Anderson .Paak Makes A Statement In "Oxnard"

There’s a stark line between political artists and more fun-loving ones, and Anderson .Paak falls right in between. Finding the nice in between of free-spirited and political, Anderson .Paak makes a statement in Oxnard, his new record that makes the best of both.

Anderson .Paak’s never one to shy away from the truth, and that’s no different in Oxnard. There’s a lot of meaning in between the lines of Oxnard, starting right with the opening track ‘The Chase‘ featuring Kadhja Bonet. The calming sound of the track diverts your attention from the skit that urgently warns of the apocalypse. Anderson .Paak seems to want to avoid the inevitable for a lot of the record, turning to the music to escape it. .Paak explores the concept of the world ending by comparing it to the real one, smashing political figures and turning to God throughout the record. ‘6 Summers‘ is weirdly political, yet the proud and loud declaration of “Trump's got a love child and I hope that bitch is buckwild“ for the hook is a pretty huge statement to make. Later on the record, songs like ‘Brother’s Keeper‘ with Pusha T bring in some gospel-y vibes as .Paak continues to look for hope in this messed up world.

While the message of the record may be bleak, Oxnard actually has a lot of fun stuff going on. ‘Headlow‘ with Norelle at the start of the record gets some funky vibes going early to get you into that jazzy, upbeat mood. ‘Tints‘ follows with great groove, Kendrick Lamar bringing his unstoppable, elevated flow for an awesome verse. ‘Who R U?‘ brings up bigger, more modern tones into the mix. Other tracks have chiller atmospheres, like ‘Smile / Petty‘ and ‘Sweet Chick‘ featuring BJ The Chicago Kid. .Paak’s flow really shines in ‘Mansa Musa,’ where Dr. Dre and Cocoa Sarai also shine. Oxnard shows off all of .Paak’s capabilities.

Anderson .Paak makes a statement in Oxnard, his new record that comments on our wild world with music. .Paak' is fun, fresh, and even political throughout the record, but where he really shines is his creativity and sheer love of music.

Favorite Tracks: Mansa Musa, Tints

Least Favorite Track: 6 Summers

Rating: 76 / 100

Stream or buy Oxnard on Apple Music, and follow our 2018 Playlist on Spotify: