Transcript For Ziwe's Interview With Vince Staple

I want to see a black box production of this.

[00:00:00] Ziwe: Do you style yourself or do you have usually- I do too.

[00:00:05] Vince: I’m not paying for that shit.

[00:00:06] Ziwe: Bro. Tonight I interview rapper and comedian Vince Staples. What do you want your last words on screen to be?

[00:00:13] Vince: R Kelly. You only had one slow kid in the whole school. Pick up a book. Where were the white people?

[00:00:19] Ziwe: Well, you brought up slavery.

Don’t put this on me.

[00:00:22] Vince: (bleep) you and your bald ass granny. Shoot guns, smoke crack, (bleep) bitches.

[00:00:27] Ziwe: My most iconic interview yet.

[00:00:30] Vince: Killed a (bleep) (bleep) a back area (bleep).

[00:00:32] Ziwe: Ziwe News Network starts now.

My next iconic guest is a Long Beach rapper, known for his razor sharp cultural commentary. Watch “The Vince Staples Show” on Netflix. Please welcome Vince Staples.

[00:00:51] Vince: How you doing?

[00:00:51] Ziwe: Swell. How are you?

[00:00:52] Vince: I can’t complain.

[00:00:53] Ziwe: It is a pleasure to meet one of the funniest people on the internet.

[00:00:57] Vince: You think that’s me? I appreciate that.

[00:01:00] Ziwe: Why would you doubt yourself?

[00:01:02] Vince: I don’t know. I don’t like being laughed at. Feels condescending. A little racist sometimes based on my demographics, but...

[00:01:07] Ziwe: And what are the demographics exactly?

[00:01:09] Vince: White people.

[00:01:10] Ziwe: Oh.

[00:01:10] Vince: White males. 25 to 49.

[00:01:13] Ziwe: Hey.

[00:01:14] Vince: Gotta pay the bills, right?

[00:01:17] Ziwe: Can you state for the record your race and gender?

[00:01:19] Vince: I’m a Black male.

[00:01:21] Ziwe: Please.

[00:01:21] Vince: African- oh, I’m a Black male, African American, Black.

[00:01:24] Ziwe: Oh, African American Black.

[00:01:25] Vince: Descendant of slaves. That’s what they call it on the internet.

[00:01:27] Ziwe: Oh, I see.

[00:01:28] Vince: Yeah. We’re doing this compartmentalization thing as Black people now to make the white people like us.

[00:01:33] Ziwe: For the record, um, you, you are born and raised in California, but where exactly, do you know, where your family moved from?

Is it- what part of the south?

[00:01:41] Vince: You talking slavery?

[00:01:42] Ziwe: Yes. Well, you brought up slavery. Don’t put this on me.

[00:01:45] Vince: It’s one of my favorite things.

[00:01:46] Ziwe: Oh.

[00:01:46] Vince: Yeah, really. We persevere, you know what I’m saying? But we have some Canadians. Because they had slavery up there too. They pretend they didn’t, and then those people moved to Louisiana.

It was like a trade for land. They pretend that didn’t happen either. And then they ended up in Texas and then they ended up in California. But some of them were in Stockton, California being slaves as well. And California pretends they never had slaves, but we were there.

[00:02:06] Ziwe: Do you have a message to the Californians who were pretending that they weren’t part of the Atlantic slave trade?

[00:02:12] Vince: It’s okay. It’s okay.

[00:02:15] Ziwe: That’s not an indictment at all.

[00:02:17] Vince: Are they pretending that they weren’t slaves or were slaves?

[00:02:19] Ziwe: Yeah, that they were- that they didn’t have slaves.

[00:02:22] Vince: Oh, the whites?

[00:02:23] Ziwe: You literally just said that.

[00:02:24] Vince: California pretends they never had slaves, but we were there. I thought you meant the slaves themselves.

[00:02:29] Ziwe: No, you said that Californians and people from Canada pretended that they did not participate in slavery.

[00:02:35] Vince: See, I thought we were consoling the slaves.

[00:02:37] Ziwe: Okay, well we can console them as well.

[00:02:39] Vince: Yeah. Shout out to the slaves. As far as Massa, we’re gonna revolt one day. Schools, churches, all of that, you know.

[00:02:49] Ziwe: That was haunting. Coming up.

Do you read a lot?

[00:02:52] Vince: I just read something called sociopath.

[00:02:53] Ziwe: Mm. And did you see some similarities?

[00:02:57] Vince: I’ve heard that a lot. I’ve heard that a lot.

[00:03:01] Ziwe: Now, what is your horoscope and how do you use it to justify your personality disorder?

