Anderson .Paak | |
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.jpg) Anderson in 2024 | |
| Born | Brandon Paak Anderson (1986-02-08)February 8, 1986 (age 39) Oxnard, California, U.S. |
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| Education | Foothill Technology High School |
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| Years active | 2009–present |
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| Children | 2 |
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| Website | andersonpaak |
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Brandon Paak Anderson[3][4] (born February 8, 1986), known professionally asAnderson .Paak (/pæk/PACK or/pɑːk/PAHK),[5] is an American rapper, singer-songwriter, and record producer. He released his debut mixtape,O.B.E. Vol. 1, in 2012 and went on to release his debut album,Venice, in 2014.[6] In 2016, he followed up with his second album,Malibu,[7] which received aGrammy Award nomination forBest Urban Contemporary Album, followed by his third album,Oxnard (2018). At the61st Grammy Awards, Paak won his first Grammy Award forBest Rap Performance with his 2018 non-album single "Bubblin".[8] In 2020, he won two additional Grammy Awards for Best R&B Album with his fourth albumVentura, while a song from the album won Best R&B Performance with "Come Home" (featuringAndré 3000).[9]
Apart from his solo career, Anderson formed the duoNxWorries in 2015 with record producerKnxwledge. He is frequently accompanied by the bandFree 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 the duoSilk Sonic with fellowsinger-songwriterBruno Mars. The duo's debut single, "Leave the Door Open", became Anderson's first single to reach number one on theBillboard Hot 100, and was the recipient of four awards at the64th Grammy Awards, includingSong of the Year andRecord of the Year.
Brandon Paak Anderson was born on February 8, 1986, atSt. John's Regional Medical Center inOxnard, California.[10][11][12] He is of mixed African American and Korean heritage.[13] Anderson's mother was born inSouth Korea during theKorean War[14] to an African American man who is presumed to have been a soldier. She was abandoned in a Korean orphanage and adopted by an African-American family inCompton.[15]
At age seven, Anderson saw 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 14 years."[16]
Shortly after he started his senior year of high school, his mother was convicted of major fraud. "I got a call in class: 'They arrested your mom today.'" Anderson's mother pleaded guilty to defrauding investors of millions using her produce distribution company. She received a seven-year prison sentence.[16]
Anderson began producing music from his bedroom as a teenager, while attendingFoothill Technology High School. His first experiences performing were as a drummer at his family's church.[17] 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 inSanta Barbara.[18] Early in his career, Anderson used the stage name Breezy Lovejoy.[19]
In 2011, Anderson had started earning acceptance in theLos Angeles music scene as he worked on his debut album. Shafiq Husayn ofSa-Ra and Los Angeles–based rapperDumbfoundead helped Anderson recover financially from losing his job in Santa Barbara by employing him as an assistant, videographer, editor, writer and producer. He completedO.B.E. Vol. 1 and released the album on June 30, 2012. He became the drummer for formerAmerican Idol semi-finalistHaley Reinhart.[18] After the release ofO.B.E. Vol. 1, Anderson changed his stage name to Anderson .Paak; he claims that thedot stands for "detail", the need to pay attention to detail.[20][21]
On November 27, 2013, Paak produced and recordedCover Art, an all-covers EP. Paak was inspired by white artists of the 1950s who achieved commercial success by remaking songs written by Black blues and R&B singers, while rarely compensating the original artists.[22]Cover Art reversed the process and transformed folk and rock classics from white musicians into a mold ofsoul,funk,jazz, left-field pop, hip-hop, and R&B. The album was released by the independentHellfyre Club and OBE labels.[23] Paak was the lead producer forWatsky's 2014 albumAll You Can Do and is featured on three of its sixteen tracks.
