Keep Breathing Slowly Slowly

Vince Staples featuring Kilo Kush “Loco”

Vince Staples’ lyrics have an incredible density – verbose and highly detailed, sure, but he has a talent for layering meaning in his verses so his songs are like narrative high rises. There’s a lot going on in “Loca,” enough that it’s hard to keep the “plot” straight, in as much as this song could be taken as a linear series of events. It’s more about the accumulation of moments – frenzied hookups, hustling for money, bouts of panic and depression, racial tensions, good memories tied to mom, bad memories tied to dad. DJ Dahi’s track signals paranoia, but also traces of lust and rage, and it frames Staples’ vocal performance without getting too matchy-matchy. Kilo Kush’s vocals are what really pop here – she’s so relaxed and playful compared to Vince, and she seems like a tether to softer feelings, or just sanity in general.

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