Anderson .Paak’s “King James” Lyrics Meaning

First off “King James” is the popular nickname of Lebron James, an iconic American NBA basketball star, whom this song is named after. Few people, including presumably Anderson .Paak, would argue against the fact that King James is one of the greatest players of all-time. However, the purpose of this track is not to praise his athletic talents but rather Lebron’s well-publicized community outreach.

Another prominent athlete that is brought up is football quarterback Colin Kaepernick who, all things considered, was sacked from the NFL for protesting police brutality against African-Americans. Anderson uses “King James” as a medium to big-up Kaepernick also, albeit using a racial slur against White people in the process.

In other words, this song acts as a social commentary where .Paak not only gets the opportunity to commend individuals whom he admires but also air out some of his beefs against the system. For instance, he criticizes the Trump administration and advises immigrants who are the targets of their wall-building efforts to jump over the structure. 

In the song, he also references the gentrification that has been going on in some communities (most famously in Brooklyn, New York) where White residents are given preference over poor minorities. Ultimately his sentiments are that no matter what comes against him and the people he is representing, they will not live in fear. And not only would the refuse to live in fear, but they will also “take back” what they perceive is rightfully theirs. He also seems to imply that if justice is not achieved, he and those who follow his lead will just remove themselves from the situation altogether.