Anderson .Paak - Oxnard

The Guardian 80

(Aftermath)

Anderson .Paak’s ascent has been dizzying. The Californian drummer-rapper-singer-producer went from relative obscurity to stealing the show on Dr Dre’s Compton album; 2016’s Malibu LP earned him a Grammy nomination; now, Tints, .Paak’s most recent breezy funk tune with Kendrick Lamar, laments the fact that .Paak’s fame demands tinted windows. The third instalment under .Paak’s name motors north up the California coast to his native Oxnard, top down, throwing out grooves and hosting an array of intriguing guest spots – including Kadhja Bonet on the atmospheric opener, The Chase, or Q Tip on Cheers, where .Paak celebrates his achievement.

Wealth is a recurrent theme, but musicality remains to the fore. Although .Paak can do trap-influenced beats, he’s just as happy marshalling psychedelic guitars and gospel uplift on resonant tracks such as Brother’s Keeper, which also features a blistering verse from Pusha T. The west coast feelgood factor turns a touch obvious when Snoop Dogg arrives for Anywhere, but there remains a restlessness to .Paak’s work. It’s most evident on the standout Mansa Musa. Named after a wealthy Malian king, it pairs a snaking organ wheeze to a counterintuitive beat and some on-point rapping from .Paak.

Pitchfork 70

The rapping, singing, and drumming polymath approaches the funk canon from a rap perspective, offering a wide-angle portrait of Los Angeles’ hedonistic landscape.

The Guardian 60

(Aftermath Entertainment)

Dr Dre’s 2015 album Compton lifted Anderson .Paak out of niche concern territory; the rap luminary signified his approval by sticking the 32-year-old on no fewer than six tracks. Now the pair join forces again, with Dre taking up production duties on .Paak’s third album. Named after the Californian coastal city where the musician was born, Oxnard forms the final instalment of his “beach series” of records, following on from his debut, Venice (2014), and critically lauded Malibu (2016). The latter – a stream of funk and soul that was equal parts blissful and gritty – cemented his reputation as a smooth but far from saccharine R&B talent.

Related: Anderson Paak: ‘If Dre had called five years ago, I don’t think I’d have been ready’