By Kaeden Souki
So You Know
NxWorries, the Southern California-based, genre-bending (but mostly neo-soul) duo of entertainer extraordinaire Anderson .Paak and producer Knxwledge is to me the exemplar of the phrase “match made in heaven”.
Ever since I heard Paak’s 2018 record Oxnard following its release, he has been among my favorite artists, dead or alive. He has placed in the top five artists of my Spotify Wrapped every year that I’ve had the app due to a mixture of factors: his silky voice and cadence, proficiency on the drums, his mind-boggling ability to simultaneously merge the two, his underrated rapping ability, mic and stage presence, even some comedic talent, I could list for hours…
Knxwledge’s sound, similarly, has been etched into my mind and spirit ever since I laid ears on his beat “So[rt].” when it appeared as “Momma” on Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp a Butterfly – my favorite song on one of my favorite albums ever created.
When I discovered their original collaboration, 2016’s Yes Lawd!, it genuinely felt like a divine gift, as did 2024’s Why Lawd?, and the eight-year wait was worth every moment. When the duo announced Portland’s Crystal Ballroom as the first stop on their 2025 tour – the first coincidence in my time as a fan of .Paak that his show would be both in my immediate area and affordable – I bought that ticket faster than I get a cold gulp of water when I wake up on a hot, summer day: Fast!
The Show
I arrived at the McMenamins Crystal Ballroom – my favorite venue in the city – to a sight I’d never seen in the many shows I’ve witnessed there: a completely sold-out crowd and a line to enter that snaked around the building halfway down the block on Washington street. It was so packed that, from the chatter of well over 1,000 fans, I feared getting tinnitus well before any music had even begun.
Facing the room filled completely with all kinds of people stood a screen displaying a variety of characters – Kermit the Frog, Mario, Darth Vader if I recall correctly, etc. – vibing to Knxwledge’s beats within Grand Theft Auto V, the same style in which their “Daydreaming” video was filmed.
At 8:59 pm, 59 minutes after the show’s promised start time, I sent a text to my friend threatening both the duo and the venue if the show didn’t start soon. Not even a minute later, the lights dimmed, the stage’s lights illuminated, and the duo graced the stage. Then my frustration was forgotten and I suddenly had absolutely no worries (ba dum tsh).
Unsurprisingly, the first two songs played were the first two that appear on the tour’s titular album, “ThankU” and “86Sentra”. The latter, the first true song on the record, rallied the crowd with its more rap-focused precision and memorable lines, leading to the first of many unanimous ‘YES LAWD!’s from the audience.
*Note: this concert was an out-of-body experience for me, so I will merely try my best to most accurately recall its events.
Because I’ve listened to both albums (though especially Yes Lawd!) front to back countless times, I’ve gotten accustomed to hearing all the tracks in order. When they played “Wngs” and then did not immediately play “Best One” – likely my favorite song of theirs – I was a bit on edge until they performed it toward the end of the show. But yes… once it came on I was certainly rapping the loudest and best of anyone in my area.
It was far from the climax of the show, but when “KeepHer” came on, I was once again washed away by a wave of sound. The luscious, bass-heavy track featuring contemporary great bassist Thundercat bangs every time in the headphones or the car, but the Crystal Ballroom’s speakers beamed it directly into my soul.
Another favorite of mine from their first record, “Get Bigger / Do U Love” was performed in its entirety but under an altered beat, adding a nice twist to the track, as much as I adore the original.
Something running through my mind during the first half of the show, however, was that I wanted more Knxwledge – the only possible cure to my fever. I love .Paak, but Knxwledge is my favorite producer of the past two decades. In 2023, I saw a similar show – an MC and producer duo – at the exact same venue when I saw Earl Sweatshirt and The Alchemist.
Something I especially appreciated about that show was that, sprinkled throughout the show, the legendary Alchemist got his time to shine. Between every couple of songs, Earl would take a break and let Alchemist show his magic on the boards, or the two would work together trying to interact with the crowd through the music.
I do wish that I got more of this during the show, though I got my wish partially granted during some sort of intermission – .Paak left the stage (I knew through the omission of certain songs the show was not yet over. He would later return in a different outfit.) and left Knxwledge around 15 minutes to control the crowd.
After the break, though, .Paak returned with a fervor. Joining him on stage for “Link Up” was a group of around 8-10 dancers, and .Paak’s exuding charm spilled onto me, making me feel like a pimp too even if only for a brief moment.
The crown of the evening, however, was with the song that started it all: “Suede”. This performance struck all of the senses but taste, and that’s including the sixth sense…
Sound: Hopefully this one’s obvious. I heard not only .Paak and myself, but seemingly every soul in the room rapping the song word for word from the top of their lungs, or at least especially on certain lines:
“All my chicks cook GRITS…and roll a SPLIFF…at the same damn time!”
“My momma said ‘Don’t trust these h*es. Boy, be about your loot.’ (true story!) Man, if my momma told me that, why the f*ck would I listen to you? (yes lawd!)”
Smell: I don’t want to say what I smelled…but let’s just say I smelled it throughout the show and it got amplified during this track…and people were inhaling it…but I won’t say what it is.
Sight: The stagelights’ colors were going absolutely crazy and .Paak was moving faster across the stage than I, and probably even himself, knew he was capable of.
Feel: Everyone had been on their feet the entire show, as it is a standing venue, but “Suede” provided them the moment they’d been waiting for — an excuse to get in the air. Everyone was jumping up and down and the ground shook harder than I’d ever felt there, even harder than the intense mosh of Denzel Curry’s show. It’s times like those when I worry for the wooden floor’s safety as it warps beneath the feet of a thousand people. At least as far as I know the other businesses on that block are to the side rather than directly beneath.
In conclusion:
Don’t let my one singular complaint [that you probably already forgot about] distract from the overwhelming praise I have for NxWorries as artists and performers. This show was a long time coming for me, and it ended up being a dream come true. While I did not force myself to the front and get a handshake from .Paak like I’d promised my friend, I still can’t complain. I left the venue content with myself, which is often a rarity for me. All I can say is…YES LAWD!
