If you follow the type of music that populates this playlist, there’s no introduction needed for our Track of the Month artist: Anderson .Paak. The only question mark you may have: how to correctly spell his name?
Regardless of your personal musical leanings, is there anyone in the music industry more dependable than Anderson .Paak? It’s like he’s the twin brother of Bruno Mars (fraternal), separated at birth. While Bruno was raised by his pops in Beverly Hills, Anderson lived with his single mom in Compton (or Malibu. Or Ventura. Or Oxnard. Or Venice.) But at their core, their formula is the same: instantly familiar hooks, bouncy basslines, danceable beats, and relatable lyrics.
“CUT EM IN” is just another hit off the assembly line. Throw in a tight Ricky Rozay verse and you have a track that can’t be played enough. Did I mention Hit-Boy produced it? The same Hit-Boy responsible for the rebirth of Nas (King’s Disease) and instant hip-hop classics like “Sicko Mode”, “Nephews in Paris” and “Clique”. In other words, how could “CUT EM IN” NOT be a complete banger?
Of course, we wouldn’t be having this conversation without the connection to quitting your job. Hard work, surrounding yourself with the right people, and cultivating your gift are the ingredients to quitting your 9 to 5 and funding your passion.
I’ll let Anderson and Rick break it down:
Sometimes you need a friend/Not the ones that just show up and don’t put nothing in
You know the ones that lend a hand and wanna see you win/When you come up on a lick, make sure you cut ’em in
And then, sometimes you need a foe/One that keep your eyes open, keep you on your toes
You know the ones that wanna keep you where you been before/But I can’t go, no, I can’t go
…
Sometimes I need a check/Not the sneakers but the ones that make you watch your step
Sometimes you need the faith/Sometimes you need to know your worth, sometimes you need to wait
Sometimes I need a vacay/Meditate, hydrate/Protect my energy before engagement
…
Grew up having nothing, you’re labeled impatient/But once the boss made it, you labeled amazing
Meticulous with words, that’s your force of nature/I don’t wanna seem absurd, but that boy’s a gangster
Six figures every year, yeah, I earned that/At the front of this line is where my turn at
…
Everybody claim to be greatest of all times/But they never spend a day in the rain in the front line
It’s not a game