[00:03:07] Vince: Cancer. But when you get into like the risings and shit, it gets pretty dark.

[00:03:11] Ziwe: What is it?

[00:03:11] Vince: I don’t know. But one of my friends, she suggested therapy.

[00:03:14] Ziwe: Oh.

[00:03:15] Vince: Um, so I think it’s pretty bad.

[00:03:17] Ziwe: And do you have a therapist?

[00:03:19] Vince: No.

[00:03:20] Ziwe: No.

[00:03:21] Vince: No, no- I’m very fiscally responsible.

[00:03:22] Ziwe: When you say that- because therapy helps others around you.

[00:03:26] Vince: If you’re adding to the money, I’ll apologize. If not, I won’t. It’s not right, but it’s...

[00:03:33] Ziwe: No, it’s classist.

[00:03:34] Vince: Yeah, it’s a fact.

[00:03:35] Ziwe: On season two, episode five, you are ostensibly held hostage at a private members club. Do you support class segregation or are you a demon?

[00:03:43] Vince: I’m not in the 1%. I’m probably a high percent because you know how the economy is right now, it’s pretty bad for a lot of people. But-

[00:03:49] Ziwe: Shout- do you know loose, like five, top five?

[00:03:52] Vince: I gotta be top 10.

[00:03:53] Ziwe: Oh.

[00:03:53] Vince: It’s a lot of money out here.

[00:03:55] Ziwe: And you have a bunch of it ‘cause you have season two on Netflix.

[00:03:57] Vince: No, but I have California state income tax.

[00:03:59] Ziwe: Okay. Got it.

[00:04:00] Vince: They can audit, you know.

[00:04:01] Ziwe: Would you ever move to like, um, Rhode Island, Delaware?

[00:04:06] Vince: Maybe Rhode Island? I do actually like Rhode Island.

[00:04:09] Ziwe: Lower taxes. Should billionaires exist and are there any billionaires in particular you pray take a merciful trip to the Titanic?

[00:04:17] Vince: See, I don’t think billionaires should exist, but it’s not their fault. I think we need to get back to the revolt. We need to get back to pulling people outta their house.

Killing them.

[00:04:25] Ziwe: Oh.

[00:04:25] Vince: Taking their wealth. Like they did, the guy who started, you know, Mormonism.

[00:04:29] Ziwe: Who started Mormonism?

[00:04:31] Vince: John.

[00:04:31] Ziwe: John Smith?

[00:04:32] Vince: Yeah. And then you know, Brigham Young told on him to the government and they killed him in Philadelphia, in jail.

[00:04:37] Ziwe: Could you tell this story to camera please? ‘Cause I’m not familiar with this lore.

[00:04:40] Vince: Once upon a time, there was a man named John Smith. He was a pedophile. To justify his pedophilia, he decided to have multiple wives. He said he got a message from God in a tree. I think that’s a fact. Brigham Young was working with the government. It’s like Judas and the Black Messiah, but in Utah. He told on John Smith.

He was arrested for some charge that’s going against the government, and then they murdered him in Philadelphia, dragged him and his family out, killed them in the street. Now Brigham Young has a university and he’s the father of Mormonism.

[00:05:08] Ziwe: Wow.

Coming up- you watch a lot of reality tv.

[00:05:14] Vince: I love Mormon Wives.

[00:05:14] Ziwe: Well, you really do?

[00:05:15] Vince: I love Mormon Wives.

[00:05:16] Ziwe: Shut up. Really?

[00:05:17] Vince: Yeah. Yeah.

[00:05:17] Ziwe: What, who’s your favorite character?

[00:05:18] Vince: I like the football playing son, because you can tell he’s ashamed of his life.

[00:05:22] Ziwe: Do you mean Sister Wives?

[00:05:23] Vince: Sister Wives.

[00:05:23] Ziwe: You’re being racist. There’s a Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, which is about these young, uh, polygamists.

And then you’re talking about Sister Wives, which is Cody and-

[00:05:32] Vince: Cody.

[00:05:32] Ziwe: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah. And you like that show?

[00:05:35] Vince: Love that show.

[00:05:35] Ziwe: Who’s your favorite wife?

[00:05:37] Vince: I’m really more into the kids ‘cause they have like shame and pain in their eyes.

[00:05:39] Ziwe: Yeah.

[00:05:40] Vince: Not a big fan of Cody. I feel like he’s gonna snap, you know?

[00:05:43] Ziwe: He is losing it because he’s losing control of the kids.

[00:05:45] Vince: And the hair.

[00:05:46] Ziwe: Yeah, he looks like shit.

[00:05:46] Vince: The hair is the biggest issue.

