Anderson .Paak

Brandon Paak Anderson, known professionally as Anderson .Paak, is an American rapper, singer-songwriter, and record producer. He has earned critical acclaim and multiple Grammy Awards for his music both as a solo artist and as part of collaborative groups. Known for blending elements of R&B, soul, funk, jazz, and hip-hop, he performs alongside his backing band, the Free Nationals, and has formed prominent music duos including NxWorries and Silk Sonic.

Anderson was born on February 8, 1986, in Oxnard, California. He is of mixed African American and Korean heritage. His mother was born in South Korea during the Korean War to a Korean woman and an African American father, raised in an orphanage, and later adopted by a family in Compton. During his youth, Anderson experienced family instability, including witnessing his father attack his mother and his mother later serving a prison sentence for fraud. He began producing music from his bedroom as a teenager while attending Foothill Technology High School and gained early performance experience playing drums at church.

Early in his career, Anderson performed under the name Breezy Lovejoy. In 2011, he experienced temporary homelessness with his family after losing his job at a marijuana farm. With employment support from artists Shafiq Husayn and Dumbfoundead, he completed his debut mixtape, O.B.E. Vol. 1, released in June 2012. He subsequently adopted the stage name Anderson .Paak, noting that the period stands for detail. He released the covers EP Cover Art in 2013 and his debut solo studio album, Venice, in October 2014.

Following prominent appearances on Dr. Dre's 2015 album Compton, Paak signed to Dr. Dre's Aftermath Entertainment in 2016. That year, he released his second studio album, Malibu, which received a Grammy nomination for Best Urban Contemporary Album. In 2018, he released his third studio album, Oxnard, and won his first Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance for the single "Bubblin". His fourth studio album, Ventura, followed in 2019, winning the Grammy Award for Best R&B Album, while the song "Come Home" featuring André 3000 won Best R&B Performance.

Beyond his solo output, Paak formed NxWorries with producer Knxwledge in 2015, releasing the album Why Lawd? in 2024. In 2021, he formed Silk Sonic with singer-songwriter Bruno Mars. Their debut single, "Leave the Door Open", became Paak's first number-one single on the Billboard Hot 100 and earned four awards at the 64th Grammy Awards, including Record of the Year and Song of the Year.

In addition to recording, Paak performed as a guest drummer at the Super Bowl LVI halftime show in 2022 and contributed music to Grand Theft Auto Online. In 2016, he established The Brandon Anderson Foundation, a nonprofit that hosts the annual .Paak House benefit concert to support community and arts initiatives. He also made his directorial film debut with K-Pops!, which debuted in 2024.