The Drop: Vince Staples

The Grammy Museum is thrilled to welcome one of the most compelling voices of his generation, Vince Staples for an evening discussing his new album, Cry Baby, his creative process, tour, and more, with a special performance in the Museum's intimate 200-seat Clive Davis Theater. Firmly established as a generational talent, across his career Staples has consistently expanded his reach across music, film, and television; but it’s within music that he continues to sharpen his edge as a singular storyteller and cultural force. Following the deeply introspective lens of Ramona Park Broke My Heart, a melancholic homage to his hometown, and Dark Times, which pushed even further inward, his new album Cry Baby turns outward, processing the endlessly repeating cycles of American tumult and reflecting them back with sharply honed clarity and intent. Beyond the lyrics and subject matter, Cry Baby also signals a bold musical and sonic shift. Staples built each track around live instrumentation, underscoring the album’s immediacy and urgency. The result is a dynamic, confrontational body of work that captures the tension, absurdity, and emotional weight of America - an album that doesn’t just document the times and its precedents, but actively wrestles with them. The album is the opening salvo of the iconic musician’s independent era, a moment during which he’s directly engaged with fans time and time again - from manning the booth selling tickets at El Rey Theatre for his album release sho