[00:05:48] Ziwe: What’s the issue to you?

[00:05:49] Vince: He’s losing his hair and then his wives are like, “Oh, you look wonderful.” And then he’s like, you’re (bleep) lying to me. It’s weird and it’s not godly.

[00:05:59] Ziwe: Now, question for you. Would you give away 10% of your net worth to help end poverty or are you a selfish demon?

[00:06:05] Vince: Can I pick whose poverty I end?

[00:06:07] Ziwe: Sure.

[00:06:07] Vince: Yes.

[00:06:08] Ziwe: Whose?

[00:06:09] Vince: The Black community?

[00:06:10] Ziwe: Oh, okay.

[00:06:11] Vince: Yeah. I don’t believe in helping other people like that.

[00:06:14] Ziwe: And yet you have 70% of your audience that is uplifting you.

[00:06:17] Vince: Tortured artists. I tell ‘em “thank you.” But it’s like, you know, it’s like McDonald’s. You know? They don’t say that they’re not selling poison.

They just say “over a billion served” and “Happy Meal.” And that’s my political practice when it comes to my fans.

[00:06:30] Ziwe: What’s the best way for rich Black celebrities to give back that doesn’t involve inventing the moonwalk?

[00:06:35] Vince: Or like a casino or like a African school?

[00:06:38] Ziwe: Mm. An school in Africa or an a African themed school in the United States?

[00:06:43] Vince: Mm, I like that one too.

[00:06:46] Ziwe: Okay.

[00:06:46] Vince: I don’t know, man. I think. You gotta go Patty Hearst. You gotta go Harry Belafonte and just fund a revolution.

[00:06:52] Ziwe: You are a radical.

[00:06:54] Vince: Mm. A little bit. A little bit.

[00:07:00] Ziwe: Okay. The episode features a murder mystery game called “Who Killed Massa?” I’m going to list some famous events and conspiracies, and you tell me who is responsible. Are you ready?

[00:07:11] Vince: Yeah.

[00:07:12] Ziwe: The disappearance of Amelia Earhart?

[00:07:14] Vince: The United States government.

[00:07:15] Ziwe: The Moon landing?

[00:07:17] Vince: United States government.

[00:07:18] Ziwe: And you think it’s real or do you think it- it’s fake?

[00:07:21] Vince: I think it’s a little bit of both.

[00:07:22] Ziwe: Oh. Assassination of JFK?

[00:07:25] Vince: The Mafia.

[00:07:26] Ziwe: Egyptian Pyramids?

[00:07:28] Vince: The Aliens.

[00:07:29] Ziwe: Bermuda Triangle?

[00:07:30] Vince: The Mexicans.

[00:07:30] Ziwe: 9/11?

[00:07:32] Vince: George. Just pick a George.

[00:07:35] Ziwe: Got it. JonBenet Ramsey?

[00:07:38] Vince: R Kelly.

[00:07:39] Ziwe: Murders of Biggie and Tupac?

[00:07:40] Vince: Institutional violence within the Black community in hip hop.

[00:07:43] Ziwe: Mmm.

[00:07:44] Vince: Wrong place, wrong time.

[00:07:45] Ziwe: Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.?

[00:07:46] Vince: Uh, Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson and the prostitutes.

[00:07:49] Ziwe: Oh. Um, the disappearance of the ancient Mayans?

[00:07:53] Vince: The Mexicans.

[00:07:54] Ziwe: Autism?

[00:07:56] Vince: I had a conversation about this the other day.

[00:07:58] Ziwe: What was it?

[00:07:58] Vince: At the chiropractor.

[00:07:59] Ziwe: Why were you doing that?

[00:08:01] Vince: Well, because he’s an anti-vaxxer.

[00:08:03] Ziwe: Okay.

[00:08:03] Vince: Yeah. Yeah. And he said, “When I was a kid, we only had one slow kid in the whole school. Now they’re just full of them.” It was very interesting.

[00:08:11] Ziwe: Unprompted, he said that to you.

[00:08:12] Vince: Yeah. Yeah. And then he asked me- well that was my fault, ‘cause he asked me what kind of music I make or like, and I said, I like Limp Bizkit.

And I think that just, I wanted to disarm him while he had my spine in his hands.

[00:08:22] Ziwe: Got it.

[00:08:22] Vince: Um.

[00:08:23] Ziwe: While he, you were disarmed.

[00:08:24] Vince: Yeah.

[00:08:24] Ziwe: Yeah.

[00:08:25] Vince: And then it just got kind of weird.

[00:08:26] Ziwe: Got it. So no answer other than you need to change your chiropractor.

