Anderson. Paak

American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, and drummerTemplate:SHORTDESC:American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, and drummer

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* R&B
* soul
 Occupation(s) | * Rapper
* singer
* songwriter
* record producer
 Instruments | * Vocals
* Aftermath
* ArtClub
* SteelWool
* Stones Throw
* Empire
* Hellfyre Club
* NxWorries
* Silk Sonic
* Dr. Dre
* Dumbfoundead
* Free Nationals
* George Watsky
* Kaytranada
* Rapsody
* Sa-Ra
* Sonyae
* Tokimonsta

**Brandon Paak Anderson** (born February 8, 1986), known professionally as **Anderson .Paak** (English pronunciation: **Expression error: Unrecognized punctuation character "[".**), is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, and drummer. He released his debut mixtape, *O.B.E. Vol. 1* in 2012 and went on to release *Venice* in 2014. He later followed up with *Malibu*, in 2016, which received a nomination for Best Urban Contemporary Album at the Grammy Awards, followed by *Oxnard*, in 2018. At the 61st Grammy Awards, Paak won his first Grammy award for Best Rap Performance with the song "Bubblin". He again won a Grammy Award in 2020 for "Best R&B Album" with *Ventura* and one for Best R&B Performance for "Come Home" (featuring André 3000).

Apart from his solo career, Anderson formed the duo NxWorries in 2015, alongside record producer Knxwledge. He is frequently accompanied by the band Free Nationals, who play a variety of instruments such as electric guitar, bass, piano, keyboards and drums and also serve as backing vocalists. In 2021, he formed a duo called Silk Sonic along with fellow singer-songwriter Bruno Mars. The duo's debut single, "Leave the Door Open", became Anderson's first single to reach number one on the *Billboard* Hot 100.

## Early life

Brandon Paak Anderson was born on February 8, 1986, at St John's Regional Medical Center in Oxnard, California. He is of mixed African American and Korean heritage. Anderson's mother was born in South Korea during the Korean War to a Korean woman who was a farmer and an African American soldier. She was initially raised by her Korean grandparents, before being placed in an orphanage and then later adopted by an American family who lived in Los Angeles.

At the age of seven, Anderson witnessed his estranged father attack his mother, "My little sister and I went out front and my pops was on top of my mom. There was blood in the street. He was arrested and that was the last time I saw him. I think he did fourteen years."

## Career

### 2009–2013: Career beginnings

Anderson began producing music from his bedroom as a teenager, while attending Foothill Technology High School. His first experiences performing were as a drummer at his family's church. In 2011, prior to being a successful working musician, Anderson became homeless with his wife and infant son after he was dismissed from his job at a marijuana farm in Santa Barbara. Early in his career, Anderson used the stage name Breezy Lovejoy.[*citation needed*]

In 2011, Anderson had started earning acceptance in the Los Angeles music world as he worked on his debut album. Shafiq Husayn of Sa-Ra and Los Angeles based rapper Dumbfoundead helped Anderson recover financially from losing his job in Santa Barbara by employing him as an assistant, videographer, editor, writer and producer. He completed *O.B.E. Vol.1* and released the album on June 30, 2012. He became the drummer for former *American Idol* semi-finalist Haley Reinhart. After the release of *O.B.E. Vol.1*, Anderson changed his stage name to Anderson .Paak.[*citation needed*]

On November 27, 2013, Paak produced and recorded *Cover Art*, an all-covers EP. Paak was inspired by the white artists of the 1950s who achieved commercial success by remaking songs written by Black blues and R&B singers, while hardly ever compensating the original artists. *Cover Art* reversed the process and transformed folk and rock classics from white musicians into a mold of soul, funk, jazz, left-field pop, hip-hop, and R&B. The album was released by the independent Hellfyre Club and OBE labels. Paak was the lead producer for Watsky's 2014 album *All You Can Do* and is featured on three of its sixteen tracks.

### 2014–2017: *Venice* and *Malibu*

 File:Anderson .Paak July 2016.jpg
On October 28, 2014, Paak released *Venice*, his debut album as Anderson .Paak, on OBE and Steel Wool. Paak performed on six songs on Dr. Dre's 2015 album *Compton* and two on The Game's *The Documentary 2.5*. In 2014, Paak also joined Jhené Aiko on her 'Enter The Void' tour. In October 2015, he announced that he had recorded material with Schoolboy Q and 9th Wonder. Paak released his second album, *Malibu*, on January 15, 2016, to critical acclaim, featuring contributions from 9th Wonder, Rapsody, and Kaytranada.

