Vince Staples answers the question “Who’s Vince Staples?” with The Vince Staples Show trailer

If you are a rap fan or a member of the chronically online, you probably know who Vince Staples is. If not, then Netflix has a show for you: The Vince Staples Show, a new meta-comedy premiering February 15. The limited series, produced by black-ish creator Kenya Barris, aims to introduce Staples to a new audience, one that might not be aware of the rapper’s many talents. As it’s put in the trailer (by a face-painted bank robber wielding a rifle), “Culture yourselves!”

“Who’s Vince Staples? Well, that’s a tricky question,” reads the Netflix synopsis. “He’s kind of famous, but he’s not. He’s kind of rich, but he’s not. He’s also kind of a criminal. But he’s…not? Follow him on his daily adventures, where anything that can go wrong usually does.” Similar to Pete Davidson’s semi-autobiographical comedy Bupkis, the new series features the star playing a heightened version of himself in a heightened version of his life. The trailer finds Staples in a series of silly, surreal, sometimes alarming situations, from a family barbecue to prison to, yes, an active bank robbery—all of which is just another day in the life for the disrespected rapper, who shrugs off questions about his day with a nonchalant, “It was cool.”

Staples first rose to prominence as an artist through his affiliation with the rap collective Odd Future. Fans who followed him on the platform formerly known as Twitter have always known Staples has a great sense of humor, but in recent years he’s been honing his comedic acting chops with roles in projects like Dope, Insecure, and White Men Can’t Jump; he recently had a recurring role on the Emmy-award winning series Abbott Elementary as Janine’s (Quinta Brunson) boyfriend Maurice.

But to really get a sense of The Vince Staples Show, check out the precursor series on his YouTube page. The 2019 project, which at the time accompanied the release of new music, views now like a proof-of-concept pitch to give Staples a real TV show. In 2022, it was announced that Netflix had commissioned a full series with Barris on board to produce. (Barris previously had a deal with the streamer before moving to Paramount and BET Studios.) “I am excited to partner with Netflix and Kenya Barris on ‘The Vince Staples Show,’” Staples said at the time (via Variety). “This has been something I have been developing for some time and I am happy it’s coming to fruition.”

Staples created the series alongside Ian Edelman and Maurice Williams and produces alongside Barris, Edelman, Williams, Corey Smyth, and William Stefan Smith. The Vince Staples Show also stars Vanessa Bell Calloway (Coming To America, This Is Us) and Andrea Ellsworth (#BlackAF, Gentefied) with guest appearances from Naté Jones, Arturo Castro, Scott MacArthur, Bryan Greenberg, and Myles Bullock.