The Scene

Anderson .Paak has crept on to the scene, coming up through the West Coast before recently blowing up the music world with guest appearances on Dr Dre's COMPTON album, the release of 'Malibu' and the subsequent signing to Dr Dre's Aftermath label. With a background in instrumentation, via the local church, Anderson comes across as a melting pot of art and culture thanks to that background in music and a mix of Korean/African America heritage.

Anderson was credited for six songs on COMPTON and it's clear that Dre and Anderson share a certain level of artistry not found in the regular human. What sets Anderson apart, making him more than a dope producer is the way in which he combines sultry vocals with a swift delivery, flowing between singing a melody to melt your heart and delivering rhymes that could feature on your favourite rappers' work.

Malibu is Anderson's fourth album, following on from 2014's Venice and two previous albums under 'Breezy Lovejoy'. Late last year Anderson team up with Knxwledge, forming NxWorries to drop funky tunes like this

The Songs

1. The Bird - Easy going, welcome party
2. Heart Don't Stand A Chance - Love groove
3. The Waters ft. BJ The Chicago Kid - Smooth, cut from the same cloth
4. The Season / Carry Me -Singing from the struggle
5. Put Me Thru - Setting up for the heartbreak.
6. Am I Wrong ft. Schoolboy Q - Get up and dance, peep Schoolboy Q's flow
7. Without You ft. Rapsody - That day one chick/dude
8. Parking Lot - If this jam doesn't get you moving, I dunno what will
9. Lite Weight ft. The Free Nationals United Fellowship Choir - Immense funk
10. Room In Here ft. The Game & Sonyae Ellise - Singing, rapping, musical deity.
11. Water Fall (Interlude) - Slow it down
12. Your Prime - "She dumb as a brick but she pass all her classes"
13. Come Down - Far from a 'come down'
14. Silicon Valley - Guess when you're with some many big titty/booty girls, it's what's inside that counts. 
15. Celebrate - Ultimate Sunday jam
16. The Dreamer ft. Talib Kweli - Uplifting way to hit the finale

The Vibe

Anderson rides a wave, providing laid back melodies that oozes passion but comes off so easily. Effortlessly, Anderson belts out love songs that hit a nerve as they are delivered in a truly unique manner thanks to the way Anderson switches up tempos and how he serves up his singing/rambling/rapping.

A lot of the songs do revolve around love or relationships between Anderson and a female,  which could put you off or draw you in. Where Anderson is at his wizard-like best is how the music takes hold of you regardless of whether you are paying attention to the subject matter or what Anderson is singing about. Somewhere between R'n'B and funk, likes Malibu and it's vibe, somewhere where no matter how you are feeling you'll be enticed into grooving away an hour or so.

The Music

This is where I feel out of my depth because Anderson.Paak borders on musical genius here and to try decipher what I hear is far too difficult. Paak himself is credited with production on four songs ('The Bird', 'Put Me Thru', 'Parking Lot' and 'Celebrate') which is no meant feat when you consider the calibre of producers brought in by Anderson to bless this album with their creativity: DJ Khalil, Madlib, 9th Wonder, Kaytranada, Hi-Tek and Dem Jointz to name a few.

The production is difficult to decipher, hence I love it. These (Anderson and his fellow producers) are experts at their craft and unlike listening to a lot of other artists where you can pick out the different sounds and how they are structured, Malibu comes together as an album that simply picks you up and takes you on a musical journey. 

Features include Schoolboy Q who serves up a verse unique to his skillset, Rapsody, BJ The Chicago Kid, Game and Talib Kweli while also enlisting the support of The Free Nationals United Fellowship Choir and Timan Family Choir. All the features work here as the fill any gaps on specific songs that Anderson might not be able to fill himself, as with all good features verses like those from Schoolboy Q, Rapsody, Game and Kweli offer a fresh perspective that entertains.

See, I be catchin' you starin', be careful
The idle mind is a dangerous place to be left in
But keep your eyes on me
Your heart don't stand a chance
It feels like it's been far too long
Your knees can't hold your legs
Your feet just want to pace
The eyes keep me all in a trance -Heart Don't Stand A Chance

Yeah nigga I ran bases, pitch flame
I call plays, remove labels
And fuck fame, that killed all my favorite entertainers
(Nothing short of amazing, ooh yeah)
But I’m short on my patience
See, I don’t play that shit, I don’t ever forget
And don’t forget that dot, nigga you paid for it - The Season/Carry Me

This one's for all the little dreamers
And the ones who never gave a fuck
I'm a product of the tube and the free lunch
Living room, watching old reruns
And who cares your daddy couldn't be here? - The Dreamers

Finale

If you haven't quite been up on Anderson.Paak to this point, you should definitely hop onboard the train and enjoy the ride. There aren't too many artists in the game who are able to provide such a package like Anderson as he combines funky production with a unique voice which sounds equally as lovely when he's crooning or emulating Kendrick Lamar.

Malibu is incredibly versatile. Not only can you vibe on out to it all by your lonesome on Valentines Day, you can put it on in the background while you're with your homies/lover and let it take you somewhere. Alternatively, if you're still questioning the quality of music on offer these days, broaden your horizons and allow Anderson.Paak to provide you with Example A.