Why Lawd? - NxWorries: Review
The thing about the debut NxWorries album is how the incredibly smooth demeanor of both artists come together to make a tracklist that glides expertly along throughout the entire tracklist. That isn't the case here as the pair are intent on taking on a variety of subject matter, occasionally quite seriously, and to do it through a myriad of styles. Lead single Where I Go dropped back in 2022 and it's still a song I really enjoy. Paak and H.E.R are a perfect pairing for the song's sensually smooth demeanor and the handoffs between the pair are excellent.
Earlier this year they shared 86Senta a short and to-the-point cut that once again proves Paak is excellent at putting his head down and writing some killer bars. One of the last songs on the record is WalkOnBy which also dropped just a few days in advance of the full album. It features two great guest appearances, one from Rae Khalil, who appears on another big highlight on the record OutTheWay. The other is Earl Sweatshirt who delivers one of the assists of the year in yet another of a seemingly endless line of killer features.
The combination of versatile execution and excellent guest performances is the overall tone of the album. KeepHer sees Paak teaming up with Thundercat for a truly dangerous combination of the absolutely smoothest sounds imaginable. The pair are basically a cheat code for a completely irresistible lowkey jam. FromHere dropped as a single and I wasn't crazy about it at first, but I was wrong. While Snoop Dogg's outro is still unbearably corny, the vocals delivered by Paak and October London throughout the song more than make up for it.
There's even more highlights on the record. While Knxwledge mostly plays a reserved support role on the album rarely stealing the show, his contributions are nonetheless important. That's obviously the case on SheUsed where the pitch-shifted vocals eventually give way to a masterfully flavored blend of sampling and punchy beats on the back half. Battlefield on the other hand is a more Paak specific highlight that feels like a victory lap for Anderson .Paak. But it's one where he also can't escape his continued difficulties and how much there is left for him to accomplish. Despite his performance stealing the show it also has a killer instrumental to back it.
This record isn't perfect though, far from it. The record has a pretty robust 19-song tracklist and nearly half the songs here fail to even reach the two-minute mark. These tracks are far less consistent than their more substantial counterparts, highlighted by a witless Dave Chappelle introduction to the entire album. Elsewhere in the mix is Daydreaming, a single from last year that never really clicked with me given how overwrought it feels. The other of the fuller cuts I feel underwhelmed by is MoveOn which is a pleasant enough R&B track at first bit with repeat listens I found that almost none of it stuck with me.
Why Lawd? is quite a strong follow-up 8 years after Paak and Knxwledge originally crossed paths. While it feels less focused than its predecessor that's because it's taking on more ambitious tasks both stylistically and sonically. The results of that indulgence are strong, if occasionally inconsistent. Ultimately, the album rides on the strength of its highlights, and with the level of talent involved here, those highlights were always going to soar. 7.5/10
For more meditative hip-hop, check out my review of Vince Staples' Dark Times
