Brandon Paak Anderson (better known as Anderson .Paak) is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist; whose equally “gritty and pretty” musical styles are as unique as they are complimentary. The singer-rapper has an almost dualistic sense of sound, drawing influence from both hip-hop and R&B, which he often blends together in his music. I first discovered .Paak back in 2016 with the release of his second album, Malibu, and was instantly drawn to his sensual and groovy sound. However, it wasn’t until his next joint project with hip-hop producer Knxwledge that I became an active fan of his. Now, Anderson .Paak is back with his new album Ventura, which is (in my opinion) his most cohesive and emotional project to date.

On the first track of the album, Anderson .Paak makes it very apparent that this album sees him return to his bubbly smooth grooves that were nearly absent from his 2018 release Oxnard. With an album featuring legendary hip-hop and R&B artists like Andre 3000, Smokey Robinson, and Nate Dogg, .Paak makes sure to utilize each features’ strengths over tailor-made instrumentals and melodies. The hip-hop and rap sections of the album are slightly scarce, and take the form of breakdowns and bridges. Therefore, I believe fans of R&B will be drawn to this album the most. .Paak’s R&B and soul styles really shine on this album, and the evolution and experience he demonstrates is very apparent.

Ventura shows a more vulnerable side of the artist that we’re not as accustomed to on his previous works. Throughout the album, Anderson .Paak describes his idea of the perfect relationship by singing and rapping about finding the perfect partner, compromise within a relationship, and “spicing things up” to keep the relationship healthy and fresh. However, Ventura also offers many moments that celebrate life and the blessings it has to offer. There are a lot of standout tracks on this album that long time fans of Anderson .Paak will appreciate, and newcomers will find particularly interesting. If one thing is for certain, it’s that .Paak has definitely evolved his sound, and has the ability to produce quality tracks. Whatever your taste is, you’ll be sure to be bobbing your head and tapping your foot to this groovy, funkadelic album.

Favorite tracks: “Come Home,” “Make It Better,” “Winners Circle,” “Yada Yada,” “Jet Black,” and “What Can We Do?”

If you’d like to support this artist, consider buying this album here, or following him on social media here.