Tag: travis barker

Day 47: The Waters by Anderson .Paak ft. BJ The Chicago Kid

This album is an unbelievable masterpiece, and I am so happy that Anderson .Paak is now getting the recognition he deserves after his joint win for Best Rap Performance for his track Bubblin at last weekend’s Grammys ceremony.

The Waters comes from Paak’s 2016 album Malibu and is the third song from what is a brilliantly composed body of work. He is from Oxnard, California and is a funky and soulful singer/rapper that has taken influence from the likes of fellow Californians Dr. Dre and Kendrick Lamar as well as The Free Nationals and KAYTRANADA. This album, Malibu, was the second album Paak released under that moniker, having previously released an album, O.B.E. Vol. 1, in 2012 as Breezy Lovejoy. It’s a great name in my opinion, alas he moved to his current pseudonym and has released some truly genre-bending hip-hop and funk music.

On The Waters, Paak recruits BJ The Chicago Kid for this wavy track. The Chicago native (no points for guessing that) has frequented songs with Schoolboy Q and Ab-Soul, and it is a testament to Paak’s rising profile that he is collaborating with such a high profile star on just his sophomore project.

The verses have more of a rap flow to them, with the chorus reverting back to a more soulful sound that feels more true to the typical Paak instrumental. BJ’s feature is subtle and is a typical Paak use of a supplementary artist, seamlessly threading their vocals into the track to create a more emotive, funky sound. They work together rather than having distinct separation across verses.

It is this thinking and this approach to creating music that makes Anderson .Paak a truly unique musician that will continue to grab headlines, awards and even chart spots as the years roll on. This album was just the start for him and already he has gone on to release two more incredible projects in Yes Lawd! and Oxnard. Who knows where Paak can go from here.

 

Spotify Playlist Link: https://spoti.fi/2CKuVex

Day 46: 11 Minutes by YUNGBLUD ft. Halsey and Travis Barker

New music Friday brings us a cracking track from up and coming YUNGBLUD, established pop vocalist Halsey and legendary rock drummer Travis Barker.

Travis is most famed for his crazy drum solos as one third of the iconic Blink-182. His inclusion on the track is an interesting one, but it is very clear that his signature has been stamped heavily across the instrumental and fits the trajectory of YUNGBLUD’s young career. Dominic Harrison is from Doncaster and, whilst similarities are easily made to Jamie T and Ratboy, his hip-hop influences are also clear to see. The use of the word “yung” is an obvious example, as that has been adopted by the new breed of rap stars. His rock music also has inflections of hip-hop as well and it is this theme that ties the three artists together.

The song is a punk song at heart, with an ominous guitar chord progression and desperate lyrics that make for a great driving song, or a gritty montage track for an on-the-clock situation.

The artwork again evokes images of 90s punk and grunge, with the graphic to the right reminding me of a Banksy piece. This isn’t the first time Halsey has moved across into the emo space, as she collaborated with Juice WRLD on a remix of her smash hit Without Me, as well as covering the artists breakout single Lucid Dreams in her BBC Radio 1 Live Lounge a few months ago.

This song is a great example of how fluid music genres are becoming. Hip-hop is not just rap anymore, and rock isn’t confined to four-piece bands. The culture around genres are driving the development of the sound and this allows for some truly complex masterpieces being released almost weekly. This genre-bending, generation-spanning track is my favourite release of the week and is a testament to where music creation has reached.

 

Spotify Playlist Link: https://spoti.fi/2CKuVex