Anderson .Paak Is A Funky Drummer But He Can Kick A Dope Freestyle Too (Video)
Last week, Anderson .Paak released his first solo single and video under Dr. Dre’s Aftermath Entertainment. “Bubblin” finds the Oxnard, California MC, singer, drummer, and producer in his Rap form over a production by Jahlil Beats and AntMan Wonder. In the video, he finds a broken ATM machine and takes it on a spending spree that spoils himself and others.
Paak appeared on Sway In The Morning with his manager (and former artist) Adrian “A-Love” Miller. The 48-minute discussion focuses a lot on what is going on behind the scenes for Andy at Aftermath. For .Paak, he loves to jam in studios with his peers and make music. For Dre and Adrian, that comes with challenges, as there needs to be a filter. .Paak also addressed “not doin’ no more features” and “the price goin’ up” on 2016’s “The Waters.” It is real. While Miller describes shutting down some opportunists who have tried to conveniently release old and unauthorized music, Anderson explains how Dr. Dre provides deciding input on whether his current collaborations can be cleared (23:00). Since inking with the ‘Math, Paak has made key appearances alongside Mac Miller, ScHoolboy Q, KAYTRANADA, A Tribe Called Quest, and Rapsody. Dre wants to keep that level of quality high and insists his artist does nothing with a check in mind (19:00). The N.W.A. co-founder has compared his artist to Marvin Gaye, Curtis Mayfield, and Stevie Wonder (who Anderson recently jammed with). As Paak describes, that is less of an issue, thanks to licensing music to an Apple commercial (17:00) and doing private, reportedly six-figure concerts for Fendi and others.
Anderson .Paak Reminds Why Dr. Dre Signed Him…Because He’s MONEY (Video)
Right ahead of 32:00, Anderson freestyles and shows off his ability to flex compound rhymes. Like “Bubblin,” it’s about bars. The NxWorries co-founder spits to a brushed-up version of James Brown’s “The Funky Drummer,” where he finds the pocket of the late Clyde Stubblefield’s groove. The MC uses a hustler’s narrative that applies to his dogged journey in music. He raps: “Probably could’ve been a doctor, I’m fond of optometry / My vision was like Martin Luther on ‘the mountain peak’ / Valley lows, I left home for more salary / Smuggled O’s across border patrol, casually / Took notes then took control of it, manually / Hand-to-hand til’ it’s white sands and the canopy / Now follow me / I’m too old to act childishly / But every now and then I park the Beamer in the gallery / Show off the paint for spectators and the faculty / Same ol’ ni**as that said they proud of me / Same ol’ ni**as that probably doubted me.”
On the episode, Anderson also describes his .PaakHouse charity, out to help low-income and disadvantaged families. The organization recently held a fundraising event in Los Angeles’ MacArthur Park and boasted involvement from Talib Kweli, Raphael Saadiq, Jhene Aiko, Isaiah Rashad, and others.
Rapsody, Black Thought & Anderson .Paak Make A Collabo That Nobody Can Touch (Audio)
He is currently working with Christina Aguilera.