The first of his albums to be released on Dr. Dre’s infamous Aftermath Entertainment label, it feels like the pairing of Dre and .Paak has brought a newfound focus to this final piece that the two prior projects felt lacking in. Sporting production credits from the man himself, it’s like that added touch of Dre to the mix was the herb that .Paak was missing from the brew for both Venice and Malibu, with that signature sound offering him the ability to finally achieve the level of artistic expression he’s been striving for his entire career.
The album’s narrative is something you have to experience for yourself, but if you’re the kind of person who just wants something to bang in your clapped out Subaru this Christmas instead, Oxnard still has you covered. Cuts like the lead single ‘Tints’ and the almost laughably G-Funk banger ‘Anywhere’ are bona fide summer anthems, with the latter even featuring a bar or two from the true god of G-Funk himself, Snoop Dogg. I can’t say enough good things about this album; simply put, it’s set a new watermark for Anderson .Paak’s career, and I can’t wait to see what he tops this with next.
8.5/10
