Since 2016, I have always felt that Anderson .Paak is one of the most underrated musicians in the entire industry. His talent is multi-dimensional in that he is a highly skilled vocalist, percussionist, songwriter, producer and rapper.
Brandon Paak Anderson was born in 1986 in Oxnard, California. His musical style is heavily influenced by his west coast roots. He released his debut album in 2014 but he made his biggest splash into hip-hop scene back in 2015 when he was featured on 6 of 16 tracks on Dr. Dre’s Compton album. He was a standout on that album which served as the soundtrack to the Straight Outta Compton film.
Since then, Anderson .Paak has released 4 solo albums and 1 collaborative album as the group NxWorries with record producer Knxwledge. The following list celebrates these 5 albums. I struggled with this list because each of .Paak’s 5 albums is great in its own unique way. Each album has a distinct sound and vibe to it.
With that being said…let’s take a deep dive into my list which ranks the top 5 albums by Anderson .Paak.
5. Oxnard
Initially, I didn’t fully connect with Oxnard. I’m not entirely sure why this was the case, because after spending more time with the project I grew to really appreciate it. Oxnard feels like a continuation of Dr. Dre’s Compton album. This makes sense because Dr. Dre was deeply involved in the recording and production of the album. He also serves as the executive producer to the project. Similar to the Compton album, .Paak uses various songs of the album to discuss his views and various social issues that exist in America today. I really enjoyed this commentary.
The features that exist on Oxnard really make this project standout at first glance. It contains collaborations from Kendrick Lamar, Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Pusha T, J. Cole, Q-Tip, and many more. I feel .Paak is at his best when meshing his vocal gifts with the hip hop artists that he collaborates with. The 3 song run of “Anywhere (featuring Snoop Dogg)”, “Trippy (featuring J. Cole)”, and “Cheers (featuring Q-Tip)” is one of the highlights of the album. On “Cheers”, Anderson .Paak pays tribute and reminisces on losing his close friend, Mac Miller. Also on this song, .Paak enlists Q-Tip, who was a member of legendary hip hop group A Tribe Called Quest. Phife Dawg, who was also a member of A Tribe Called Quest, died in March of 2016 from complications with diabetes. Q-Tip delivers a chilling verse that celebrates his close friend. This song is a must listen and a clear standout on Oxnard.
Top Tracks: “Headlow”, “Tints”, “Smile/Petty”, “Anywhere”, “Trippy”, “Cheers”, “Sweet Chick”
Skippables: “Mansa Musa”, “Who R U?”, “Left To Right”
4. Venice
Venice is the first studio album released by Anderson .Paak. It is very possible that this is the album that got the attention of mega producer, Dr. Dre. It is an album that shows his versatility as both a rapper and a singer. I can say that it was a toss up between Venice and Oxnard as to which album would come in at #4 and #5. The reason why I chose Venice for #4 ahead of Oxnard is because this album is so unique in its sound. The album also was very influential to the culture as well. DJ Luke Nasty actually completely ripped off “Might Be” by Anderson .Paak and ended up creating his own version called….”Might Be”. This actually still really bothers me because it seemed like no one talked about how another artist completely copied his song and got virtually no criticism for it. It really just goes to show how influential .Paak really is.
The production on Venice is what is so memorable in my opinion. The project features production from Lo_Def, DJ Nobody, DK the Punisher, and Anderson .Paak himself, just to name a few. There weren’t many albums that sounded like this in 2014 when Venice was released.
The album also features some real comedic moments like on the song “I Miss That Whip”. On this song .Paak sings about missing a past girlfriend’s car but not missing her “one bit” lol. The highlight of the album though, is the two track run of “Paint” and “Drugs”. Both songs are produced by Lo_Def. “Paint” is so unique in that it features a pre-hook, 3 hooks, and a post-hook. “Drugs”, which is the 1st single from Venice, is quite possibly the album’s strongest song. It features nearly 5 minutes of .Paak spazzing about how drugs enhance his encounters which women that he otherwise cares nothing about. These are two truly great songs that makes me wish Anderson .Paak continue to work with producer Lo_Def. *Let’s speak this into existence*
All in all, the majority of Anderson Paak fans became fans post 2015 when he was so heavily featured on Dr. Dre’s Compton album. Venice though, from 2014, is not an album to overlook. It is an album that I still regularly listen to because it showcased .Paak before he became a household name.
