Why Anderson .Paak & Knxwledge’s (aka NxWorries) ‘Yes Lawd!’ establishes the duo as 2016’s most exciting act
Anderson .Paak has been making all kinda waves since appearing 6 times on Dr Dre’s 2015 Compton LP, an achievement coveted by far more famous and decorated acts. Earlier this year, he released his critically-acclaimed Malibu, earning him a growing fan base and recognition as a (if not, the) leading multi-dimensional talent of the moment (.Paak is a singer, rapper and multi-instrumentalist of epic proportions). His musical soulmate, producer known as Knxwledge (real name, Glen Boothe) has been more quietly building his own musical empire. He produced on Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp a Butterfly and has released a steady stream of mix tapes.
The duo have collaborated several times before, but we were all ill-prepped for the gift that was Yes Lawd!, their LP released a week earlier than promised on Apple Music on October 14 (the album is now available on other streaming platforms). We have no hesitation labelling Yes Lawd! one of 2016’s best works, even in light of the stellar albums 2016 has delivered. Get the dets on why below.
Sounds like…
A collection of funky, ’70s-soul, hip hop infused vignettes. Between .Paak’s raspy, powerfully emotive voice and old Soul delivery and Knxwledge’s hip hop Soul, deliberately choppy, meticulous production, Yes Lawd! is a moment that encapsulates the renaissance of black music that 2016 has peaked on. The album stays mostly in the mid-tempo range, but is dynamic, with a range of infusions from Gospel, to funk, hip hop and Motown classics mashed up to create a sonic experience that sweeps you up and has you bobbing your head for all 19 tracks and 48 minutes. The production is layered with sample upon sample. The tracks are mostly on the shorter side (below 3 minutes), blend seamlessly into each other and with a slightly unrefined finish (almost a crackle), giving the sonic feel of a vinyl mixtape.
Speaks to…
The highs of success, the lows of ‘hateration’ and the ups and downs of relationships. Examining Yes Lawd!’s lyrical content exposes one of its few weaknesses – it doesn’t explore any of its chosen topics to great depths. While this isn’t critical to making what can be described as a great album, coupled with the fact that clever lines are relatively sparse and the misogynistic overtones, lyrical content is not one of its stronger points. The fact that topical depth is relatively shallow compounds the misogynistic overtones – .Paak’s lyrics (e.g. “If I call you a bitch/It’s cause you’re my bitch/And as long as no one else call you a bitch/Then there won’t be no problems” and “They make it so hard to be faithful… Look what they wearing”) go unexplained, without sufficient context to justify them. You want to assume there’s some benign explanation for the lyrics or that he’s playing the role of a social observer and speaking on how others think, but there just isn’t enough in the lyrics to justify these explanations as true.
Still, Yes Lawd! is far from being lyrically inept – .Paak shows off his effortless ability to switch between rap and singing and to even ‘rap-sing’ at the same time (listen to Get Bigger / Do U Luv and Suede). And while it doesn’t take on the burden of social commentary, part of its charm is in the contemporary delivery of lyrics – a key to the album remains modern and fresh, even when staying true to its soulful roots.
Early faves…
Get Bigger / Do U Love
Livvin
Best One
What More Can I Say
Lyk Dis
Scared Money
Starlite
The critics are saying…
…what’s astonishing here is the way they manage to forge a sound nearly as rich and original as that of America’s most blunted.
– Jonah Bromwich @ Pitchfork
…an album that solidifies .Paak as 2016’s breakout star, though he and Knxwledge are co-MVPs here. There’s no denying their mutual chemistry, no matter where their respective paths may lead.
– Marcus J. Moore @ Bandcamp
An album with this much flair and originality is hard to fault.
– Isa Jaward @ The Guardian
You’ll love it if you like…
Kendrick Lamar To Pimp A Butterfly
OutKast Speakerboxx / The Love Below
BJ The Chicago Kid In My Mind
Anderson .Paak Malibu
Our verdict…
Quite simply, this is one of those albums you put on and think “this is what good music feels like”. Notice, our use of “feel”, and not “sound” cause that’s what good music should do – give you a vibe and take you on its own journey. The album pays homage to the inextricable link between Soul music and hip hop, without trying hard or losing any sense of authenticity. There may not necessarily be any ‘break out hits’, but Yes Lawd! does what we think great albums do – deliver a consistently standout calibre of rich, nuanced music with flair and originality. With an incredibly talented frontman and a producer with an ear for carefully layered brilliance, Yes Lawd! leaves us burning for more material from Nxworries. The great news, is that with the two at the beginnings of their breakout star status, it seems like the best is still to come.
Read all about it…
Noisey’s interview with the duo
Complex’s interview where they speak on how they came together to collaborate
The Fader’s slightly awkward and therefore kinda hilarious interview with the two (worth a read, we promise)
