If “Tints”, the first single off of Anderson .Paak’s sophomore album, is any indication of the record at large, we’re all in for the ride of a lifetime.
The album, titled Oxnard, is set to release November 16th, a follow-up to his similarly Californian breakout record, Malibu, which featured hits like “Come On”. .Paak and other R&B/rap artists of today are clearly committed to continuing the history of funk that their forefathers set for them, and “Tints”, featuring modern legend Kendrick Lamar, is no exception. The song is a combination of air-tight grooves and the combined talents of .Paak and Lamar, creating a laid-back atmosphere without losing one ounce of technical or musical perfection.
“I can’t be riding round and round the open strip/ I need tints (tinted windows),” .Paak sings, and the listener is right along with him, feeling the wind on their face until he rolls up the windows. Lamar’s verse is a welcome addition to this expert mood-building, adding to the California breeze of “Tints” with tongue-in-cheek humor and his complex flow. Anderson .Paak’s greatest talent is creating entire worlds within his songs, and “Tints” does this impeccably through the use of layered production and synthesizers, the artist merges old funk and new rap together in a perfect mix that sits deep in the pocket for four and a half minutes straight.
“Never Recover” is the perfect closer to Drip Harder, the new collaborative album from Lil Baby and Gunna: smoky and hypnotic, driven by a relentless cocktail of dread and confidence, the song is dead serious in delivering on the promise of its title. –Laura Dzubay
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