Top Tracks: “Drugs” “The City”, “Might Be”, “Get ‘Em Up”, “Miss Right”, “Put You On”, “Already”, “I Miss That Whip”, “Paint”
Skippables: “Milk N’ Honey”, “Luh You”
3. Ventura
In contrast with Oxnard, I was instantly drawn to Ventura upon my first listen. All of Anderson’s .Paak’s strengths are on full display in this album. It contains massive features from Andre 3000, Smokey Robinson, Lalah Hathaway, Jazmine Sullivan, Brandy, and Nate Dogg. It is an album that true hip hop and R&B fans alike can enjoy. “Make It Better (featuring Smokey Robinson)” is one of the standout records that finds .Paak reminiscing on the good times with his partner and concocting new ways on how to ignite and improve their ailing relationship. It is records like this which make Ventura so easy to connect and vibe with. My favorite track on the entire album is “Twilight”, which is produced and features vocals by Pharrell Williams. The song shows love and appreciation to .Paak’s wife, Jae Lin. All in all, Ventura is an amazing album that deeply rooted in an R&B sound yet on songs like “Yada Yada”, still showcases .Paak’s ability as a rapper. It is perfectly placed at #3 on this list.
Top Tracks: “Come Home”, “Make It Better”, “Reachin’ 2 Much”, “Yada Yada”, “Chosen One”, Twilight”
Skippables: “What Can We Do?”
2. Yes Lawd!
Yes Lawd! is a collaboration project released by Anderson .Paak and producer Knxwledge. Together, the two go by the name NxWorries. Knxwledge produces the entire project. Yes Lawd! is quite possibly my personal favorite Anderson .Paak project but it is not the best; hence why it comes in at #2 on my list. I see Yes Lawd! as one of the most underrated albums of 2016. The album runs 19 tracks long. It is an album that sounds best when listened to sequentially as all of the songs seamlessly blend into each other. Anderson .Paak is completely at the top of his game on Yes Lawd! as expected. It is the soulful production of Knxwledge that really sets the tone for the project. Lust, love, and family hardships are some of the recurring topics of Yes Lawd! .Paak discusses some of the relationship complications that come with being a successful musician with a wandering eye.
Yes Lawd! is one of Anderson .Paak’s best works. The album flows effortlessly and his musical chemistry with producer Knxwledge is apparent. Every friend I have suggested this album to has loved it. It is introspective, funny, and smooth all at the same time. The album also has strong replay value. #2 on my list is the perfect spot for Yes Lawd!
Top Tracks: “Best One”, “What More Can I Say, “Get Bigger / Do U Luv”, “H.A.N.”, “Scared Money”, “Suede”, “Sidepiece”, “Jodi”, “Fkku”
Skippables: “Can’t Stop”, “Another Time”
1. Malibu
Malibu is the #1 Anderson .Paak album!
I can say this is the album when I became a fan. After Dr. Dre’s Compton album in 2015, we saw his potential. Anderson .Paak puts it all together on Malibu. The album features artists such as BJ The Chicago Kid, Schoolboy Q, Rapsody, The Game, Talib Kweli, and many others. On this album I feel .Paak pulls from the genres of rap, r&b, and neo-soul to create a nearly perfect project. It is easily one of the best albums released in 2016. .Paak effortlessly blends sounds from multiple decades and eras of music on Malibu. It features production from a multitude of producers including DJ Khalil, Madlib, 9th Wonder, Kaytranada and many others. It is truly a masterpiece of an album that deserves a listen if you haven’t heard it yet.
Top Tracks: “The Bird”, “Heart Don’t Stand a Chance”, “The Waters”, “Put Me Thru”, “Am I Wrong”, “Lite Weight”, “Without Out”, “Water Fall (Interluuube)”, “Your Prime”, “Celebrate”
Skippables: None!
I truly hoped you enjoyed this list celebrating Anderson .Paak’s albums. Let me know what you think by voting in the poll below and/or leaving a comment!
