Let’s take a one-way flight to Los Angeles International Airport and drive north to Oxnard, CA — the hometown of the multitalented Anderson .Paak and the namesake for his third album, “Oxnard.” Once we arrive, it’s not long before we notice that .Paak is ready to take his career to the next level by blending R & B, funk, hip-hop and gospel into one cohesive set. This time around, .Paak is accompanied by his mentor, Dr. Dre — who oversaw “Oxnard” in its entirety — while lending a hand on four instrumentals.

Straight away, we’re strapped into what feels like we’re fleeing a heist on “The Chase.” As the anxious drums move in and a “Pink Panther-esque” flute flutters in the background, .Paak blesses us with a tongue-twisting lyrics. I love the multiple layers in his lyrics — they maintain a lovely rhyme scheme. It doesn’t take long to realize .Paak is in the driver’s seat. We’re in for a treat. Many of the remaining 13 tracks match the tone of this perfect opener.

As we’re guided through a NSFW driving-tale on the second track, the transition between this and the smash-single “Tints” with Kendrick Lamar is an aspect of “Oxnard” that reminds me of Dr. Dre’s classic “2001.” As far as the single goes, it’s even more enjoyable on here than it was on its own. Just as the leaves were changing color, .Paak and Lamar dropped a summertime anthem that’s like a bouncy house on the Fourth of July.

Anderson .Paak worked on the album with his mentor Dr. Dre, who also helped create a few instrumentals on the record. Courtesy of Anderson .Paak

The only dull moment on this record comes next with, “Who R U?” .Paak’s voice doesn’t appropriately fill the howling Dr. Dre instrumental and a lazy hook to come with, I was glad this only took up three minutes of an hour-long record.

As soon as the next song came on, I realized “6 Summers” will remain a highlight in .Paak’s discography for the rest of his career. After his comedic yet gravitating opening bars, a woman narrator claims “The revolution will not be televised, but it will be screened live in 1080p on your pea-brain head in the face ass mobile device, alright?” — putting a modern twist on Gil Scott-Heron’s idea and 1971 song “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised.”

The first of a handful of awesome, gospel-influenced tracks join our “Oxnard” atmosphere with “Saviers Road.” This song serves as almost a prayer to the souls lost on the previous song and a personal Hail Mary to .Paak’s risky actions he took decades ago before becoming a renowned artist. To combat his sins, .Paak offers his skills and lyrical messages for listeners to follow in their own lives.

We take a break from the spiritual offerings and slow it down with a track that calls back on his collaborative “Yes Lawd!” project from 2016 (albeit different drums without Knxwledge’s production). “Smile” of “Smile/Petty” shows a confused .Paak who can’t figure out what makes him so vulnerable to his partner’s constant lies. As the master of beat switches, we’re pleasantly interrupted by a pause in the music and led into one of the most head-nodding beats of the year. “Petty” is some hilarious revenge on a former lover, which makes for one of the peaks on the album.

Another high point comes two songs later in “Brother’s Keeper” featuring Pusha T. When he arrives, Pusha T puts me in my feelings as he introduces his verse reflecting upon a time when his rap duo–Clipse–became extinct about a decade ago.

When the beat drops, Pusha T takes the steering wheel and sends us off the grid with a verse that’s of equal gravity to anything on “DAYTONA.” With subtle Drake jabs that I’ll let you decipher yourself, Pusha T gives us something to remember. After another smooth transition, Snoop Dogg floats into our Oxnard world with his best verse in ages. The funky bass line and laid-back drums allows the gentlemen to ride elegantly in and out of the pockets of the instrumental.

Choppy punches from a horn section accompany .Paak and Q-Tip on one of the final cuts, “Cheers.” The men take the time to dedicate their verses to close friends they lost in Mac Miller and Phife Dawg. This song is incredibly powerful in its entirety, but .Paak’s transparency is really something special.

Even with a Hall of fame list of features including J. Cole, .Paak doesn’t let them outshine him. “Oxnard” catches .Paak at his most braggadocios and tongue-in-cheek time in his life. You can tell him and Dr. Dre spent weeks on end making every millisecond as crisp as possible — hometown advantage.

Dylan Hardin is sophomore in the Bandier Program. His music column appears weekly in Pulp. You can email him at dhardin@syr.edu.

Published on November 28, 2018 at 12:29 am