Born Brandon Paak Anderson in Oxnard, California, the three-time Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter, and producer played drums as a teen in his church band and later famously worked at a marijuana farm, all while honing his musical chops pursuing his dreams. His extraordinary talent was evident in his first incarnation as Breezy Lovejoy and it was fully realized in his transformation into Anderson .Paak, with his debut album Venice and a stellar six-song run on Dr. Dre’s certified Gold COMPTON album, that stoked anticipation for what would be the perfect storm of his sophomore release.
With insurmountable features and first-class production, 2016’s Malibu, was a sonic wonder met with universal rave reviews. This was the year .Paak received Grammy nods for Best New Artist and Best Urban Contemporary album, in addition to recognition and wins from The Soul Train Music Awards, NME Awards, and more.
In 2017, he established the nonprofit organization, .Paak House committed to creating safe havens for the next generation and cultivating alliances with like-minded nonprofits for a greater united impact. (www.paakhouse.org)
.Paak has also acquired an impressive list of collaborations including acts such as Mac Miller, J. Cole, Snoop Dogg, Chance the Rapper, and made his SNL debut with Kendrick Lamar in 2018. 2018 saw the release of his monster single in “Bubblin” which won him his first GRAMMY for Best Rap Performance in 2019. Two more Grammy Awards followed in 2020 with Best R&B Album for Ventura and Best R&B Performance for his song “Come Home (featuring Andre 3000)”.
In October 2020, .Paak was named as Vans’ first-ever Global Music Ambassador. The partnership includes exclusive footwear and accessory collections inspired by .Paak’s Southern California roots dropped in November and December respectively, along with the release of his song “JEWELZ”, co-produced by Timbaland and featuring glimpses of his Vans collection throughout its accompanying music video. Rolling Stone hailed the song a “no-nonsense blast of funk-pop that’s centered around a crisp guitar lick, peppered with delicate synths and anchored, of course, by an irresistible rhythm section.” .Paak also served as one of the global judges for the brand’s Vans Musician Wanted competition, which aims to provide a platform for aspiring artists all around the world.
Earlier in the year, .Paak released his highly regarded single “Lockdown” on Juneteenth. Inspiration for the song came from .Paak’s participation in a Los Angeles Black Lives Matter protest where peaceful protestors were being shot with rubber bullets by the police. A video directed by Dave Meyers featuring Andra Day, Jay Rock, Syd, SiR, Dumbfoundead & Dominic Fike followed in addition to a bundle including the remix with JID, Noname, and Jay Rock – the latter of whom he performed the track with at the 2020 BET Awards. .Paak is currently nominated for two GRAMMY Awards – Best Music Video (“Lockdown”) and Best Melodic Rap Performance (“Lockdown”). The song was featured in a multitude of “Best Of” 2020 lists from NPR, The FADER, Complex, and President Barack Obama’s annual “Favorite Music” list.