Anderson .Paak’s ‘King James’ Will Make You Dance And Think About Social Issues

Anderson .Paak wastes no time. He released his third studio album Oxnard in November. It's over for that rollout; the ink is dry, the envelope has been sealed. Right now, the road to his fourth LP Ventura is open and the initial single has been released, "King James." This funky number gives the world its first taste of what the new album is going to sound like and if this is anything to go off of, it is time to break out the platform shoes, tracksuits, and velour shirts. It is time to groove, baby,


.Paak's raps in a wide smile that demonstrates off his pretty teeth. Naturally, we aren't in the studio to actually know how he delivers his lines however there's a warmth to how the slight hoarseness in his voice grips the groovy production that he frequents. "King James" magnifies this intensity on funk, with the shoulder-bopping beat bringing the listener back to the beach shores of the 1970s. There really are no phones around, no MacBooks, no annoying smartwatches that folks are using converse with virtual assistants. Just you and the laughs of the crowd around you, soaking in the sun on a warm day in spring. On the track, .Paak shows love to basketball elite Lebron James for his work for the African American community. He also takes the possibility to acknowledge some problematic issues in nation like because the possible erection of a border wall and the answer to the kneeling of Colin Kaepernick.


"King James" packs the excitement for Ventura. .Paak took to Twitter yesterday to divulge to fans more specifics about the coming LP. It's going to be a concise affair, clocking in at eleven tracks. There really are also some surprising features up there from artists such as Brandy, André 3000, Jazmine Sullivan, Nate Dogg,  and Smokey Robinson. The album drops on April 12 so it's right around the corner. In May, .Paak will be embarking on the Best Teef In The Game Tour with his musical group, the Free Nationals.


Take a listen to the smart, funky tune up above.