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9.0
137868
9.0 |
The Line Of Best Fit
Dark Times is an exposé of Vince’s bruises and scars, an incredible portrait of the unglamorous sides of both his life as a celebrity and prior to his fame
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9.0
138172
9.0 |
Albumism
Staples shows his emotional depth without wallowing in pathos. Dealing with fame can be complicated, but the Long Beach emcee bares his troubled psyche and celebrates his accomplishments. It’s another great step for an increasingly special artist
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8.0
137736
8.0 |
Clash
It refuses to let the quality dim, it’s endless stream of ideas enticing and perplexing in equal fashion. In emphatic style, rap’s foremost outlier demands your attention all over again
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8.0
137740
8.0 |
Slant Magazine
The rapper uses his experience as both an example and a cautionary tale
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8.0
137750
8.0 |
Beats Per Minute
Staples dances between despair and the commitment to continue searching – for inspiration, equanimity, for a sense of wholeness, as elusive as that may be
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8.0
137793
8.0 |
Exclaim
Despite how dark things may be, the constant throughout Staples's story has been his desire to move beyond life's obstacles. On Dark Times, it feels like he truly ha
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7.6
137825
7.6 |
Pitchfork
The Long Beach rapper threads the fables of the past with the reality of the present for another expertly written, starkly candid record
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7.0
137737
7.0 |
Rolling Stone
Throughout, Staples’ dominant instincts like narrative-driven songwriting and punchy choruses sustain him. His flow falters a bit, particularly on “Étouffée.” If he sounds tentativeness at times, it may be from his self-consciousness at grasping for a new level of maturity and, surprisingly, spirituality
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6.0
137733
6.0 |
The FT
The Californian rapper returns from an excursion into making darkly comic TV with a thoughtful record
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