Last month, Vince Staples released his self-titled studio LP, his fourth to date. The project contained 10 tracks with a single feature from Fousheé — much like its predecessor, FM!, Vince Staples also saw production mainly handled by Kenny Beats.
This past weekend, the Long Beach star contributed to the three-song compilation The Red EP, which signals the continuing celebration of Pokémon’s 25th anniversary — a milestone that was first marked by a virtual concert starring Post Malone. The contribution in question is titled “Got ‘Em,” which sees production from frequent collaborator Leken Taylor and mixes Pokémon references with bars about Staples’ hometown:
“Porsche 911, hat to the back, where they at? Yeah, watch for the snakes, watch for the rats, in the grass, Rattatas, Arboks, these is our blocks, yeah, can’t get close, so me gettin’ smoke is a long shot, yeah, you know how the team rock, you don’t wanna be caught, growin’ up, we fought, some we’ve won, some we’ve lost…”
On Pokémon’s official website, Staples spoke on the song’s creation and what multimedia franchise means to him:
“I’ve always been a fan of Pokémon, so it was particularly special to be asked to take part in this 25th anniversary celebration … I’m excited for people to hear ‘Got ‘Em,’ and hope the song resonates with fans, especially those who grew up with Pokémon like I did.”
This month, it was also revealed that Vince Staples will be joining Tyler, The Creator for his “Call Me When You Get Lost” tour, which will also see support from Kali Uchis and Teezo Touchdown. That run kicks off next February and will continue until April.
Press play on both Vince Staples’ “Got ‘Em” and the aforementioned Pokémon 25: The Red EP, which also features music from Swedish-English single Mabel and the Michigan-born and raised talent Cyn.