Thee.West.Coast.Has.A.New.Paak.
If you haven’t been keeping up with the artist formerly known as Breezy Lovejoy you might be overdosing on sleeping pills. Thee multi talented singer/rapper/drummer/producer now personified as Anderson Paak is here to guide your ears on a refreshing journey through his hometown on his new album “Venice”. The record floods with many genre’s, never taking you too deep into the “Venice” oceans w/o giving you a life raft in the form of an infectious melody or catchy hook of some kind. I love albums that sound like places. “Venice” provides a soundtrack to a backdrop where most feel is just hippies and drum circles, but rather introducing you the actual scene that most don’t see. This record is more of a well rounded full day and night experience on the shore of the beautiful and trippy. “Venice” the album much like the city is pretty and quite accessible. At no point is Anderson trying to out swim you, he would rather take you w/ him… Enter “Venice”
The drums welcome you on the album opener and true banger “Milk N’ Honey”. No lie this one shows up drenched in distorted bass and tickled w/ a lil bit of New Orleans bounce to it. Produced by DJ Nobody this joint puts the keys in the albums ignition w/ a story detailing a clever black male being black mailed by his own desires.
This leads us to thee next sight for your eyes and ears the cerified slapper “The City”
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If it sounds familiar, it might be Minnie Riperton’s “Inside My Love” (The sample appears @ 3:07) previously flipped on Tribe’s “Lyrics to Go”. Anderson glides smoothly proclaiming his love for his city over the chorus with an open invitation to vibe with every element present in the picturesque portrait.
“The City” ends w/ a nice string accent that leads you to back the water. As you let thee waters splash at your feet you go in your pocket and pull out thee next song which is thee perfectly rolled joint “Might Be”. Click thee link to thee song. You won’t at all be disappointed, I even made the link open in another tab so you don’t have to stop reading this write up.
“Might Be” brings us to the Paak self produced “Miss Right”. This gem hits you right in the chest w/ it’s brightened up chords and bassline with a mind of it’s own.
This song is thee first exhibit a more live organic feeling. The baseline seems to be having the most fun.
It’s a cold groove you can’t seem to say no to. You can have one but you need the right one. Watch thee vid below.
By the time I get into the bittersweetness of “Put You On” I’m starting to notice every single movement feels kinda like a single moment. Chorus’ and verses are starting to get blurry and I like it! Lo_Def steals the show once again.
Staying within the organic section of the record the acoustically driven “I Miss That Whip” is every artist w/o a car but a real woman that holds him down w/ that transportations anthem. It’s not so much about thee girl behind the wheel as it is the experience of the ride. No matter how far they might have drifted apart on their hearts GPS’ the memory of thee journey is what’s missed most.
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Tokimonsta stops by spices up thee very open “Get Em Up” .
I can see him starting every set w/ this one. The key driven melody drives you to that front row crowd surf feeling.
Bring through smooth quotables
“If it’s love then it’s love
and if it’s not love
than its all love”
Even the juke section @ 1:50 that takes you to new heights if you let it.
I can confidently say that “DRUGS” is top 5 club songs I have heard in thee past full year. “DRUGS” is a really really fun night out that ends with you projectile vomiting on that really attractive person you went home with. Wild, yet memorable. Hands down or hands up there is no way any DJ plays this song and you don’t lose their minds. Even with the club drug subject matter Anderson find a way to let his writing shine through with quotables like ::
“No love is greater, in this whole world we made up
This love is made-up, it’s made-up, it’s made-up, it’s made-up, it’s made-up Your friend ain’t cute but my n*gga’s a trooper, he’ll take the L I’m high as fuck and you high as fuck so we parasailing”
I find it amazing that this song wasn’t placed earlier in the album.
Next “Luh You” is that super danceable 120 bpm banger that every KCRW DJ is looking for between the hours of 12-3 am.
It is a positive groove and has single tatted on it’s forehead.
Rounding out the album, we have my favorite joint on thee entire record “Right There” Produced by Austrialian super producer Ta-Ku
It feels so free and honest yet you could hear this on a dance floor somewhere sweating out your yesterdays.
“w/ thee scope off I kill em all”
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In a day and age of short attention spans and EP’s, I’m always in support of an artist digging deep and bringing a fully thought out conceptual body of work.
If you are still on the fence like mehhh I don’t even like going to the beach much less Venice as entire city itself, Anderson even covered one of my favorite written songs EVER Postal Services’ “Such Great Heights”
en.joy.
Bottom line is support dope artists w/ a vision.
“Venice” is out https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/venice/id929712951
Keep up and keep in touch w/ Paak on his Twitter https://twitter.com/breezylovejoy
P e a c e .
P.s. Share the music you love!
-∂eƒ
