The Brief: Anderson .Paak's third solo album, Oxnard is full of collaborations, pop-culture references, and contemporary slang.
DEEP DIVE
Oxnard by Anderson .Paak is a tribute to his California coastal and agricultural hometown. It’s an exploration of .Paak’s past and present combining musical elements 0f hip-hop, rap, funk, and R&B. The album, which is produced by Dr. Dre, features Kendrick Lamar, J. Cole, Pusha T, Snoop Dogg, and other top names in hip-hop.
Slang to Know
Songs on the album delve into politics, pop culture, relationships, internet culture, wealth, and fame. These include a number of slang terms and double-entendre. Here are definitions and contexts for some of the most notable slang:
Fashion:
Luxury & Wealth:
Drugs & Drinking:
- Black Out – used as a double-entendre in “Tints,” also referring to blacked-out car windows.
- Blunt
- Trappin’
- Xan
Internet & Pop-Culture:
Sex:
- Road Head – the subject of the song “Headlow.”
Other Slang:
- Savage
- “Bang” as in banger.
- Lit
- Gas – as in “gas up” – to inflate someone’s ego.
- Back on my bulls**t
- Ghetto
- TKO: a “technical knock out” in boxing.
- The Crib
Top Tracks
Tints
This song, which features Kendrick Lamar, is upbeat, funky, and full of semi-humble brags. It explores the double-edged sword that is fame and wealth. Kendrick and Anderson say they “need tints” to protect their anonymity when they’re out driving in public.
Who R U?
With its strong beats and confident tone, “Who R U?” is a tale of hard work, success, and fame.
6 Summers
This song is directly political, with musings about Trump’s possible love-child, references to gun violence, and statements about the current state of the nation.
A catchy but dark chorus goes:
Pop-pop-pop goes the shooter
Reform, reform shoulda came sooner
Cheers
This song, which features Q-Tip is a tribute to the late Mac Miller. In this bittersweet song, Anderson .Paak raps and sings about how he misses his friend. He sings: “I know there must be somethin’ after here/I know some day I’ll meet ya halfway there in the atmosphere.”
Oxnard covers topics including personal relationships, growth, fame, and the connections between culture, media, and politics. In an interview, .Paak said to NPR “Every day it seems like America’s turning into just a big meme,” adding “Just a crying Jordan face.”
On Saturday November 17, the day after the album dropped, .Paak hosted a carnival in Oxnard, CA to celebrate the album’s release.