Knxwledge Hits Again on Sophomore Album 1988

“Knxwledge combines his ear for soulful samples with his unique sound to create a cool, calm, collected atmosphere reserved for Questlove’s live DJ set on Instagram.”

There is something to be said about the musicians who spend less time talking and more time showing. People who truly love their craft can sit down and practice that craft over and over without it getting monotonous. Few people know about this lifestyle better than Knxwledge, who has a collection of projects and beat tapes on Bandcamp over one hundred strong. Now, the Stones Throw Records product is back in 2020, following his latest release on Bandcamp, Meek, Vol. 6. The Grammy-winning Jackson native returns with his sophomore album, 1988, available on all major streaming sites, including Spotify, Apple Music, and Bandcamp.

Knxwledge combines his ear for soulful samples with his unique sound to create a cool, calm, collected atmosphere reserved for Questlove’s live DJ set on Instagram. 1988 is 22 tracks of all too brief glimpses into the 90’s, with most tracks barely stretching past the two-minute mark. Stones Throw has released two visuals to signal the rollout for Knxwledge’s sophomore album, one for “makeitliveforever”, and another for “dont be afraid”, both available to check out below.

As far as features go, 1988 is pretty bare, save for two tracks out of the 22. On the track “itkanbe[sonice]”, the other half of the NxWorries duo, Anderson .Paak, slides in for a brief appearance where his vocals ride over a sample of The Edwards Generation’s “You’re the One for Me” like a sports car down the Pacific Coast Highway at sunset. Such a feature should excite anyone craving more NxWorries music, as it is now apparent that knx and .Paak have been cooking up some heat. The only other features appear on “minding_my_business”, where Cleveland artist Durand Bernarr and Baltimore singer-songwriter Rose Gold lend their talents to create a track about simply minding one’s “black-ass business”; a skill that Knxwledge has mastered.

From the subtle 90’s references, like the Kut Klose sample on “dont be afraid”, to songs sliding into sexy slow jams like at the end of “do you”, to the heavy gospel influence of “learn”, 1988 is the musings of a mind who’s earliest exposure to music was at the hands of a wise, churchgoing black mother.

Safe to say she’s proud of how her taste in music shaped her talented son.