[00:08:28] Vince: Oh, autism. That’s just life, man. It’s creativity. We’re selfish as human beings. We want Mozart, but we don’t want a little drool here and there.

It’s wrong.

[00:08:39] Ziwe: You rap, “if you ain’t talking dollars, it doesn’t make sense.” (bleep), marry, kill: capitalism, socialism, communism.

[00:08:47] Vince: You gotta marry communism. You gotta (bleep) capitalism, you gotta kill socialism.

[00:08:52] Ziwe: Why?

[00:08:53] Vince: Because it feels like a scam. With communism it’s like “we share,” socialism is like a little bit more, “let’s be fair.”

[00:09:01] Ziwe: Mm-hmm.

[00:09:02] Vince: And I don’t like that language.

[00:09:03] Ziwe: No.

[00:09:04] Vince: Capitalism is like, “get it how you live, survival of the fittest.” But capitalism doesn’t really work with like laws. So if we go wild, wild west, I think the Blacks will overcome. And I’m just, I love us.

[00:09:17] Ziwe: Can you please give a word of inspiration to the Blacks in hopes that they overcome?

[00:09:21] Vince: We gotta fight back. We gotta attack they schools, they churches, everything.

[00:09:30] Ziwe: Wow. Speaking of violence, the season two finale cuts to black just as your character is about to be stabbed. In the pilot, your character is warned that a fellow inmate has good form for stabbing. What exactly is good form for stabbing?

[00:09:45] Vince: It depends. If you’re talking about a traditional knife style, you know, you go palm up. But if you’re talking about a shank, you wanna get the Garnier Fructis bottle melted down, get the CD jewel case, then you wrap it around, melt it down again, and try to- it’s a lot of it depends. Long story short, it depends where you are. But different strokes for different folks.

Have you seen Parent Trap?

[00:10:04] Ziwe: Of course,

[00:10:05] Vince: Fencing is like, it’s kind of like similar to that.

[00:10:08] Ziwe: So you, you couldn’t give a tutorial on how to stab if you wanted to or could you?

[00:10:14] Vince: No. I don’t believe in violence. We gotta fight back. We gotta attack their schools. Pulling people outta their house. Killing them.

[00:10:22] Ziwe: Your show presents a militarized LA. There’s gun violence at the Kurtz rental place, on the way to Uncle James’ funeral, an abuela is packing a single barrel shotgun in her car. It is literally Guns-R-Us. What’s your favorite type of blicky?

[00:10:37] Vince: Walther PPQ’s pretty good. Smith and Wesson Shield’s pretty good. There’s a recall right now on the Sig, um, I forgot what number Sig it is, but you just tap it on the side and it’s like kill a baby, so.

[00:10:49] Ziwe: Oh my gosh.

[00:10:50] Vince: It’s crazy. I wouldn’t suggest people buy those. But I’m also an anti-gun-

[00:10:54] Ziwe: You are?

[00:10:54] Vince: -violence, in my old age.

[00:10:56] Ziwe: Okay. At 34, 33.

[00:10:58] Vince: 32.

[00:10:58] Ziwe: 32.

[00:10:59] Vince: But I’m on the way to 33.

[00:11:00] Ziwe: Okay.

[00:11:00] Vince: Hopefully.

[00:11:01] Ziwe: How old were you when you fired your first blicky?

[00:11:03] Vince: Like towards someone or like for fun?

[00:11:06] Ziwe: Both!

[00:11:08] Vince: I’ve never shot a gun before.

[00:11:09] Ziwe: Oh my gosh.

Would you be willing to give away your blicky to the government for a safe republic?

[00:11:14] Vince: When I was a kid, they had a program where if you turned in a gun, you got a Best Buy gift card.

[00:11:18] Ziwe: For how much?

[00:11:18] Vince: I’ve done that a couple times. It was never a lot of money. It was like a couple hundred maybe. And it was like, “let’s stop gun violence.”

[00:11:23] Ziwe: Yeah.

[00:11:24] Vince: Go buy a PlayStation.

[00:11:25] Ziwe: Okay. Wow. Coming up, you said that you thought Super Mario Kart was for babies.

[00:11:30] Vince: Yeah. I’m just old. You played that as a child. I don’t wanna, I don’t wanna race a little car. “Ooh, banana out the tailpipe.” It’s not for me. You know what I mean? I have an automobile. I live a decent lifestyle.

[00:11:44] Ziwe: On your show, you said, when tragedy strikes, Black people start stealing shit. What were you doing January 6th, 2021?

[00:11:51] Vince: What were we doing? Were we on tour?

Were we on tour?

[00:11:57] Ziwe: They’re all avoiding eye contact.

