Anderson .Paak’s second album in six months treks further up the California coast in its title (Venice, Malibu, Oxnard…) with the rapper-funkateer secure in the knowledge that versatility has earned him a Grammy (for the Oxnard-era Bubblin’).
Recorded at the same time as Oxnard, Ventura distinguishes itself from its predecessor by being looser and warmer. The artist once known as Breezy Lovejoy’s smile is such that his next US tour is called Best Teef in the Game. Here, more soulful tracks such as Make It Better rope in Smokey Robinson for a sweet love-gone-wrong song. André 3000 is a natural guest on another in the same vein, Come Home, OutKast being very much the forefathers of the new funk-rap wave.
Parsing .Paak’s diplomatic interview comments, it seems that his mentor/producer Dr Dre kept a tighter rein on Oxnard’s faders and allowed .Paak his head on Ventura. The former is “gritty” while the latter is “pretty”. All the feelgood vibes .Paak’s band the Free Nationals can conjure – and there is elegance to these arrangements – don’t entirely exclude reality, however. Lead track King James offers positivity in the face of provocation and celebrates sporting heroes LeBron James and Colin Kaepernick.
