitely what is sounds like
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The hit Netflix series Rhythm + Flow returns for a second season, with Ludacris and DJ Khaled as judges along with Latto.
On Thursday (Jan. 18), Netflix released the trailer for the second season of their wildly popular Hip-Hop competition series, Rhythm + Flow. The show features contestants hailing from all over the country to compete to be Hip-Hop’s newest star and to win $250,000. The new season comes with a set of new judges – Grammy Award-winning rapper and actor Ludacris, DJ Khaled and Latto. The streaming giant also announced that Eminem will be joining in as a special guest “from a surprise location” for the battle round segment of the series. Other special musical guests will be announced at a later date.
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The trailer features a montage of each of the new judges speaking on what drew them to Rhythm + Flow, with Latto harkening back to her time as the victor on another Hip-Hop reality competition show hosted by Jermaine Dupri, The Rap Game. “I’m a contestant turned judge. So you know my opinion holds a little weight around this motherf–ker The first season of Rhythm + Flow debuted in 2019, seeing D-Smoke emerge as the winner with a judging panel of Cardi B, T.I. and Chance The Rapper.
“We are taking things up a notch with a new cast of global hitmakers in our judges and a new pool of undiscovered artists,” said Brandon Riegg, Netflix’s VP of Nonfiction Series in the press release. “Hip-hop continues to evolve so it’ll be thrilling to see Ludacris, Latto, and DJ Khaled mentoring contestants during their journeys, along with legendary guest judges like Eminem providing their own brand of insight and advice.”
“This season features a powerhouse panel of judges, each with a distinct and influential role in hip-hop culture,” said executive producers Jesse Collins and Dionne Harmon. “In this significant moment for the genre, the focus extends beyond the music alone. We’re seeking unconventional voices and authentic stories that peel back layers and invite fans to immerse themselves in the contestants’ world as we spotlight the continually evolving spirit of hip-hop.” In addition to Jesse Collins Entertainment, Gaspin Media and Get Lifted Film Co. are also producing the new season.
How was Vince Staples‘ day? Let’s see: He tried getting bailed out of jail, got stomped on by an amusement-park mascot, dodged bullets from a mystery shooter, shared lemon-pepper wings with Rick Ross, watched people beef with each other during a cookout and get recognized by a bank robber who started singing his song “Magic” […]