In January 2016, he indicated that he had been recording with Flying Lotus. On January 30, 2016, Paak spoke with Scott Simon of NPR's *Weekend Edition Saturday* about his tumultuous background as a child of mixed-race parents, that the "." in his name stands for "detail", his apprenticeship with Dr. Dre and how all of these influences shaped his music. On January 30, Paak announced via Twitter he has signed to Dr. Dre's Aftermath Entertainment. He said he always sends his ideas to Dr. Dre and the two work very fast. In 2016, Paak was named one of the XXL Freshmen, along with Lil Dicky, Desiigner, Dave East, Denzel Curry, Lil Yachty, G Herbo, Lil Uzi Vert, 21 Savage, & Kodak Black.

In August 2016, Paak performed on NPR Music's Tiny Desk Concert series with his backing band the Free Nationals. The concert has since become "the most popular in the history of the series," according to NPR.

### 2018–2019: *Oxnard* and *Ventura*

In 2018, Paak's new single "Til It's Over" featured in a new TV commercial released by Apple Inc. The advertisement was directed by Spike Jonze, featuring FKA Twigs in the video, promoting the Apple HomePod smart speaker. Along with collaborations with Apple, "Til It's Over" was used in a playlist in the 2018 video game, Forza Horizon 4. His song Bubblin was in the playlist of Madden NFL 19. In an interview with *Complex* magazine posted on October 10, 2018, Paak revealed that his forthcoming album *Oxnard* would be released on November 16, 2018. Paak released his third studio album *Oxnard* on November 16. The album is executive produced by Dr. Dre and is an homage to Paak's hometown in California. The album has a heavy funk theme throughout the project and features artists such as Kendrick Lamar, Snoop Dogg, Pusha T, and J. Cole. The album features the song "Cheers", a Q-Tip featured track paying homage to his late friend Mac Miller. He also co-wrote 2 songs on the sixth album from Christina Aguilera, *Liberation* in 2018. On December 3, 2018, Paak announced a world tour in support of *Oxnard*. The tour is titled "Andy's Beach Club" and began in the U.S. on February 11, 2019, before heading over to Europe.

Paak released his fourth studio album, *Ventura*, on April 12, 2019, featuring artists such as André 3000, Smokey Robinson, Brandy, and the late Nate Dogg, among others. *Ventura* was executive produced by Dr. Dre and was released by Dre's record label, Aftermath Entertainment. The title follows the theme of his previous albums, making his way up the California coast. Whereas *Oxnard* covered various snippets of Paak's life in vivid detail, *Ventura* homes in on more personal details of the artist himself, returning to the mine of slick R&B and funk rap of his acclaimed debut *Malibu.* "Growing up in Oxnard gave me the grit and the church to find this voice of mine. One town over, I went further and found my depth," Paak said in a press statement. He also announced a new tour, titled "The Best Teef In the Game Tour" with Free Nationals, which began on May 17, 2019. The tour was supported by Thundercat, Mac DeMarco, Earl Sweatshirt, Noname, and Jessie Reyez. Paak's music video ''Bubblin'' was nominated for Best Director at the Berlin Music Video Awards in 2019.

### 2020–present: Silk Sonic

On January 20, 2020, Paak was a guest showcase model on the television game show *The Price Is Right*. Also in January 2020, Paak was featured on Eminem's eleventh studio album release titled *Music to be Murdered By* on the track "Lock It Up."

Paak released the non-album single "Lockdown" in June 2020, coinciding with the commemoration of Juneteenth in the United States. The music video, directed by Dave Meyers featured appearances from Jay Rock, Dumbfoundead, SiR, Syd (of The Internet) and other musicians. In August 2020, Paak was featured on the soundtrack to the *Madden NFL 21* game, on the song "Cut Em In", featuring Rick Ross, which was also played during the end credits of *Tom & Jerry*.

On February 26, 2021, Paak and American singer Bruno Mars announced they formed a band together called Silk Sonic. Their upcoming studio album is set to be titled *An Evening with Silk Sonic* and features Bootsy Collins.

On April 21, 2021, Anderson .Paak signed a worldwide administrative deal with Warner Chappell Music in partnership with Dr. Dre's Hard Workin' Black Folks publishing company. The agreement includes Paak's and Bruno Mars' Silk Sonic single, "Leave the Door Open" and both Paak's music catalog and future releases. The mentioned single topped the US *Billboard* Hot 100, becoming .Paak's first song to do so.