[00:11:59] Vince: No, he knows.

[00:12:01] Ziwe: On tour in DC? Where were you?

[00:12:02] Vince: No, we were on tour. We were watching on the bus. It was amazing.

[00:12:05] Ziwe: Amazing.

[00:12:06] Vince: Yeah, it was amazing.

[00:12:07] Ziwe: What was amazing about it?

[00:12:07] Vince: I want us to do that.

[00:12:09] Ziwe: Got it.

[00:12:09] Vince: And we would do better because they, they were just ugly, like... The problem with revolution is that it will be photographed.

[00:12:17] Ziwe: Yes.

[00:12:17] Vince: So sloppy loose T-shirts.

[00:12:20] Ziwe: Oh my gosh.

[00:12:20] Vince: Nobody got a pump. Nobody drunk their cayenne in their lemon. It’s, no, it’s just not beautiful.

[00:12:25] Ziwe: Mm-hmm.

[00:12:25] Vince: So you’re fighting the government and you look like shit. So when you die, it’s for nothing. Did you see the lady that got shot? Disgusting wardrobe?

[00:12:34] Ziwe: Oh my goodness.

[00:12:35] Vince: Terrible last moments.

[00:12:39] Ziwe: And our January 6th would differ because we’d be looking...

[00:12:42] Vince: Met Gala. Amazing. Wales Bonner everywhere.

[00:12:47] Ziwe: Shut up.

[00:12:48] Vince: You know?

[00:12:50] Ziwe: Coming up- your character dates a light-skinned woman named Deja who is frequently referred to as white. Do biracial people exist?

[00:12:58] Vince: It depends where they get their trauma from.

[00:13:01] Ziwe: Mm.

[00:13:01] Vince: Depends on the, the mother or the father’s kind of- it’s a different thing. If you have Black man, white woman, you can get an NBA player. If you have a white woman, Black man, you can get a politician.

[00:13:12] Ziwe: Oh my goodness.

[00:13:12] Vince: It really just depends on the blend. You know?

[00:13:14] Ziwe: I never considered. Are you a Black entertainer that only dates light-skinned women?

[00:13:20] Vince: No. My mother would disown me.

[00:13:21] Ziwe: Oh, really?

[00:13:22] Vince: Yeah. But you gotta dabble when you dabble, but...

[00:13:25] Ziwe: Why do you think that that’s a stereotype for Black entertainers?

[00:13:28] Vince: I think we need to stop looking at Black entertainers.

[00:13:31] Ziwe: Mm. Say more.

[00:13:32] Vince: Because you sing and dance doesn’t mean we need to pay attention to the things that you do.

[00:13:36] Ziwe: Mm-hmm.

[00:13:37] Vince: You know what I mean? But that’s capitalism as we talk about. (bleep) it. Don’t marry it.

[00:13:41] Ziwe: Folks at home, we will say there’s irony because you’re a Black entertainer and we’re hanging on your every word.

[00:13:45] Vince: You’re making a mistake. You should not listen to anything that I say. I’m here for capitalism. But I won’t marry it.

[00:13:53] Ziwe: And do you have any words of encouragement for dark skinned Black women that are single?

[00:13:59] Vince: Look man, don’t let ‘em tell you that you ugly. It’s not true. They’re ugly on the inside. And the outside. Look at their mothers, look at their skin. They don’t got the oils.

[00:14:13] Ziwe: Coming up-

[00:14:14] Vince: I wanna know where the school is.

[00:14:16] Ziwe: What school?

[00:14:17] Vince: Exactly. Exactly, Umar. Where’s the school?

[00:14:23] Ziwe: Your mother on the TV show was tasked with cooking macaroni for the cookout, which is described as a delicacy.

[00:14:28] Vince: Mm-hmm.

[00:14:29] Ziwe: What would you bring to the cookout?

[00:14:32] Vince: I’d probably pay for someone’s bail.

[00:14:34] Ziwe: Oh.

[00:14:35] Vince: Yeah, I have one of those families.

[00:14:36] Ziwe: Got it.

[00:14:37] Vince: I think this week I probably gave out like like $4,000.

[00:14:41] Ziwe: Really?

[00:14:41] Vince: Until Friday. It’s always Friday.

[00:14:43] Ziwe: Yeah.

[00:14:43] Vince: Everybody get paid on (bleep) Friday.

[00:14:47] Ziwe: I think it’s good that you’re giving back to your community.

[00:14:51] Vince: Oh no, it’s a loan. I want it back. For sure.

[00:14:55] Ziwe: Okay. That, uh, felt scary. What’s done more harm to the Black community: crack cocaine or processed sugar?

