This bill is stacked. At the top is the current darling of hip-hop/soul/R&B crossover (and among my current faves), Anderson .Paak. He’s got that warm, sandpapery rasp of soulful greats like James Brown or Wilson Pickett, but in a higher register, and he’s more prone to slick rhyme-slinging and swinging amid the singing. Last year’s Oxnard was one of my favorites of 2018 (“Who R U” and “Mansa Musa” are bangers), while just-dropped fourth album Ventura is great, too, heavier on the Motown feel compared to Oxnard’s distinct hip-hop swagger. Live, the multi-instrumental Paak leaves the playing to his tight-ass band, the Free Nationals, though he sometimes jumps on drums. Fusion bass master Thundercat is another favorite, his creamy, falsetto-reaching vocals set against an intriguingly idiosyncratic mix of funk, acid jazz, neo-soul, electro, and R&B. He is toight. Not so much a fan of Odd Future collective rapper Earl Sweatshirt, but the kids sure do dig his lethargic, monotone, off-the-beat style, so who am I to judge? by Leilani Polk