Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0) Julio Enriquez
Brandon Paak Anderson, other known as Anderson .Paak, is an American rapper, songwriter, singer, drummer and record producer from Oxnard, California. He first started producing music as a teenager and had his first performance experience as a drummer at his church.
In 2012, Paak completed his debut album titled O.B.E. Vol. 1. A year or so later, Paak then produced and recorded an all-covers EP titled Cover Art. The album converted rock and folks classics by white musicians into soul, R&B, hip-hop and jazz renditions. This was because he noticed that a lot of white artists had re-made songs that were originally performed by black blues and R&B singers, without compensating the original artists.
Further down the road, Paak released his debut album Venice in 2014. He began recording music with other artists such as Schoolboy Q and Dr. Dre and was then featured on their albums during 2015. Paak’s second album, Malibu, was released in 2016 which features artists BJ The Chicago Kid, Schoolboy Q and Rapsody. He soon after was signed to Dr. Dre’s Aftermath Entertainment and was named one of the XXL Freshman along with Lil Dicky, Lil Yachty, G Herbo, Lil Uzi Vert and more.
Paak’s most recent album came out in 2016, with a remixed version in 2017, and is titled Yes Lawd! It features Paak’s vocals and was produced by Knxwledge. The two of them collaborated on this album and became known as NxWorries.
Paak’s music is different because it’s more than just one genre. He is accompanied by The Free Nationals, a band that plays a variety of instruments including bass, piano, keyboard, drums and more while including backup vocals as well. It’s funk and soul incorporated into hip-hop and R&B. Some of his songs provide a ’70s/’80s/’90s vibe while others sound more modern in today’s music world. Paak’s style is very old school but can also reach out to younger audiences. He is definitely an artist who’s under the radar, but will probably fly above it in years to come.
Niagara Wire 