Big Fish Theory

The majority of Big Fish Theory was recorded at EastWest Studios in Los Angeles, except for "Ramona Park Is Yankee Stadium" and "BagBak", which were recorded with producer Ray Brady at The Torch, also in Los Angeles.[3] Staples met Zack Sekoff, the album's primary producer, through Staples' DJ Westside Ty.[4]

On November 29, 2016, Staples announced he would go on a 2017 tour in promotion of Big Fish Theory, the Life Aquatic Tour, alongside Kilo Kish. It began on February 24, 2017, in San Diego, California, and ended on April 9 of the same year, in Phoenix, Arizona.[20][21]

On January 3, 2017, Staples announced that he would release a song called "BagBak" on February 2, 2017.[22] On May 18, in an interview on Zane Lowe's show Beats 1, he announced the title of his upcoming album and released an accompanying single, "Big Fish".[23][24] He also announced that Big Fish Theory would be released on June 23, 2017.[25][26] On June 8, he released his third single, "Rain Come Down",[27] as well an accompanying music video.[28] On June 11, he released the album's artwork and an Instagram photo of the 12-song track list.[29][30] Billboard's Tatiana Cirisano listed the "clever" artwork, which depicts a "frightened-looking guppy", as one of the best of 2017.[31]

Professional ratings

Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
AnyDecentMusic?	8.4/10[32]
Metacritic	89/100[33]
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[19]
The A.V. Club	A−[34]
Entertainment Weekly	A−[35]
The Guardian	[17]
NME	[7]
The Observer	[36]
Pitchfork	8.7/10[8]
Q	[37]
Rolling Stone	[13]
Vice	A−[38]

Big Fish Theory was met with widespread critical acclaim. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 89, based on 25 reviews.[33] Aggregator AnyDecentMusic? gave it 8.4 out of 10, based on their assessment of the critical consensus.[32]

AllMusic critic Neil Z. Yeung thought that "Big Fish Theory cements Staples' status as one of the most talented and forward-thinking voices in rap in the late 2010s".[19] The A.V. Club's Clayton Purdom stated: "On Big Fish Theory, an album about the guilt that comes with transcending one's home, Staples finds a better language still."[34] Liam Egan of Clash described the album as "a record that not only sees Vince taking risks and progressing forward as an artist, but also another astounding example of what hip-hop should and can be in 2017".[39] Eric Renner Brown of Entertainment Weekly thought that Big Fish Theory "surpasses expectations, with incisive lyrics and beats that spurn current trends for a set that sounds unlike anything else in hip-hop right now".[35] The Guardian's Kate Hutchinson stated that the record "makes for a challenging, dystopian listen, the blade runner to everyone else's replicant".[17]

Joe Madden of NME stated that Staples' lyrics are "emotionally calibrated for 2017: antsy, alienated and occasionally overcome with nihilistic despair at the state of the world. And his bleak lyrical brilliance is perfectly matched by Big Fish Theory's experimental production".[7] Pitchfork gave it the title of "Best New Music" with writer Sheldon Pearce stating that "Big Fish Theory feels like a natural progression" and further added: "Amid the gleaming productions, he's still exploring darkness."[8] Rolling Stone's Christopher R. Weingarten stated: "sure, it's less focused than the reportage of 2015's Summertime '06, but the varying emotions and outlooks mark a full step forward into becoming a multi-layered, genre-crossing, emotion-spilling pop auteur in the vein of West, Drake or Childish Gambino."[13] The Line of Best Fit's Erik Thompson wrote that "on this record it is clear that Staples is making his own assertive artistic statement for these turbulent times, while also firmly establishing himself as one of the brash, singular voices that is going to be leading the music world into the chaotic, unpredictable future".[40] Sputnikmusic praised the album, calling it the best hip hop album of 2017.[41]

Big Fish Theory debuted at number 16 on the US Billboard 200 with 24,000 album-equivalent units, of which 14,000 were pure album sales.[52]

Notes

• ^{^[a]} signifies a co-producer
• ^{^[b]} signifies an additional producer

Sample credits

• "Alyssa Interlude" contains samples of "I Wish It Would Rain", written by Rodger Penzabene, Barrett Strong and Norman Whitfield, and performed by The Temptations; and excerpts from Tim Chipping's interview with Amy Winehouse.
• "Love Can Be..." contains an interpolation of "Hood Nigga (Remix)", written by Alonzo Mathis, Dana Ramey and Christopher Ussery, and performed by Gorilla Zoe.
• "Homage" contains an interpolation of "Hold Me Back", written by Joshua Murphy, Julius Preston and William Roberts, and performed by Rick Ross.

Credits adapted from the album's official liner notes.[3]

• Big Fish Theory at Discogs