## Personal life

Paak met his wife, Jae Lin, a music student from South Korea, while she was in college. In 2011, prior to being a successful working musician, Paak was working at a marijuana farm in Santa Barbara. He was dismissed without warning and became homeless with his wife and infant son. The couple had a second son in 2017.

Paak confirmed during an interview with The Breakfast Club that this is his second marriage, but that "Jae Lin is the one that matters."

Paak has a tattoo on his chest, depicting Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, James Brown, Prince, and Miles Davis, and a tattoo on his arm with the text "*When I’m gone please don’t release any posthumous albums or songs with my name attached. Those were just demos and never intended to be heard by the public*.”

## Discography

Main article: Anderson .Paak discography
See also: NxWorries § Discography
### Studio albums

* *Venice* (2014)
* *Malibu* (2016)
* *Oxnard* (2018)
* *Ventura* (2019)

### Collaborative albums

* *Yes Lawd!* (with Knxwledge, as NxWorries) (2016)
* *An Evening with Silk Sonic* (with Bruno Mars, as Silk Sonic) (2021)

## Tours

Headlining
* Andy's Beach Club (with The Free Nationals) (2019)
* The Best Teef In the Game Tour (with The Free Nationals) (2020)

Supporting
* Wintervention Tour (Wax & Dumbfoundead) (2013)
* Enter The Void Tour (Jhené Aiko) (2014)
* 24K Magic World Tour (Bruno Mars) (2017)
* 2022 Global Stadium Tour (Red Hot Chili Peppers) (2022)

## Notes

1. ↑ Indicates the year of ceremony. Each year is linked to the article about the awards held that year, wherever possible.