[00:15:01] Vince: Hip hop and R&B.

[00:15:02] Ziwe: Really?

As a rapper, you say that.

[00:15:05] Vince: I, I know what my job is.

[00:15:07] Ziwe: Why do you say that?

[00:15:08] Vince: Shoot guns, smoke, crack, (bleep) bitches. You know what I mean? The right beat-

[00:15:13] Ziwe: Where the hoes where- where the hoes, where the bitches?

[00:15:15] Vince: Where the hoes, where the bitches and the crack at? Just killed a (bleep) on the back street. Yay. Yay.

[00:15:24] Ziwe: And so is this an anti hip hop and rap PSA?

[00:15:29] Vince: No, not as long as I’m doing it.

[00:15:30] Ziwe: Got it.

[00:15:31] Vince: But know you’re selling the poison.

[00:15:37] Ziwe: Oh.

[00:15:38] Vince: You know?

[00:15:38] Ziwe: You think so?

[00:15:39] Vince: Yeah. I’m sorry to the children. Well, no, they’re, they’re not really Black, so I can say what I want, you know what I mean?

[00:15:45] Ziwe: So you’re selling the, the poison to 70% white men from age 18 to 25.

[00:15:50] Vince: It’s a sad existence, I’m telling you, it’s torture up here.

[00:15:53] Ziwe: Are you happy?

[00:15:55] Vince: I’m ecstatic.

[00:15:56] Ziwe: Hmm.

[00:15:57] Vince: I didn’t graduate high school.

I have no better options. So.

[00:16:00] Ziwe: Vince, you’re brilliant. Do you read a lot?

[00:16:02] Vince: Sometimes, yeah.

[00:16:03] Ziwe: What do you read?

[00:16:04] Vince: I’m not gonna pretend I read all the time.

[00:16:05] Ziwe: What do you read?

[00:16:06] Vince: I like like school books.

[00:16:07] Ziwe: What’s your favorite book?

[00:16:08] Vince: The Outsiders.

[00:16:09] Ziwe: Oh, okay. Okay, got it.

[00:16:11] Vince: But it’s from like, it’s ‘cause from childhood.

[00:16:13] Ziwe: No, nothing gold can stay.

[00:16:14] Vince: Yeah. Johnny kinda (bleep) everybody’s life up. Take accountability for your actions. Nobody told you to stab the Greaser in the pool.

[00:16:21] Ziwe: Please.

[00:16:22] Vince: Take accountability for your actions.

[00:16:25] Ziwe: If you could encourage people at home to read and promote literacy, what would you say?

[00:16:30] Vince: You’re not that smart if you’re a (bleep)ing idiot. Pick up a book.

It’ll help you. Mike Judge made a movie called “Idiocracy,” and we’re living in it. Every single (bleep)ing day. Camachos everywhere. Pick up a book.

[00:16:46] Ziwe: Coming up- if we can’t attack people’s looks, what can we attack?

[00:16:50] Vince: Their grandmothers.

[00:16:51] Ziwe: And say, what about their grandmas?

[00:16:53] Vince: (bleep) you and your bald ass granny. (bleep) your dead ass granny.

It’s common ground because I’m attacking you, but not you personally. I’m attacking your lineage, which made me not (bleep). Because if I’m gonna attack your looks, you got them from granny. You know?

[00:17:12] Ziwe: Are we living in hell?

[00:17:14] Vince: Absolutely.

[00:17:14] Ziwe: Do you think there’s a heaven?

[00:17:16] Vince: Absolutely not.

[00:17:17] Ziwe: I think this is it, too.

[00:17:18] Vince: But I put it in music because people like to feel like you believe what they believe.

[00:17:22] Ziwe: You’re manipulating people with the music.

[00:17:24] Vince: Absolutely.

[00:17:26] Ziwe: You know that there are cameras in this room.

[00:17:28] Vince: They know it too.

I say it all the time. They just ignore it.

[00:17:31] Ziwe: Okay.

[00:17:31] Vince: “I pray to God,” I say that shit all the time. Every album- every Jesus on every album.

[00:17:35] Ziwe: And you don’t believe to God at all.

[00:17:37] Vince: I believe that people need what they need to survive. But don’t think there’s a floating man with a blowout? No. Maybe a beaver, maybe an aardvark, maybe a body of water.

[00:17:52] Ziwe: Wow. Are there any white people you would invite to the cookout, and if so, who?

[00:17:57] Vince: No. I don’t believe in, like- why is everyone homeless? Why are we cooking out? Can we just, can someone host? You know?

[00:18:06] Ziwe: You don’t like homelessness?

