Anderson .Paak - Malibu

Anderson .Paak
Malibu
2016
Anderson .Paak - Malibu

There is something undeniable about singer/songwiter/rapper/artist Anderson .Paak. His music comes at you from every direction always with the soul of an R&B album. You may recognize Paak from Dr. Dre's Compton where He featured on six tracks, but nothing on that record was quite like this. Psychedelic R&B may be the only way to accurately describe this music. The sense of musical freedom that comes from this album is completely palpable, it hits you in the face like a ton of bricks. The borders are melted away the ideas are able to go where ever He sees fit. That sense is great in that you really have no idea where .Paak is going to go next so the music on Malibu is always exciting. This record at 16 tracks feels like a classic double album chalked full of so much good music, because it had to be, anything less would not be worthy of the music that He was putting out. The music takes on the same vibe as Neo-Soul when it was at it's apex but everything is so clean and so organic that it elevates to a new level.

One thing that .Paak does better than almost anyone is elevate his features. The Game, Talib Kweli and Schoolboy Q all feature and all bring something that we have not seen from them in awhile. It seems like .Paak's creativity wears off on them letting them cut loose on the bonds that might normally bond them to one type of sound or another and just really let loose. The clear parallel for Anderson .Paak both musically and geographically is Kendrick Lamar. Listening to Malibu you can't help but hear Kendrick's great To Pimp a Butterfly, the two of them even sound alike. Los Angeles is the obvious driver on To Pimp a Butterfly as it is on Malibu as well but .Paak's music is much more subtle his stories are veiled in more mystery taking you on a journey rather than saying exactly what is what right off the bat. Both are truly great albums is very different ways. The opus that is "Silicon Valley" is sad, funny and heartfelt all at the same time. A really incredible album from a true one of a kind, get out there and get in to Anderson .Paak.

8.7 out of 10