Today, Feb. 8, is the 32nd birthday rapper Brandon Paak Anderson, better known as Anderson .Paak.
Born in 1986 in Oxnard, Calif., .Paak started making music when he was a teenager in high school. He got his start drumming at church, the same place where he'd meet his first wife. Later on, he divorced and remarried, while transitioning into his life as a music teacher.
Around 2011, he was working at a marijuana farm, only to be suddenly fired. Newly homeless with a wife and infant, he had to find a way to make money. Luckily, Shafiq Husayn Sa-Ra hired him as an assistant, producer and more. While working for Husayn, .Paak completed and released his debut album, O.B.E. Vol.1, in 2012, under the name Breezy Lovejoy.
Continuing to create and starting to gain momentum, .Paak dropped Venice in 2014, now with his current moniker Anderson .Paak. The following year, 2015, began .Paak's star turn; he was one the featured artists on Dr. Dre's first album in over a decade, Compton. .Paak also formed NxWorries, his collaborative group with producer Knxwledge; they dropped their album Yes Lawd! in 2016.
Anderson .Paak followed the collab album with his second solo album, Malibu. The album was nominated for a Best Urban Contemporary Album Grammy in 2016. That year he was also selected as a 2016 XXL Freshman. While he was relatively quiet last year, he likely has plenty surprises for 2018.
Happy Birthday, .Paak!