Vince Staples is back in the office. The Long Beach rapper’s “Smile, You’re On Camera” tour kicked off on Friday night in Arizona, and over the next two months Staples will bring his indomitable flow to clubs and theaters across the country. Though already one of the most popular artists of his generation, the 25-year-old has always shrugged off the narratives imposed on him by a worshipful pop culture apparatus; Staples has long insisted that he’s just a regular guy, doing a job. But his humble interpretation can’t quite cover up the sheer force of personality he brings to everything he does—not least his carefully produced, exceptionally confident live shows.

The tour couldn’t come at a better time, because let’s face it: we could all use more Vince Staples. Staples’s third album, FM! (the realest 22-minute summer radio mix you’ll ever hear) proves that he’s at the height of his lyrical powers. In a country that has trouble understanding life on the other side of the fence, his voice—exceedingly forthright, and occasionally grim—is more crucial than ever. And he underlines it all with an unmatched trollish, comic detachment.

So while you should definitely follow the tour via Staples’s Twitter feed (note to fans: don’t throw food at him while he’s performing), over the next few months we’ll be checking in with the man himself to bring you inside SYOC, from the stage to the tour bus to the Southwest flight. (“I make too much money for that kind of stuff,” Staples tells us of one piquant tweet.) We spoke the morning after the debut show of the tour, soon after Vince Staples and co. arrived in Phoenix.

Vince at Chino Bandido in Phoenix

GQ: How did last night go? Were you shaking off the cobwebs after not touring for a bit, or did you come in totally dialed in?

Vince Staples: That’s an interesting question. I never feel like I have to get back to it, only because we tour so heavily. Honestly, I don't wanna say I can do it in my sleep because that's arrogant, but I can a hundred percent do it my sleep. Like, it gets to the point I can perform songs I haven’t heard in a couple years, because of how often I do perform.

It's interesting when you think about it, because touring is given such an unnecessary weight. It seems as if it's tougher than it actually is. From the shows I've seen and from what I've done myself, the best thing you can possibly do in a touring situation is the same thing over and over and over again. Because it gives you a rhythm, it gives you some sort of consistency, and when it comes to the fans and whatnot, they appreciate it more than you think.