By Thomas Cottingham
Features Assignment Editor
Collaboration projects are starting to grow more common in the hip-hop industry. While projects such as Watch the Throne, Hell: The Sequel and What a Time to Be Alive bring out huge commercial success with party anthems and radio singles, NxWorries’ Yes Lawd! is the collaboration gem of 2016.
NxWorries is a duo that consists of R&B vocalist Anderson, .Paak and producer Knxwledge. The duo released an EP last year in December titled Link Up & Suede, but their first official studio-recorded album Yes Lawd! is miles ahead of their first attempt. Similar to their first project, Yes Lawd! is an intense fusion of R&B, soul, hip hop and jazz. With the well-pressed jazzy beats by Knxeldge and the raspy, soulful voice of Anderson .Paak, the vibe of the album creates a cohesive musical experience of love and coming of age.
The tracks in this project are short, which does not necessarily make it a bad thing. It makes the album feel connected because one song flows into the next like clockwork. The intro track of the album, “Intro,” immediately sets the mood for the remainder of the project, which is a nostalgic feeling of old school hip hop beats with a strong, brassy jazz overtone.
The majority of the project includes intense love songs with relaxing, soulful beats and outstanding, beautiful vocals by .Paak. .Paak sings just like he does in his previous solo album, Malibu, but the production by Knxwledge makes it sound a hair better. Tracks such as “Kutless,” “Link Up,” “Best One,” “Suede,” “Sidepiece” and “Starlite” are just simple, sexy love songs.
While the album focuses on love songs for the most part, there are definitely some more elements to Yes Lawd!
“Get Bigger” is a song about the desperate and starving desire for success. .Paak preaches with his melodic voice, “At night, I workin’ grave, just counting the time / On my break I wrote a song ‘bout the love of my life / This ain’t right / Couple dollars and change / Walking home in the rain” to the intense, flute-based beat.
Another song that focuses on the element of hip-hop and rap is “What More Can I Say.” Not only is it different from the rest of the songs, it is also one of the best on the project. The beat is a stop-and-go loop of a jazz sample while .Paak spits bars that still focuses on the main theme of the album; “I keep tryna tell ya, you can’t keep me on a leash / No matter how hard you train me / I’ll do what I want in the end, and you can’t disagree.”
Obscurity is also present in this project with the lone track “Can’t Stop.” This song is mainly an instrumental of a trippy, melancholy robot alongside with a sample from the animated sci-fi sitcom Rick and Morty at the end.
As a whole, Yes Lawd! is just a collection of feel-good music. Not only that, but it is also very refreshing. With the subgenres of trap and conscience rap taking over the mainstream, Yes Lawd! is a great takeaway from the popular rap on the radio to a relaxing, happy musical experience.
cottintf14@bonaventure.edu
