Anderson. Paak. In summary, is the most versatile musician I have ever witness grip a microphone. My God, yes Lawd! The Cinderella story that is this man's 2015-2016 should be studied and examined by every analyst available........but I'm getting ahead of myself. 

          Brandon Paak Anderson was born February 8, 1986, in Oxnard California; and over the next 35 years of his life, would grow from a talented drummer, to exceptional bandleader - developing the moniker Breezy Lovejoy - to solidifying his place in the realm of rap music as Dr. Dre's primary voice on Compton, forever being cemented and remembered as Anderson. Paak -- aaaannnnnddd working on a marijuana farm some point in between -- He went on to feature in over a dozen other albums that year, including a few top ten tracks and billboard 100 hitters. From Dre, to The Game , Schoolboy Q , to Mac , and even Kaytranada , . Paak  has no limitations or confines in the form of genre, content, or style; and everyone seems to work well with him. I think that speaks really well for the man behind the talent. Respectable and on the rise.

          If I am being completely honest about it, . Paak doesn't really jive with the other XXL Freshman , nothing against any of the artist's music, clearly, but the dedication, personality, the fucking life that brightly shines through each and every track . Paak releases is overwhelming.

 

Leaving out the fact that he was the most sought after feature in 2015-16 (no statistical finding, but he has over 30 features on 23 different albums in that year alone)

 

          I could link you to basically half his discography...and best believe I will because dedication: Departure/LoveJames , The Bird , Milk n' Honey , Put Me Thru , The City , Am I Wrong, DRUGS, Without You, Lite Weight, Luh You , Room in Here, Water Fall (Interluuube), Your Prime, Come Down, and The Dreamer, 

 

          Again, that's a subjective picking, but the point remains how consistent in self . Paak is, yet how adaptable he is to any collaborative efforts of seemingly any context; all the while being genuine. Of his personal releases, he has 3 under the moniker, Breezy Lovejoy, titled: Violets Are Blue (2010) Lovejoy (2012) and O.B.E. Vol. 1 (2012). From there, he transcends to Anderson. Paak, obtaining the stature of detail, and drops Venice and Malibu ; the latter having massive acclaim across critics and fans - 16 tracks of funk filled emotions. In between he also released a cover album which highlights his knowledge and sarcastic middle-finger to the white man's world of music a handful of decades ago by covering all white musician's tracks without giving direct credit as white musicians did to black blues players during the early rock era, Cover Art . He also dropped a collaborative project with Knxledge , under the joint name, NxWorries , called, Yes Lawd! -- A hype often shouted by . Paak, equivalent to Chance's shriek on his tracks, Anderson's own halleluiah. 

          As I mentioned previously, he was also the voice of Dre's Compton, and I say "voice" because he is featured on 6 out of the 16 tracks, and the closest artist with half as many features as him on the album is none other than Kendrick Lamar...need I say more? Oh, I do? Well, shortly after the release of Compton, . Paak was signed to Dre's label, Aftermath . Big things, friends, big things.

          Now, I first saw/heard Anderson. Paak at the House of Blues in Boston (2010); my first concert having moved up to Emerson College. I was there to see Watsky (if that tells you how no name . Paak was at the time and how early my taste in music still was) a white poet alumni who was the reason I applied in the first place...anyhow, I was front row and mesmerized by this man spitting one of the most rhythmic flows I have ever heard while beating away on a drum set; still leading guitars and a trumpet. He made a hell of an imprint that night and outlived the headliner Watsky...absolutely zero offense to Watsky. 

          Anderson .Paak.............is above the XXL cover...........at least by the time it was released. The world already knew him. Dre made sure of that. Mac Miller made sure of that. Schoolboy Q made sure of that. The Game made sure of that. Goldlink made sure of that. Kithe ape . Macklemore. Kaytranada. and A Tribe Called Quest...made sure of that.

          He is a jazz infused, hip-hop-rockabillie, soul emoting rapper who is just vibing out with himself as you listen. It's a good time, because you know as well as Anderson. Paak, that he was meant for this.