Knxwledge - 1988 (Exclusive Grape Vinyl)

While Anderson .Paak's silken vocals are featured twice on the album, 1988 is a definitive solo statement. The influence of gospel music and his background in the church is felt more explicitly than ever. The album is quintessential Knxwledge; with its soulful vocals and expertly crafted beats that work samples into something far greater than the sum of their parts, it perfectly demonstrates why Knxwledge is so revered by his fellow musicians.

A prolific artist in the extreme sense of the word, Knxwledge continues to redefine instrumental hip-hop almost in real-time with a stream of beat tapes numbering in the hundreds on Bandcamp, and video remixes on Instagram.

This prolific output began early. 1988 takes its name from the fact that much of the new record was created that very year, when Knx was an infant. As the story is told, little baby Knx was left alone by his mother for just a few moments and crawled to a family member’s vintage SP–12 sampler. When his mother returned he had already produced his first beats and nearly mastered the machine. These tracks, all produced before nap time while rocking a Nike diaper, were stored over the years on floppy discs, then brought to his studio in recent months where they were finished up, mixed, and mastered.

Limited edition GRAPE vinyl produced by Stones Throw Records in 2022.