When Dr. Dre released Compton, his first solo album since 1999, one of the songs that generated the most excitement was “Animals.” The track featured Dre and Anderson .Paak on the vocals and they were backed by a production that was anchored by DJ Premier and fine tuned by Dre. It would mark the first time in the producers’ storied careers that they had done a co-production together.

.Paak recently sat down with DJ Vlad to discuss the historic moment. The talented artist, whose assent has been meteoric in 2015, recounted the entire chronology of how the track ended up in Dre’s hands and on the album. .Paak spoke of being reluctant to even let Dr. Dre hear the track, because it was unfinished and he had seen Dre shut down tracks he was not feeling. He said Dre’s reaction to the song was effusive and instant. .Paak also revealed details about being in the studio with the two legendary beat makers and the true joy both men shared at being able to finally work with one another.

Though the 29-year old .Paak was a young boy when the two producers were at their most prolific points in the 90s, he was fully aware of the weight of the moment and tells the story with gleeful reverence.

Related: DJ Premier Details the Inside Story on Working With Dr. Dre & Names His Top 5 Producers