Dr. Dre was a foundational piece to the career of Anderson .Paak. The same could be argued for Dre’s comeback album, Compton. After going MIA for 15+ years and scrapping Detox, .Paak was a massive fixture in the making of the album, credited across six songs.
Ever since, the Malibu singer has been one of the biggest, most respected artists working today. He could do fun side quests as DJ Pee Wee after working with Bruno Mars. He can collaborate with Mariah Carey and ScHoolboy Q in the same breath. It makes for a fascinating career when you really dig into it.
Ultimately, Anderson .Paak believes he wouldn’t have made it this far without a deep love and respect for those who came before him. In an archived 2016 interview with Gaffa Magazine, he said working with Dr. Dre was equally beneficial for both of them.
“I felt like I’m part of that last generation that still really respects what people like Dre, 9th Wonder and Hi-Tek have done for the game,” .Paak told the publication.
Anderson .Paak Recalls Working With Dr. Dre on His Comeback Album ‘Compton’
“It was still important for me to be able to work with him. I was so glad I was able to get them on this project. I had a lot of access after working with Dre… it was revitalizing and refreshing for them to work with someone who had a lot of range, that could both spit and at the same time be really soulful.”
DJ Premier similarly told Anderson .Paak that the combination of funk, soul, and hip-hop was what made him special. It was the all-timers that gave him the confidence to keep going. “Those were the dudes that was giving me the guts of what I needed,” he continued. “Like these drum and bass grooves but still keeping it based in hip-hop, which was important to me. It was filling a void that I felt like really few were handling at the time.”
It was what Dr. Dre told Anderson .Paak that stuck with him the most. Given how his career has turned out, it still informs .Paak’s drive to this day. Moreover, it got him a pretty good go-to drink too. “Not to settle for less. Don’t ever settle. Get what you want and work ‘til the very end. And Hendrick’s Gin. I didn’t really know about gin until I met him, and it’s a pretty good gin; I like it,” he laughed.
The post Anderson .Paak Got Some Crucial Advice From a Hip-Hop Legend and It Made Him the Star He Is Today appeared first on VICE.
