Anderson .Paak

Anderson .Paak reached the top of the Billboard Hot 100 in 2021 with “Leave the Door Open,” his debut single as one half of Silk Sonic alongside Bruno Mars. The song earned four awards at the 64th Grammy Awards, including Record of the Year and Song of the Year, and brought a new scale of recognition to a career that had already moved fluidly between rap, singing, songwriting and production.

Born Brandon Paak Anderson on February 8, 1986, he is from Oxnard, California. He began releasing music as Breezy Lovejoy, issuing the EP Violets Are Blue in 2010, before adopting the Anderson .Paak name. His 2012 mixtape O.B.E. Vol. 1 preceded his 2014 debut album, Venice. The record introduced a sound that drew together soul, R&B, funk and hip-hop, with .Paak moving between melodic vocals and rap verses.

His second album, Malibu, arrived in 2016 and received a Grammy nomination for Best Urban Contemporary Album. That same period broadened his profile through appearances on Dr. Dre’s Compton, The Game’s The Documentary 2.5, and recordings with artists including Macklemore, Kaytranada, ScHoolboy Q and Mac Miller. He also formed NxWorries with producer Knxwledge in 2015, releasing the collaborative EP Link Up & Suede.

.Paak followed Malibu with Oxnard in 2018. Its non-album single “Bubblin” won Best Rap Performance at the 61st Grammy Awards, his first Grammy. In 2019, Ventura won Best R&B Album, while “Come Home,” featuring André 3000, received the award for Best R&B Performance. He is frequently joined by Free Nationals, a backing band whose members play guitar, bass, piano, keyboards and drums while also providing vocals.

Alongside his solo work and partnerships, .Paak has used the DJ name DJ Pee .Wee. His recordings have connected polished R&B arrangements with rap, live-band interplay and the rhythmic pull of funk, a combination heard across his work with NxWorries, Free Nationals and Silk Sonic.