[00:18:08] Vince: No, I don’t like homelessness. But I live in a city that’s overcome with it.

It’s like rampant.

[00:18:12] Ziwe: Yeah.

[00:18:13] Vince: So I have a lot of friends that are unhoused.

[00:18:15] Ziwe: And what do you do to support them?

[00:18:17] Vince: I give them money for their drugs.

[00:18:18] Ziwe: Okay. For their drugs.

[00:18:22] Vince: Come on. I’m hungry... for black tar heroin.

[00:18:28] Ziwe: Vince. Who is a shining example of the Black diaspora to you?

[00:18:33] Vince: Angela Davis.

[00:18:34] Ziwe: Oh.

[00:18:35] Vince: Light-skinned Afro prison time.

[00:18:37] Ziwe: Why’d you have to say-

[00:18:38] Vince: Brilliant.

[00:18:38] Ziwe: Her complex-

[00:18:39] Vince: Because it’s a, it is a, it is a range of things that are all Black. And I dare (bleep) tell Angela Davis she not Black. Gonna get shot in the face.

[00:18:47] Ziwe: Wow. How many Black friends do you have?

[00:18:51] Vince: All.

[00:18:52] Ziwe: All.

[00:18:52] Vince: It makes me kind of sad though, because I’ve never really had like a real, like a real friendship bond with a white person.

I realize this in my older age.

[00:18:59] Ziwe: You think so?

[00:19:00] Vince: Music, it’s like, um, you, we have collaborators and coworkers and stuff. Like as a kid, there was a kid named Eric. That in the first grade he was cool, but I didn’t really (bleep) with him after a couple weeks.

[00:19:10] Ziwe: Got it.

[00:19:10] Vince: So it makes me feel like I missed out on like something.

[00:19:14] Ziwe: But you talk about Mac Miller so fondly and about -

[00:19:17] Vince: From music, I was grown.

[00:19:18] Ziwe: Yeah.

[00:19:19] Vince: But it’s like, as a kid, it’s like where were the white people?

[00:19:23] Ziwe: That’s a great question.

[00:19:25] Vince: Because they’re everywhere.

[00:19:26] Ziwe: How many Black female friends do you have?

[00:19:28] Vince: A lot. Shout out to Jayshawna, you know, and Kiana, you know what I mean?

Crystal. Shout out all the homies. You know, shout out Black P, my cousin. Shout out all the homies. You know what I mean? Shout out Binky. Love you, Binky.

[00:19:43] Ziwe: These people are real.

[00:19:45] Vince: Oh yeah. Cory knows Binky. Binky like 6’6”. Yeah, Binky like 6’6”, swole.

[00:19:52] Ziwe: And how many of these friends have been to your home?

[00:19:56] Vince: One of them.

I see you in the ghetto. We all in the ghetto. What you said, the cookout. Let’s commune. See you at the park.

[00:20:05] Ziwe: See you at the park.

[00:20:06] Vince: See what the high school football games.

[00:20:07] Ziwe: You’re not letting your close friends like Binky into the front door.

[00:20:11] Vince: Oh, Binky could come to the house.

[00:20:12] Ziwe: Okay, good.

[00:20:13] Vince: Yeah, I can- Binky comes to the house.

[00:20:14] Ziwe: That’s a really sweet name.

[00:20:16] Vince: Yeah.

[00:20:16] Ziwe: Let’s pivot. So season two, episode one starts with an argument between two lesbians arguing over paternity. What’s your favorite letter in the LGBTQIA plus?

[00:20:28] Vince: Definitely the plus ‘cause it’s everybody.

[00:20:29] Ziwe: Oh.

[00:20:30] Vince: You know what I mean? I support the whole diaspora.

[00:20:34] Ziwe: No homo or yes homo?

[00:20:36] Vince: I don’t think we can say that anymore. We can’t no homo anymore. That’s crazy. You got me.

[00:20:47] Ziwe: As a straight man, which do you give less of a (bleep) about women’s rights or gay rights?

[00:20:53] Vince: See, that’s hard, right? Because when it comes to the gay rights thing, I’m a little bit selfish.

[00:20:58] Ziwe: Oh.

[00:20:58] Vince: My Uncle Keith, that’s my boy.

[00:21:00] Ziwe: Mm-hmm.

[00:21:01] Vince: Taught us how to hoop. Had a Audi like 2003 in Watts. You know, that’s, that’s rare. And as far as the women’s rights, it’s only women in my family. So them is my rights. It’s selfish, but I’m fighting for both, you know what I’m saying? It is what it is. Shout out Uncle Keith. RIP Uncle Vincent. You know what I mean?

