Anderson .Paak

Born in 1986 in Oxnard, California, Anderson .Paak, whose real name is Brandon Paak Anderson, has developed a career at the intersection of hip-hop, soul, funk and R&B, shaped by intensive drumming and singing. Initially active under the pseudonym Breezy Lovejoy on Los Angeles’s independent scene, Anderson .Paak gained notice in the mid-2010s for his vocal contributions to Dr. Dre’s album Compton, before joining the Aftermath label. His first album under the name Anderson .Paak, Venice (2014), established a rhythmically dense and melodic style, continued on Malibu (2016), where smooth rap, soul harmonies and arrangements inspired by funk and jazz converge. At the same time, he formed the duo NxWorries with producer Knxwledge, which released Yes Lawd! in 2016 and explored a more intimate side of R&B. The albums Oxnard (2018) and Ventura (2019) further this work between detailed hip-hop production and live instrumentation, increasing collaborations with rappers and singers from the West Coast and beyond. In 2021 Anderson .Paak teamed up with Bruno Mars in the Silk Sonic project for the album An Evening with Silk Sonic, a reinterpretation of 1970s soul and funk sounds, while continuing to perform live with his band The Free Nationals.