Next Friday will mark one month since George Floyd was killed in Minnesota after an officer, Derek Chauvin, knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes. Following his death, protests all over the country continued for weeks as those who aligned themselves with the Black Lives Matter movement looked to force change out of their governing authorities. The music world also used their talents to promote the movement, some highlight releases including YG’s “FTP,” Buddy’s “Black 2,” and Lil Baby’s “The Bigger Picture.” Contributing his own work to the mix, Anderson .Paak returns with “Lockdown.”
Instead of speaking on just the Black Lives Matter movement, .Paak used his release to detail the frustrations of Black America. From the coronavirus to police brutality to those in denial of the true intentions of the movement, he uses his trademark funk and soul sound to detail these thoughts, many of which he feels himself. Inviting those who are outside looking in at the movement, .Paak invites them to come outside singing, “You should’ve been downtown / The people are risin’.” Back with a music video, .Paak navigates the streets of Los Angeles all with the plan of fighting for the cause with help from Jay Rock, SiR, Syd, Dr. Dre, and more.
Listen to “Lockdown” in the video above.