[00:21:23] Ziwe: Wow. Would you rather have a THOT daughter or a gay son?

[00:21:26] Vince: Twins, both.

[00:21:29] Ziwe: Coming up- is self love a message for everyone or should some people hate themselves?

[00:21:33] Vince: Some people should for sure hate themselves.

[00:21:34] Ziwe: Who?

[00:21:36] Vince: The tortured artist, moi.

[00:21:38] Ziwe: Aw. Do you hate yourself?

[00:21:40] Vince: No, but I should. It’s something I’m working on.

I gotta get my guilt up.

[00:21:45] Ziwe: Got it.

Let’s land this plane. What advice do you have for Americans struggling to stay sober in a dystopian police state?

[00:21:53] Vince: (bleep) the police.

[00:21:55] Ziwe: What does it have to do with sobriety?

[00:21:56] Vince: Oh, I’ve never been high.

[00:21:57] Ziwe: Oh.

[00:21:58] Vince: Well I was born high.

[00:21:59] Ziwe: Mm-hmm.

[00:22:00] Vince: You know, crack baby. Nineties.

[00:22:01] Ziwe: Oh really?

[00:22:02] Vince: Yeah.

But you know

[00:22:03] Ziwe: Oh.

[00:22:04] Vince: After that I cut cold turkey.

[00:22:07] Ziwe: Do you have any vices at all? Like gambling, anything?

[00:22:11] Vince: I don’t know. Negativity.

[00:22:13] Ziwe: Oh.

[00:22:14] Vince: I’m really working on like my disposition.

[00:22:16] Ziwe: This is working on.

[00:22:19] Vince: You get what I’m saying? Yeah. It used to be way worse. I’m doing, I’m doing really good.

[00:22:23] Ziwe: Really?

[00:22:23] Vince: Yeah. It’s not for me. It gets pretty dark. Because it feels like a scam.

I’m not against it, but I am against it.

[00:22:30] Ziwe: This is you at your most positive and cheery.

[00:22:31] Vince: I promise you. It’s, it’s like my peak.

[00:22:34] Ziwe: You’re the first artist I’ve ever interviewed that has a disdain for artists.

[00:22:39] Vince: I don’t think that artists appreciate the regular, everyday person as much as we should.

[00:22:44] Ziwe: Mm.

[00:22:44] Vince: I don’t like this pedestal.

Mm. It’s crazy.

[00:22:47] Ziwe: If you could talk to the artist at home?

[00:22:49] Vince: Love your family, love your friends. Just because you’re great doesn’t mean you’re not a piece of shit.

[00:22:55] Ziwe: Wow. Music has always brought people together. What’s a song that could fix the growing conflict in the Middle East?

[00:23:03] Vince: I got a lotta... “The Big Payback.” Um, “This Is A Man’s World.”

“Write A Letter” by The Whispers. Uh, “Fight For Your Right To Party.” “Many Man,” 50 Cent.

[00:23:21] Ziwe: “Many Men” by 50 cent.

[00:23:22] Vince: Yeah, that’s, that’s off the top of my head.

[00:23:25] Ziwe: Why?

[00:23:27] Vince: Because shit is, it’s hard out there.

[00:23:29] Ziwe: It’s a great song.

[00:23:30] Vince: Yeah.

[00:23:31] Ziwe: Wow, Vince, you are- you have a deep undercurrent.

[00:23:36] Vince: You think so?

[00:23:37] Ziwe: Yeah, you are as deep as the ocean.

Are you kidding?

[00:23:39] Vince: Thank you. We don’t really know how deep the ocean is though, do we?

[00:23:42] Ziwe: Exactly.

[00:23:43] Vince: Yeah, I feel you. That’s deep. I like that. Thank you. That was kind of you.

[00:23:46] Ziwe: Oh, yes. How do you think this went?

[00:23:50] Vince: I think it went amazing.

[00:23:51] Ziwe: What do you want your last words on screen to be?

[00:23:55] Vince: I love you all. And thank you.

[00:23:57] Ziwe: Wow. Thank you, Vince.

Wow. Vince Staples, everyone. Thank you!

[00:24:08] Vince: Was I too bad? That was too many N bombs?

(bleep) (bleep) Shoot gun, smoke crack, (bleep) bitches.

[00:24:15] Ziwe: Where the hoes? Where the hoes, where the bitches?

[00:24:17] Vince: Where the hoes, where the bitches and the crack at?

[00:24:19] Ziwe: Where the hoes, where the bitches?

[00:24:20] Vince: Just killed a (bleep) on the back street

[00:24:22] Ziwe: Where the hoes, where the bitches?

[00:24:23] Vince: Yay. Yay.