Title: Oxnard
Artiste: Anderson .Paak
Genre: Hip Hop/Rap
Release: November 16
Anderson .Paak (the dot before Paak still stands) began his career under the pseudonym Breezy Lovejoy back in 2012, when he released his debut project ‘O.B.E. Vol. 1’. Under his current moniker, he can comfortably brag of having released two significant projects: 2014’s ‘Venice’ and 2016’s ‘Malibu’. In 2015, .Paak featured on six tracks in Dr Dre’s acclaimed third studio album, ‘Compton’, and on two in The Game’s ‘The Documentary 2.5’. However, it was ‘Malibu’ that actually earned .Paak the points by earning him a Grammy nomination.
.Paak is back and this time with a hip hop project christened ‘Oxnard’, another impressive project from his endless ventures as a rapper, singer and drummer. He is quite knowledgeable when it comes to matters music and truly knows how to effortlessly pull it off. Again, ‘Malibu’ was a brilliant sophomore project and he truly needed to maintain the standards he set for himself and his music and we get to experience something similar to that on his latest release.
For those who loved .Paak’s first 2018 release, “Bubblin”, the 14-track LP, which kicks off with an impressive entry, “The Chase”, featuring guest artiste Kadhja Bonet, was surely an album worth waiting for. It is in essential moments exhibited in tunes like “Tints” and “Trippy” that we get to experience appearances from rap geniuses Kendrick Lamar and J Cole respectively.
The album’s executive producer, Dr Dre, features alongside Cocoa Sarai on “Mansa Musa”, a track that brings forth the topic of power and wealth. The instrumentation on “Saviour’s Road” truthfully complements the thematic concern, which sees .Paak acknowledge his faith and appreciation of God.
Pusha T and .Paak trade bars on “Brother’s Keeper” before we get to experience Snoop Dogg and the Last Artful, Dodgr on “Anywhere”, a track that is reminiscent of the classic-era G-funk, as each artiste fondly engages in 90s’ romanticism. Also featured on the album is Q-Tip, BJ the Chicago Kid and Norelle.
Anderson .Paak gets it. He understands his abilities and knows how best to fuse each and every one of them into his funk, jazz and rap sound and style. He brings out a brilliance that oozes out of California and showcases the ability to produce masterworks about anything, if not everything. He continues to be a promising part of the entire musical world, and his consistency can be read as a strong point.
Star Rating:
4 out of 5