Vince Staples is back with a new album, and it’s a sound fans haven’t heard yet from the ever-experimental rapper. On June 5, Staples released Cry Baby , his first album in two years. The record takes inspiration from post-punk, full of synths, teeth-rattling bass with an unmistakable dark groove, and blown-out vocals. The album was preceded by singles “Blackberry Marmalade,” “White Flag,” and “Cotton.” “Blackberry Marmalade” was accompanied by a provocative video of a faceless shooter murdering Staples before opening fire on Black patrons at a diner, eventually turning the gun on himself. The video was shot in first-person perspective, a la a shooting game. Emphasizing continuity for the rollout, “White Flag” shows Staples painting the American flag white, a universal symbol for a truce or surrender. The final video before the album, “Cotton,” shows the flag being used as a projector screen.…