Read the liner notes of Dr. Dre’s Compton and you’ll see the name Anderson .Paak appear six times: He produced or sang on songs "All in a Day’s Work", "Issues", "Deep Water", "For the Love of Money", "Animals", and "Medicine Man". It's the biggest look of Anderson’s career so far by a million miles, one that seemingly came from a chance encounter with the iconic producer. According to Mass Appeal, Anderson attended a studio session when his recent song, "Suede", caught Dre’s attention. "He comes in, and I’m just sitting in the room, and I saw him play it over and over again," Anderson told the publication. "At the third time, he was ready to work."
Until now, though, the California singer/producer had achieved marginal success: Following his 2012 debut under the name Breezy Lovejoy, Anderson’s follow-up—Venice—showed his promise as a storyteller, but the album was largely undercooked and whizzed by without much impact. Anderson has released a few singles and projects on Bandcamp, and he’s the vocal half of NxWorries with producer Knxwledge, a prolific composer who landed this great beat on Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp a Butterfly.
The Anderson .Paak EP is the artist’s first release since Venice, and it's appearance is timely. Running just four tracks and less than 20 minutes, The Anderson .Paak EP is a quick listen, but it demonstrates Anderson’s talent and charisma. His raspy inflection evokes Bilal’s sensuous tenor and the lyrics explore mostly light fare—blowing weed, the highs of personal freedom ("Drifter II"), the captivating first moments of new love ("Make it Work").
Even when he discusses serious topics, like on the two-part "Cheap Whiskey.70’s Reisling", Anderson does so in the smoothest way possible. "Wish I had a chance to write ya," he croons, presumably talking about an absent father figure. "I wish I didn’t look just like ya." Produced entirely by Los Angeles/Chicago duo Blended Babies, who have worked with the Cool Kids and Ab-Soul and credit OutKast and Eric Clapton as influences, the music is laidback, spacious funk polished in a bright, psychedelic sheen. A longer release would've been ideal, but it's a worthy precursor to something greater.
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