Music moves in waves, especially in hip-hop. Some artists and tracks get the corporate push to the surface, get popular for a year or a summer, fall off and get lost in the shuffle. In the midst of that roller coaster, you have artists who are carving out their own lane, speaking their minds while creating music that speaks from their souls. Vince Staples is that artist. A necessary voice, not only in hip-hop but in all music and, more importantly, in life itself.
Fans of all ages are heading to the Queen Elizabeth Theatre in Toronto tonight to celebrate The CryBaby tour. This album is his Seventh Studio album and is the perfect blend of Punk Rock and HIP HOP. In my opinion, an AOTY contender. This incredibly powerful and impactful record is on display tonight, with live instrumentation backing him on stage—a setup Vince has never toured with before.
The 15 song set started off with “ Only In America” One of Eleven tracks off his 2026 release, The remainder of the nights songs only go back as far back as his 2022 release. The playful banter and connection to his audience is what makes this night special. A wonderful experience for majority of fans in attendance who were either seeing him for the first time or attending their first concert experience, ever! Acknowledgement and appreciation shown by Vince as he received the wonderful and unexpected feedback. This album has connected to many people on a personal level so it wasn’ t surprising to see so many new fans there to support him. He took time during the set to sign any vinyl that was handed to him. This was an extra special moment that made this night perfect.
I walked away with an even greater appreciation for this album . I witnessed the impact it had on the new music, live music supppoter. It also cemented my belief that in the past 10+ years, Vince is the most important artist in HIP HOP. A wonderful night that Re-activated my faith and love for the genre.
Connect with Vince Staples: Website || Twitter/X || Instagram
Be sure to check out Live Nation Ontario to see all of the other great acts that they will be bringing to Toronto this year.
