Anderson .Paak wanted his wife to be proud of his new album.
The super producer, singer and rapper released his fourth LP ‘Ventura’ – which features Dr. Dre as an executive producer – in April, and he admitted while he didn’t set out with a theme in mind, he knew the record to make people feel “good”.
He told Music Week: “I wanted to do something that just feels so good, [something that’s] not rocket science. Naturally there’s going to be some saucy topics and stuff, but it’s going to be smooth sailings…
“I’ve been married for going on ten years now. And I wanted something that she can feel proud of, and that’s filled with dedication, you know – like a love letter.”
The 33-year-old multi instrumentalist – who plays guitar, bass, piano and drums – admitted his raw honesty on the album sometimes makes him “cringe inside”, but he’s happy with how relatable the collection is. His most recent track ‘Make It Better’ featuring Smokey Robinson, has been an instant success. The track has already garnered 3M views on YouTube, with the rest of the LP gaining in popularity on streaming platforms.
Speaking about the LP, Paak added: “So this record kind of irks me and made me cringe inside, but I felt like, you know what, that’s what the last record [Oxnard] was too: it was me opening up and being like, okay, let’s try something different.
“Do something about like, what are you really going through? Saying, well s**t, I’m trying to make my relationship entertaining, you know?
“I’m trying to make it sexy. Well, f**k it: let’s do a song about that. And then realising, oh s**t, a lot of people can relate to that.”
Despite the record’s quick success – it was Paak’s first top 10 LP to date, peaking at number four in the US Billboard 200 – festival season means he hasn’t had a chance to let it sink in.
He said: “I haven’t even really gotten to reflect on [‘Ventura’] too much because I’ve been boggled with this Coachella madness, but I feel good. I feel a sense of peace. Uh, yeah – I feel peaceful.”
