Anderson .Paak is not the most common household name. Many are familiar with his jazzy anthem “Am I Wrong” or his extremely lackluster XXL Freshman Cypher performance (and holy smokes was it bad), but a true appreciation of his work requires further listening.
His most recent solo album, Malibu, brilliantly combines elements of funk, jazz, R&B, and Hip Hop into a truly unique sound. This uniqueness and originality help to make Anderson .Paak the great artist he is--he is not confined to one genre, and he has few comparable artists or predecessors.
Aside from “Am I Wrong” (a very good song in its own right), Anderson .Paak has an arsenal of tremendous songs.
“Put Me Thru” is a funky, upbeat jam (and also my personal favorite). It describes a painful relationship and his commitment to it (it’s actually about the drummer of his band, The Free Nationals). The song is heartfelt, interesting, and oddly fun, considering its subject matter.
“Heart Don’t Stand a Chance” is a bit slower and more seductive. It’s a song that maintains several balances. It’s bold and confident, but not boastful. It’s easy to listen to, but deep enough to still provoke thought two years later.
Although I’ve recommended a few individual songs, the album should be listened to in sequence. The song to song transitions are masterful and small skits and scenes appear at the ends and beginnings of certain tracks, which only add to the experience when playing in album form, and otherwise detract.
Another important reason that I praise Malibu so often is its longevity. After two years of heavy, repeated listening, Malibu still seems fresh. While many other great albums come and go, I always feel that I can go back to Malibu. Few albums are successful in this way. J Cole’s 2014 Forest Hills Drive is one of the few other albums with this type of staying power.
2014 Forest Hills Drive and Malibu are actually similar in many ways--they’re both deeply personal, sincere, diverse, and they’re each likely both artists’ best work to date (J Cole’s KOD is very good, but still doesn’t compare to Forest Hills, in my opinion--which is the right one).
Anderson .Paak is great because of his diversity. He is one of the few artists who can make his listeners dance, cry, feel joy, feel pain, get hyped up, and be brought down.
This diversity is also literally evident in his background. Anderson .Paak is half Korean, half African-American. His childhood and young adulthood were not easy. His father was abusive, and eventually landed in prison. In 2011, he was homeless, along with his wife and newborn son. From there, he has developed a successful music career, and has influenced many others in similar situations.
Although he lost the Grammy for Best New Artist to Chance The Rapper in early 2017 (I thought he deserved it, and my opinion is still the right one, so he should’ve won), Anderson .Paak is still someone who we should all look out for in his rise to stardom. He’s deserving of this stardom now, and with his next solo album upcoming, surely his rise will meet its peak soon. And hopefully that peak stays at its height for many years.
