Jazzy yet grounded in hip-hop is Anderson Paak’s modus operandi, and he has delivered yet again. Following on from the success of his 2018 third studio album, Oxnard, he announced his fourth album, Ventura, in February, set to release in April this year. King James is the first track we’ve heard in the build up to that.
In a politically unstable climate both here and across the pond, Paak tackles social injustice in King James, just hours after announcing his new album’s features and tracklist. King James is in reference to NBA star Lebron James, who is known as King James, with that even being his Instagram handle. He has done a lot of work in helping equalise opportunities for sports and education in schools. Recently, he opened the I Promise school in his hometwon of Akron, Ohio. It’s aim is to help at-risk kids get the education they need to succeed in life. Having come from a modest background himself, James is a big campaigner for social equality and, with NFL star Colin Kaepernick, is one of the most influential athletes in politics.
The song is classic Paak; saxophonists serande you into the song as if you were entering a speakeasy jazz joint. Paak’s unique voice then sings about the issues that face America right now, be that child deaths or the infamous wall that is planned to be erected by Trump.
It feels as far away from hip-hop that Paak has gotten. His music is rooted in soul, funk and jazz, but this song feels bordered off by them. This is far from a bad thing, but does show a shift perhaps in the artists approach to music. It feels more genuine as a track, less malleable by the whims of pop culture. This has got me very excited for April 12th, and I’m adding Ventura, thanks to King James, to the list of unbelievable releases next month (Game Of Thrones and Avengers: End Game rounding out the top three).
Spotify Playlist Link: https://spoti.fi/2CKuVex
A Song A Day 