NxWorries‘ follow-up to their 2016 Yes Lawd! debut may have been one of the most highly sought-after projects of the past decade, so when Anderson .Paak and Knxwledge surprise-announced Why Lawd? earlier this year – eight years later – it almost seemed too good to be true. After seeing a releasing physically last Friday, the duo’s sophomore offering has now materialized on streaming services.
Rounding out at 19 tracks, Why Lawd? finds .Paak and Knx at their peak both together and individually, with the rapper delving into the depths of his raw emotion over the producer’s equally ethereal and cleaner-than-ever melodies. However, the extensive LP more significantly signals a sonic aging of the duo, finding them dipping into a wider range of influences and themes than they did eight years ago; the shift in punctuation at the end of each album – from “!” to “?” – says a lot.
Lead singles “86Sentra,” “Where I Go” with H.E.R., “Daydreaming” and “FromHere” with Snoop Dogg and October London are all high points of the roughly 45-minute album, which also sees features from Earl Sweatshirt, Thundercat, Rae Khalil, Charlie Wilson and The Last Artful, Dodgr.
“Thank you for your patience, love, and support through these trying times. After 8 years my brother and I have completed our second,” .Paak wrote in a caption, following up with just one request.
“All I ask is that you listen to it in its proper order.”
Stream NxWorries’ Why Lawd? (in proper order) on Spotify, Apple Music and all other streaming platforms now.
