Anderson Pak

Brandon Paak Anderson (born February 8, 1986), known professionally as Anderson .Paak ( or ), is an American R&B singer, rapper, 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. In 2016, he followed up with his second album, '' Malibu'', which received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Urban Contemporary Album, followed by his third album, ''Oxnard'' (2018). At the 61st Grammy Awards, Paak won his first Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance with his 2018 non-album single " Bubblin". In 2020, he won two additional Grammy Awards for Best R&B Album with his fourth album '' Ventura'', while a song from the album won Best R&B Performance with "Come Home" (featuring André 3000).

Apart from his solo career, Anderson formed the duo NxWorries in 2015 with 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 the duo Silk Sonic 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, and was the recipient of four awards at the 64th Grammy Awards, including Song of the Year and Record of the Year.

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 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 in Compton.

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."

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.

Career

2009–2013: 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.

In 2011, Anderson had started earning acceptance in the Los Angeles music scene 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; he claims that the dot stands for "detail", the need to pay attention to detail.

On November 27, 2013, Paak produced and recorded ''Cover 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. ''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''

On October 28, 2014, Paak released his debut album, ''Venice'', 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 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, and Kodak Black.

In August 2016, Paak performed on NPR Music's Tiny 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.

2018–2019: ''Oxnard'' and ''Ventura''

In 2018, Paak's new single "Til It's Over" featured in a 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 Mac Miller. He co-wrote two songs on ''Liberation'', the sixth album by Christina Aguilera, 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 to Europe.

Paak released his fourth studio album, '' Ventura'', on April 12, 2019, featuring artists such as André 3000, Smokey Robinson, Brandy, and 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 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.

2020–2023: Silk Sonic and ''Justice''

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, 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. The music video, directed by Dave Meyers, featured appearances from Jay Rock, Dumbfoundead, SiR, Syd, Dominic Fike 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 fellow American singer-songwriter Bruno Mars announced they formed a band together called Silk Sonic. Their debut studio album, ''An Evening with Silk Sonic'', was released on November 12, 2021, and includes a collaboration with Thundercat and Bootsy Collins.

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. The single topped the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100, becoming .Paak's first song to do so. "Smokin Out the Window" also reached the top 10 on the Hot 100. For the 2022 Grammy Awards, Silk Sonic received four Grammy nominations for "Leave the Door Open", including Record of the Year and Song of the Year.

In November 2021, Paak partnered with Universal Music Group to form a new record label called Apeshit Inc.

In 2021, Paak worked with fellow American rapper Dr. Dre on an album for the Rockstar Games video game ''Grand Theft Auto Online''. The DLC was released on December 15, 2021, and the album was released publicly on February 4, 2022. Paak was featured as a minor character in the game.

On February 13, 2022, Paak was a special guest (on drums) at the Super Bowl LVI halftime show, which featured performances from fellow American rappers Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Kendrick Lamar, Mary J. Blige, and 50 Cent. In 2023, Paak announced his fifth album, ''Justice''.

2024–present: Divorce and ''Why Lawd?''

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 by ''Us Weekly''. This marked a difficult period for the musician, who had been married to Chang for several years.

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, by Stones Throw Records, and was made available digitally on June 14, 2024. The album received critical acclaim for its fusion of neo-soul, jazz, and hip-hop, continuing the duo’s reputation for creating unique and innovative sounds.

In May 2025, he collaborated with the champagne brand Dom Pérignon for a campaign named "Creation is an Eternal Journey".

Personal life

Paak met his wife, Jae Lin Chang, 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. In 2017, Paak confirmed during an interview with ''The Breakfast Club'' that this is his second marriage, but that "Jaylyn is the one that matters". In January 2024, Paak filed for divorce after thirteen years of marriage.

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".

Charity

In 2016, Paak founded The Brandon Anderson Foundation, a nonprofit 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". In December 2017, he launched .Paak House, an annual benefit concert which helps raise funds for the organisation. Past performers at the concert include The Game, Jay Rock, Kali Uchis, Jhené Aiko, Ty Dolla Sign, Cordae, Freddie Gibbs, Masego, Thundercat and Schoolboy Q. As of 2021, the organisation has raised more than half a million dollars and provided over 3,000 families in the Greater Los Angeles area with basic necessities. In 2021 .Paak House was hosted at College Park in Oxnard. The May 2023 event was held at the Ventura County Fairgrounds in Ventura.
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.

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)
* '' Why Lawd?'' (with Knxwledge, as NxWorries) (2024)

Filmography

Films

Television

Tours

Headlining
* Andy's Beach Club (2019)
* The Best Teef In the Game Tour (2020)
* An Evening with Silk Sonic at Park MGM (2022)

Supporting
* Wintervention Tour (2013)
* Enter The Void Tour (2014)
* All You Can Do Tour (2014)
* 24K Magic World Tour (2017)
* 2022 Global Stadium Tour (2022)

Awards and nominations

Notes

References

External links

*
Paak House website

{{DEFAULTSORT:Paak, Anderson

1986 births
Living people
21st-century American rappers
20th-century African-American musicians
American male voice actors
African-American male rappers
20th-century American male rappers
African-American record producers
Aftermath Entertainment artists
American contemporary R&B singers
American musicians of Korean descent
American rappers of East Asian descent
Grammy Award winners
MTV Video Music Award winners
Musicians from Oxnard, California
Alternative R&B musicians
Rappers from Los Angeles
Singers from Los Angeles
Record producers from Los Angeles
Alternative hip-hop musicians
Silk Sonic members
NxWorries members
Singer-songwriters from California
African-American male singer-songwriters
American male singer-songwriters
21st-century African-American male singers
21st-century American male singers
21st-century American drummers
African-American drummers
American male drummers
Drummers from Los Angeles