For half a decade now, Oklahoma-raised songwriter PawPaw Rod has developed his own lane of vintage R&B music blending modern soul signifiers with a certain reverence for classic hip-hop. He hit the scene in 2020 with the funky-yet-jaded single “Hit Em Where It Hurts,” which he followed up with an annual EP featuring tongue-in-cheek titles reminding the listener that what they’re hearing could only come from one unique source. His debut album Picture Day is no different (see the subtitle: A PawPaw Rod Album), with its 12 tracks showing off the artist’s vast set of influences spanning decades as well as genres.
With the project dropping this Friday, PawPaw Rod is sharing a breakdown of some of these influences with us today via a playlist he threw together that speaks to the many facets heard throughout the collection. As he notes, Gorillaz were an inspiration when it comes to their melding of once-disparate genres, while collaborators De La Soul and their fellow boom-bap pioneers Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth paved the way for the influence of ’90s rap. Additionally, Weezer provided a reference point for the more lazy-river feeling songs among the track list, and Sly & the Family Stone could be credited on just about everything from ad libbed vocals to the record’s “groove and feel.”
Ahead of the project’s release tomorrow, check out the full playlist below. You can also pre-save the album here.
Partrice Rushen, “Forget Me Nots”
I think this is one of the greatest songs ever made. I’ve heard it a billion times and it still stops me dead in my tracks. It teleports me to a different world—I feel pure bliss. She’s literally saying “forget me not,” and the song itself has been remembered all this time. That’s such a sweet gesture. I’ve loved this song since I was a kid. This is the song I told Nick [Sylvester] I wanted to capture the feeling of with “Tunnel Vision.” Not a rendition, but definitely inspired by it.
Gorillaz feat. De La Soul, “Feel Good Inc.”
It’s so beautiful that it’s Gorillaz and De La Soul, two different worlds coming together. That’s kind of how I feel about myself and the music I make. De La Soul is that feel-good ’90s hip-hop paired with a band—that’s my whole thing, to a degree.
Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth, “Carmel City”
This song reminds me of me and my homie Sean, one of my first producers in Oklahoma. We used to play it stoned all the time. The beat, the scratches—there’s an element of that I tried to bring into “Give It to Me Straight.” When the bridge comes in and I’m rapping, it gives that ’90s hip-hop feel.
Bubba Sparxxx, “Deliverance”
“Chandelier” reminds me of a Bubba Sparxxx song. He’s from the South, but there’s a Midwest feel to it, too. The way he brought it…so country, so authentic, and he was doing it over Timbaland beats. I don’t know why he stopped rapping, but he’s one of those artists people forget about. He even sounds like someone from Oklahoma to me. Even in videos like “Ugly,” he’s on a farm, in a pig pen, wearing overalls—it’s hilarious, but it’s so good. Imagine if we were this age when “Ms. New Booty” came out, we might not have survived. He had this certain twang to his music, and I think that’s what “Chandelier” taps into.
Sly & the Family Stone, “Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Again)”
On “Give It to Me Straight,” when I get into the second verse, the ad libs are a huge part of it. That’s straight Sly all day. He had the best ad libs. I always get Sly comparisons because of that.
Sly & the Family Stone, “Only One Way Out of This Mess”
Same energy, just another example of how Sly influences the way I think about groove and feel.
Arrested Development, “People Everyday” (Metamorphosis Mix)
That flow and playfulness is similar to what I use on “Bettin on Me.” And the sample they use comes from “Family Affair” by Sly & the Family Stone, so it’s like keeping that tradition going, which is a concept that’s important to me not only in music, but in life.
Weezer, “Island in the Sun”
That’s the best shit ever. Fun fact, “Hit Em Where It Hurts” has my favorite ad lib, and the tone they use in this song reminds me of that. It feels like being on a floatie at the lake with a beer. I wish I could feel like that all the time. I’m always trying to capture that feeling in my own way.
Cherrelle & Alexander O’Neal, “Saturday Love”
Also one of the best songs ever made. With “Tunnel Vision,” I was chasing the lightness in their voices on this. There’s a moment where I say, “And if I do say so myself, you’re my reason”—I wanted that to feel effortless and light like this song. That pocket they sit in is so cool. Very “Tunnel Vision”–coded.
Do or Die, “Playa Like Me and You”
Hell yeah. They’re from the Midwest, too. That flow, that bounce—that’s the pocket. They have some of the best flows in rap. That’s who Twista got his start with. That song is a big inspiration to me in general.
Lenny Kravitz, “Fly Away”
Lenny Kravitz is the guitar energy on “Lights Down Low,” and even the energy on “Bettin on Me.” I’m trying to tap into that Lenny Kravitz bag in terms of flow and presence. Also, that’s how I want to look when I’m 60.
Anderson .Paak, “Celebrate”
.Paak is always going to be on any inspiration playlist for me. This song is kind of like a version of “White Chocolate Chips.” The line “I’m a product of the tube and the free lunch / Momma always kept the cable on”—I related to that so hard. I felt seen through his music. To me, .Paak is the best in modern times at blending genres in a tasteful way. I don’t make the music I make without him.
Phoenix, “If I Ever Feel Better”
I’m always trying to make this song in sessions. If I’m in there all day, at least one attempt is me trying to make my version of this. It’s the perfect example of a sad song you can dance to. You actually feel better listening to it, that’s “medicine in the candy” at its best.
Adele, “Chasing Pavements”
I used to listen to this every morning before school. It would come on those MTV morning shows, along with Metro Station, Shwayze, and Gym Class Heroes. I’d never heard a voice like Adele’s at that time, it would stop me in my tracks. This one doesn’t really have “medicine in the candy,” it’s just sad, but it connects to “Shades of Blue” and being able to tap into something emotional like that.
Q-Tip, “Gettin Up”
This is the brightness I always try to bring into a project. I even use his flow on “Give It to Me Straight” at times—it’s very Q-Tip-coded. The way he flows on this feels like waking up and the song is already playing as you get out of bed to brush your teeth. That’s kind of the energy behind the “Bettin on Me” video.
Sly & the Family Stone, “Family Affair”
This was an inspiration for “White Chocolate Chips.” It’s like the blues finally turning into bliss at the end of the album. There’s a line where I say I get a good feeling and I belong here, and that’s the same feeling I get when I’m in a place where the love is real.
