Anderson .Paak
Anderson .Paak’s path to Tiny Desk Concerts and headlining Spring Weekend, like his music, has been anything but conventional. Born to a Korean immigrant mother and an African-American father, Paak grew up in the sunny Southern Californian city of Oxnard. He was first exposed to music as a drummer for his family's church. Despite his passion for music, he did not find success right away. Bouncing around LA’s underground music scene, he worked odd jobs to support himself including, as he told LA Weekly, running a Marijuana farm in Santa Barbara. After the farm's owner unexpectedly let him go in 2011, he found himself homeless with a wife and a newborn, seemingly at the end of his career.His fortunes changed in 2012 when he released his first album O.B.E. Vol. 1 under the name Breezy Lovejoy. He followed up this debut with an all-covers EP, appropriately named Cover Art. Inspired by the practice of white rock musicians white washing music written by African Americans for a mass audience, he covered and reinterpreted music by white artists. Among the 6 six covers was the Yeah Yeah Yeahs' Maps, which Beyonce later also re-imagined with samples in her hit single Hold Up ( for more on the Beyoncé's fascinating writing process check out this Pitchfork article).He then released Venice in 2014, which utilized eclectic musical styles and cover art that was nostalgic for mid-century California. West Coast Music patriarch Dr. Dre loved the work, and asked Paak to work with him on the former N.W.A member’s Compton. Following acclaim of his work on the album, he released Malibu. Like Venice, his latest album demonstrated his great range and love for the west coast. From 70s Marvin Gaye-esque soul to modern trap drums and en vogue funk like that of Kendrick Lamar's 2016 album To Pimp a Butterfly, he deftly moves between styles. Even more so than in Venice, he peppers the new album with 1960s audio recordings of surfers, connecting the album to California's pop culture origins and creating a work of art that defies categorization. At 16 tracks and a little over an hour long, this record’s ambitiousness is only matched by its execution. I think it's just what Spring Weekend needs. Images via.