In November 2015, I predicted Anderson .Paak's rise to stardom while discussing Dr. Dre's "Compton". And I had no idea he was such a talented individual back then. I consumed a couple videoclips for the "Venice" singles and wasn’t particularly impressed but his voice was unique and got stuck in my head. Two days later, "The Season / Carry Me" dropped and I was floored. It was exactly what the world needed, it was obvious. As the release date approached, "Come Down" appeared and the funk was within us.
Still, I wasn't expecting such a consistent and well-thought-out album. When "Malibu" arrived it was already over. Anderson .Paak won by knockout. As the year went by he became the vocalist to call and was invited to participate in virtually every project that came out of the USA. He began appearing as a musical guest in talk shows and, surprise!, Boom!, he played the drums and had a band. Later on, he stole the show at every music festival and his fate was sealed. In a move that surprised no one, Dr. Dre signed him to Aftermath. “… and fuck fame/ That killed all my favorite entertainers”… beware of your own words, Mr. .Paak.
In The Needle Drop's "Malibu" review, Fantano made a good point: even with the presence of superstar producers, the album sounds synthetic and relies too much on loops. It has some, but it could be even better with more live instrumentation. His "Tiny Desk Concert" is proof, the already wonderful songs come alive and breath fresh air. Simple and sexy, butter and velvet. It's ridiculous. Still, I don't listen to "Malibu" that much. Maybe it's too R&B for me. Maybe too happy. Maybe I'm waiting for a live album or one for the more aggressive Nx Worries project he has with producer Knxwledge. One thing's for sure, there are no filler songs in that album and .Paak more than proved himself as an artist. The kid is just starting, let him spread his wings and he'll burn the world down.