Common Featuring Vince Staples “Kingdom”

Common’s string of militaristic songs for Nobody Smiling continues with Long Beach MC Vince Staples getting a feature on “Kingdom.” The rhymer again gives a detailed depiction of urban strife and struggle over empowering choir vocals and the rollicking percussion pattern. It’s right up Common’s alley, but Vince Staples — the dude who gave the standout venomous verse on last year’s “Hive” — slides in quite well here. “Cocaine blunts marinating in the water/Leaning to the puffing and then she gave it to my father/Used to take the bullets out so I can play with the revolver."

“Kingdom” is produced by No I.D., like the rest of Nobody Smiling will be.—Brian Josephs