On October 28, 2014, Paak released his debut album,Venice, as Anderson .Paak, on OBE and Steel Wool. Paak performed on six songs onDr. Dre's 2015 albumCompton and two onThe Game'sThe Documentary 2.5. In 2014, Paak joinedJhené Aiko on her Enter The Void tour. In October 2015, he announced that he had recorded material withSchoolboy Q and9th Wonder. Paak released his second album,Malibu, on January 15, 2016, to critical acclaim, featuring contributions from9th Wonder,Rapsody, andKaytranada.[7][24]
In January 2016, he indicated that he had been recording withFlying Lotus.[25] On January 30, 2016, Paak spoke withScott Simon ofNPR'sWeekend 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.[26] On January 30, Paak announced via Twitter he has signed to Dr. Dre'sAftermath Entertainment.[27] He said he always sends his ideas to Dr. Dre and the two work very fast.[28] In 2016, Paak was named one of theXXL Freshmen, along withLil Dicky,Desiigner,Dave East,Denzel Curry,Lil Yachty,G Herbo,Lil Uzi Vert,21 Savage, andKodak Black.
In August 2016, Paak performed onNPR Music'sTiny Desk Concert series with his backing band the Free Nationals. The concert became one of "the most popular in the history of the series", according to NPR.[29]
In 2018, Paak's new single "Til It's Over" featured in a TV commercial released byApple Inc. The advertisement was directed bySpike Jonze, featuringFKA Twigs in the video, promoting the AppleHomePod smart speaker.[30] Along with collaborations with Apple, "Til It's Over" was used in a playlist in the 2018 video gameForza Horizon 4. His song "Bubblin" was in the playlist ofMadden NFL 19. In an interview withComplex magazine posted on October 10, 2018, Paak revealed that his forthcoming albumOxnard would be released on November 16, 2018.[31] Paak released his third studio albumOxnard on November 16. The album is executive produced byDr. 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 asKendrick Lamar,Snoop Dogg,Pusha T, andJ. Cole. The album features the song "Cheers", aQ-Tip featured track paying homage toMac Miller.[32] He co-wrote two songs onLiberation, the sixth album byChristina Aguilera, in 2018. On December 3, 2018, Paak announced a world tour in support ofOxnard. The tour is titled Andy's Beach Club and began in the U.S. on February 11, 2019, before heading to Europe.[33]
Paak released his fourth studio album,Ventura, on April 12, 2019, featuring artists such asAndré 3000,Smokey Robinson,Brandy, andNate Dogg, among others.Ventura was executive produced byDr. 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. WhereasOxnard 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.[34] He announced a new tour, titled The Best Teef In the Game Tour, withFree Nationals, which began on May 17, 2019. The tour was supported byThundercat,Mac DeMarco,Earl Sweatshirt,Noname, andJessie Reyez.[35] Paak'smusic video "Bubblin" was nominated for Best Director at the Berlin Music Video Awards in 2019.[36]
On January 20, 2020, Paak was a guest showcase model on the television game showThe Price Is Right.[37] Also in January 2020, Paak was featured onEminem's eleventh studio album, titledMusic to Be Murdered By, on the track "Lock It Up".[38]
Paak released the non-album single "Lockdown" in June 2020, coinciding with the commemoration ofJuneteenth. The music video, directed byDave Meyers, featured appearances fromJay Rock,Dumbfoundead,SiR,Syd,Dominic Fike and other musicians.[39] In August 2020, Paak was featured on the soundtrack to theMadden NFL 21 game, on the song "Cut Em In", featuringRick Ross,[40] which was also played during the end credits ofTom & Jerry.
On February 26, 2021, Paak and fellow American singer-songwriterBruno Mars announced they formed a band together calledSilk Sonic. Their debut studio album,An Evening with Silk Sonic, was released on November 12, 2021, and includes a collaboration with Thundercat andBootsy Collins.[41]
On April 21, 2021, 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.[42] The single topped the USBillboard Hot 100, becoming .Paak's first song to do so.[43] "Smokin Out the Window" also reached the top 10 on the Hot 100.[44] For the 2022 Grammy Awards, Silk Sonic received four Grammy nominations for "Leave the Door Open", includingRecord of the Year andSong of the Year.[45]
In November 2021, Paak partnered withUniversal Music Group to form a new record label called Apeshit Inc.[46]
In 2021, Paak worked with fellow American rapperDr. Dre on an album for theRockstar Games video gameGrand Theft Auto Online. The DLC was released on December 15, 2021, and the album was released publicly on February 4, 2022.[47] Paak was featured as a minor character in the game.
