The young California rapper Vince Staples has been around for a while; he was having great moments on the first Earl Sweatshirt mixtape four years ago. And yet Staples really feels like he’s only just arrived. His Shyne Coldchain Vol. 2 mixtape was one of the year’s best, and his “Blue Suede” single was a noisy, clattering declaration of intent. And now he’s shared “Hands Up,” the latest track that could end up on his Def Jam debut Hell Can Wait. The song isn’t the Ferguson protest I expected. Instead, it’s a fractured and intense song about what it’s like to feel like the police are always looking for reasons to put you away. It’s a powerful piece of work, but it has a deadpan swagger to it, too. Listen below.

(via Nah Right)

Hell Can Wait is coming soon from Def Jam.