To fully understand NxWorries, you may have to follow the respective trajectory of the careers of the individuals involved. Before that, many producer/emcee(or singer in this case) have produced cohesive(and not so cohesive) collaborations from time immemorial. I will refrain from mentioning names but for the most part, said collaborations could fall by the wayside or lead to an immensely solid piece of art. This project I’m about to review falls in the latter category and you will soon know why.
Singer/rapper Anderson .Paak is an insanely talented individual. I first “consciously” heard him on Dr Dre‘s Compton compilation and my immediate thoughts ranged from “who is this guy?” to he somewhat sounds like a bluesy Kendrick Lamar” . After a few more listens and some catch up with his old material I was able to distinguish between the two. Currently at 3 albums deep, one of which was under his retired moniker (Breezy Lovejoy) and an EP(with Knxwledge), his discography is not wide but what it lacks for in numbers he makes up for in quality. On the other hand, LA based producer Knxwledge has a vast catalogue dating from 2010. You have to understand he is first and foremost an instrumental producer so it’s almost expected of him. People that listen to beat tapes would be familiar with his style of production, a mix of raw, dirty soul samples, hard drums(if it fits the bill) with a unique blend that almost pays homage to greats like Pete Rock, Dj Premier, Madlib and J dill. In a nutshell, this dude knows his onions.
The two individuals actually dropped an EP “Link Up & Suede” late last year which was some sort of opener to their latest full length project “Yes Lawd“. The EP gave us a glimpse into what these two cats could do if left unsupervised to their devices. The result I must say is brilliant. “Yes Lawd” at 19 tracks (includes 2 tracks from the previously released “Link Up & Suede EP”) may look lengthy on paper but it clocks at 48 minutes plus which is pretty nifty if I may add.
The arrangement is somewhat defined, there are crests here, troughs there so the listener is strapped in for an emotional roller coaster throughout the project. The subject matter is by pretty straight forward by all standards; Relationships, Life struggles, male groupies etc. but with a whole lot of soul. Some say NxWorries took it back to the 70s here, I will agree and disagree. Yes AP’s vocal performance is undoubtedly influenced by said era but throughout Yes Lawd you hear various if not multitude of different styles invoked from song to song(early 90’s ish Best One, 00’s Lyk Dis, 80’s Scared Money ).
This project wasn’t one sided where the producer sent the artist a bunch of beats to work with, these sounds were crafted especially for their intended purpose as each song draws the listener deeper into the crazy, unpredictable world of NxWorries. The Intro sets the tone for Livvin, which to me plays the most important role as it has that welcoming committee feel to it. On here AP displays a carefree charisma and you can easily picture a video complete with a choir and marching band. The following tracks Wngs, Best one and What Can I say switch things up amongst themselves, soulful chops, an undeniable groove and of course AP’s tact with addressing his love for unnamed females, a slight reference to homelessness and an unhinging relationship he’s trying to fix. This is followed by a jam and a half titled Kutless, which sounds like something you gotta light something to, this jaw is so smooth you gotta wear silk boxers on to really enjoy it(hey don’t judge me). Knwxledge as usual throws in a ton of obscure samples, beat switches(Get bigger/Do u luv), and a instrumental track Can’t stop (which samples that infamous “get your shxt together” scene from Adult Swim’s Rick and Morty
Cohesive, playful, gritty and soulful, Yes Lawd may be hard for the trap influenced young uns to endure but if you love good old grown folk music, you are sure to fall in love with this project back to front. Some choice tracks include Khadijah, H.A.N (I can hear a remix with the Dogg pound ), Kutless, Scared Money, Get bigger/Do u luv.
Cop the full album HERE