On February 13, 2022, Paak was a special guest (on drums) at theSuper Bowl LVI halftime show, which featured performances from fellow American rappersDr. Dre,Snoop Dogg,Eminem,Kendrick Lamar,Mary J. Blige, and50 Cent.[48] In 2023, Paak announced his fifth album,Justice.
In January 2024, Anderson .Paak filed for divorce from his wife, Jae Lin Chang. The couple cited "irreconcilable differences" as the reason for the split, as reported in court documents obtained byUs Weekly. This marked a difficult period for the musician, who had been married to Chang for several years.[49]
Despite the personal challenges, Paak continued to make strides in his music career. On June 7, 2024, he and his collaborator Knxwledge, under the name NxWorries, released their second studio album,Why Lawd?. The album was released physically on June 7, 2024, byStones Throw Records, and was made available digitally on June 14, 2024.[50] The album received critical acclaim for its fusion ofneo-soul, jazz, and hip-hop, continuing the duo's reputation for creating unique and innovative sounds.[citation needed]
In May 2025, he collaborated with the champagne brandDom Pérignon for a campaign named "Creation is an Eternal Journey".[51]
Paak met his wife, Jae Lin Chang, a music student from South Korea,[17] while she was in college. In 2011, prior to being a successful working musician, Paak was working at a marijuana farm inSanta Barbara. He was dismissed without warning and became homeless with his wife and infant son.[18] The couple had a second son in 2017.[52] In 2017, Paak confirmed during an interview withThe Breakfast Club that this is his second marriage, but that "Jaylyn is the one that matters".[52] In January 2024, Paak filed for divorce after thirteen years of marriage.[53]
Paak has a tattoo on his chest, depictingStevie Wonder,Aretha Franklin,James Brown,Prince, andMiles Davis,[54] 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".[55]
In 2016, Paak founded The Brandon Anderson Foundation, anonprofit organization which aims to "Support and create initiatives that uplift, engage and support the community through access to the arts, supplemental education and unique experiences to expand the imagination".[56] In December 2017, he launched .Paak House, an annualbenefit concert which helps raise funds for the organisation.[57][58] Past performers at the concert includeThe Game,Jay Rock,Kali Uchis,Jhené Aiko,Ty Dolla Sign,Cordae,Freddie Gibbs,Masego,Thundercat andSchoolboy Q.[59] As of 2021, the organisation has raised more than half a million dollars and provided over 3,000 families in theGreater Los Angeles area with basic necessities.[60] In 2021 .Paak House was hosted at College Park in Oxnard.[61] The May 2023 event was held at theVentura County Fairgrounds in Ventura.[62] In 2025, Anderson .Paak performed at the FireAid benefit concert, a two-venue music-based fundraising initiative set to take place on January 30, 2025.[63]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Trolls World Tour | Prince Darnell | Voice role | [64] |
| 2023 | Trolls Band Together | [64] | ||
| 2024 | Sweet Dreams | D Squiz | — | [65] |
| K-Pops! | BJ | Also co-writer and director | [66] | |
| — | Golden | — | Unreleased |
| † | Denotes film or TV productions that have not yet been released |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | The Eric Andre Show | Himself | Episode: "A King Is Born" | [67] |
| 2021 | Trolls: Holiday in Harmony | Prince Darnell | TV movie, voice role | [68] |
| 2022–2023 | We Baby Bears | TK | 2 episodes, voice role | [69] |
| 2023 | Baby Shark's Big Show! | Anderswim .Shaark | 1 episode, voice role | [70] |
| 2023–2024 | Grown-ish | Himself | 2 episodes, with theFree Nationals | [71] |
| 2025 | Survival of the Thickest | Himself | 1 episode | [72] |
Headlining
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