Another day, another artist finding the inspiration to utilize the world’s ongoing unrest and movements for racial equality as a source for music. The results can be poignant, angry, uplifting, healing, motivational, and educating. And from Anderson .Paak, the results are simply best described as anthemic. Lockdown is a play on two world crises, with a clear focus on the realities of social injustice against marginalized communities. It’s a tale of historic proportions, a recount of the history unfolding in front of our eyes on a daily basis, and a motivational protest song in response to and to further push the ongoing protests that are spurring long overdue change across the planet.

 

Musically, it’s a show that .Paak, even when inspired to write about something so specific and rooted in the now, is a mosaic of wide-ranging talent that only comes around maybe once in a generation. His soulful vocals, his undeniable bars, and his affinity for timeless instrumentation ensure Lockdown thrives long after the lockdown ensues. For .Paak’s part, it’s also another track to add to his growing list of social and politically motivated music, including the righteousness of anti-Trump anthem, 6 Summers taken from his 2018 masterpiece, Oxnard.