Vince Staples stopped by NPR’s Washington, D.C., headquarters ahead of his fall tour to perform five songs from his new rock-influenced album, according to Pitchfork. The set touched on the continued disenfranchisement of Black Americans.
During a live performance of “Go! Go! Gorilla,” Staples paused to name deceased Black Panther members who were killed by law enforcement, including Bobby Hutton, George Jackson and Larry Kimmons.
Later in the performance, Staples recalled a conversation he had before shooting the video for his lead single, “Blackberry Marmalade.” He said one friend worried the restaurant scene in the video would cause backlash.
Staples said he believed the response would be stronger to the video’s flag imagery, which he suggested would upset people more than the restaurant scene.
