There have been enough offbeat comedies about rappers and hip-hop lately to make up their own genre — the shape-shifting surreality of “Atlanta,” the scatological farce of “Dave,” the social-media savvy of “Rap Sh!t” — not to mention a list of dramas and docu-series from “Empire” to “Wu-Tang: An American Saga.”On Thursday, Netflix adds “The Vince Staples Show,” an impressionistic alt-comedy built around the deadpan sensibility of its star.
It is mordantly funny and visually arresting, although at five brief episodes, it’s more of an EP than a magnum opus.
Staples, once affiliated with the alternative hip-hop collective Odd Future, is known not just for his music but for a self-aware sense of humor that’s made him a sharp presence on social media.
In the series, whose executive producers include Staples and Kenya Barris (“black-ish”), he plays a version of himself, flexing his sardonic voice while playing with the sense of danger that informs many of his lyrics.
In the first episode, Vince is pulled over after making a U-turn in his home town of Long Beach, Calif.
Persons:
Dave, “ Wu, Vince Staples, Staples, that’s, Vince, “
Organizations:
Netflix, Staples, Kenya Barris
Locations:
Atlanta, Kenya, Long Beach, Calif