## References

1. ↑ Munday, Matt (April 10, 2016). "Anderson .Paak: 'If Dre had called five years ago, I don't think I'd have been ready'". *The Guardian*. Retrieved July 10, 2017.
2. ↑ Kennedy, Gerrick D. (March 4, 2016). "Anderson .Paak hits big time in L.A. after struggling up the road but a world away in Oxnard". *Los Angeles Times*. Retrieved July 10, 2017.
3. ↑ "Anderson .Paak Talks Working w/ Dre & His Go To As a Wedding Singer! [VIDEO]". WQHT. December 3, 2015. Archived from the original on December 4, 2015. Retrieved February 9, 2019.
4. ↑ Reeves, Mosi (November 1, 2014). "10 New Artists You Need To Know: November 2014 – Anderson Paak". *Rolling Stone*.
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Review: Anderson .Paak More Than Makes Up for Lost Time on 'Malibu'". *spin.com*. January 15, 2016.
6. ↑ "Jay Rock's "King's Dead" and Anderson .Paak's "Bubblin" tie for Best Rap Performance at the 2019 Grammys". *The FADER*. Retrieved July 11, 2019.
7. ↑ Grammy Award Winners 2020 by Zoe Haylock, Vulture.com, January 26, 2020.
8. ↑ "Dr. Dre arrives to celebrate new Anderson .Paak album titled 'Oxnard'".
9. ↑ "Episode 54: Anderson Paak". *Kindaneat.net*. April 2, 2014. Retrieved January 18, 2020.
10. ↑ "Episode 991 - Anderson .Paak". WTF with Marc Maron. Retrieved May 11, 2019.
11. ↑ Martins, Chris (January 14, 2016). "Anderson Paak: Dr. Dre's Golden Child Goes From Protege to Solo Star". *Billboard*.
12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 Breakfast Club Power 105.1 FM (July 28, 2016), *Anderson Paak Interview With The Breakfast Club (7-28-16)*, retrieved February 7, 2017
13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 Weiss, Jeff (November 27, 2013). "R&B singer Anderson Paak has a curious new project". LA Weekly.
14. ↑ "The Sound of Tomorrow with Anderson .Paak & The Free Nationals (LIVE)". *theecho.com*. Archived from the original on January 31, 2016. Retrieved January 15, 2016.
15. ↑ "Cover Art". *hellfyreclub.bandcamp.com*. Archived from the original on April 22, 2016. Retrieved January 15, 2016.
16. ↑ "Life After Dre: Anderson Paak on "Compton," Style & His New Album - DJBooth". *DJBooth.net*. Retrieved October 23, 2015.
17. ↑ "BBC Radio 6 Music - Gilles Peterson, Ed Motta and Anderson .Paak". *Bbc.co.uk*. January 16, 2016. Retrieved May 12, 2016.
18. ↑ "Anderson .Paak: 'The Dot Stands For Detail'". *npr.org*. Retrieved January 30, 2016.
19. ↑ "Andy $ide$tick on Twitter: "Aftermath gets the last laugh 💨🍃🍂🍃". *Twitter*. January 30, 2016. Retrieved May 12, 2016.
20. ↑ Smith, Trevor (November 19, 2016). "Anderson Paak describes relationship with Dr. Dre". Retrieved November 19, 2016.
21. ↑ Mamo, Heran. "The Free Nationals Return to Tiny Desk With Anderson .Paak & Other Special Guests". *Billboard*. Retrieved April 22, 2020.
22. ↑ "Apple HomePod Commercial". March 20, 2018. Retrieved March 20, 2018.
23. ↑ "Anderson .Paak on Oxnard, Mac Miller + Ric Flair goes Rolex Shopping : Open Late w Peter Rosenberg". YouTube. Retrieved January 18, 2020.
24. ↑ "Anderson .Paak Pays Homage to His Friend Mac Miller on the Celebratory Track "Cheers"". *OkayPlayer.com*. November 16, 2018. Retrieved February 25, 2020.
25. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on December 6, 2018. Retrieved December 6, 2018.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
26. ↑ Legaspi, Althea (February 28, 2019). "Anderson .Paak Details New Album 'Ventura,' Plots Tour". *Rolling Stone*. Retrieved April 25, 2019.
27. ↑ Yoo, Noah (February 27, 2019). "Anderson .Paak Announces New Album Ventura and Tour With Mac DeMarco, Earl, Thundercat, More". *Pitchfork*. Retrieved February 27, 2019.
28. ↑ Berlin Music Video Awards (April 22, 2021). "Nominees 2019". *www.berlinmva.com*.
29. ↑ Anderson Paak & The Price is Right by Chris DeVille, Stereogum.com, January 20, 2020.
30. ↑ "Eminem – Lock It Up Lyrics". *Genius.com*. Retrieved January 18, 2020.
31. ↑ "Anderson .Paak shares moving video for Juneteenth single 'Lockdown'". *NME | Music, Film, TV, Gaming & Pop Culture News*. June 19, 2020. Retrieved December 31, 2020.
32. ↑ "Madden NFL 21 Soundtrack". August 14, 2020. Retrieved August 15, 2020 – via EA Sports.
33. ↑ "✨We locked in and made an album. The band's called Silk Sonic. First song drops next Friday 3/5.✨". Retrieved February 26, 2021 – via Twitter.
34. ↑ "Anderson .Paak Opens Door to Worldwide Deal With Warner Chappell Music". *billboard.com*. Retrieved April 21, 2021.
35. ↑ Trust, Gary (April 12, 2021). "Bruno Mars & Anderson .Paak, as Silk Sonic, Top Billboard Hot 100 With 'Leave the Door Open'". *Billboard*. Retrieved April 13, 2021.
36. ↑ 36.0 36.1 Shapiro, Hannah (February 12, 2017). "Anderson .Paak's Wife Is The Definition Of A Ride Or Die". *Bustle*. Retrieved March 11, 2021.
37. ↑ "Who Is Anderson .Paak's Wife? She's Been By His Side Through Thick & Thin". *Bustle*. Retrieved April 9, 2021.
38. ↑ https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/bruno-mars-anderson-paak-silk-sonic-album-release-date-1212141/
39. ↑ https://www.vulture.com/2021/08/anderson-paak-tattoo-no-posthumous-albums.html
40. ↑ Vulpo, Mike (October 5, 2016). "BET Hip Hop Awards 2016 Winners: The Complete List". *E! Online News*. Retrieved December 7, 2016.
41. ↑ "GAFFA Prize - And the winners are ..." *GAFFA* (in Danish). Denmark. March 8, 2019.
42. ↑ "59th Annual GRAMMY Awards Winners & Nominees - GRAMMY.com". *GRAMMY.com*. The Recording Academy. Retrieved December 7, 2016.
43. ↑ "62nd Annual Grammy Awards Nominees". Grammy. November 20, 2019.
44. ↑ "2021 GRAMMYs Complete Nominees List". Grammy. November 24, 2020.
45. ↑ Iasimone, Ashley (November 27, 2016). "2016 Soul Train Awards: See the Full Winners List". *Billboard*. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved December 7, 2016.
46. ↑ "GAFFA-Priset 2016 – och vinnarna är ..." *GAFFA* (in Swedish). Sweden. September 3, 2019.
47. ↑ Hussey, Allison (September 12, 2021). "MTV VMAs 2021 Winners: See the Full List Here". *Pitchfork*. Retrieved September 14, 2021.

## External links

* Official website
* Anderson Paak on IMDb

Template:Anderson Paak