Anderson .Paak’s life story isn’t one filled with roses, at least not in its early chapters. From growing up watching his father assault his mom to near-death (and both of them landing several years behind bars for a felony), to him going from being homeless to becoming one of the most successful musical artists of the 21st century, Paak’s resilience coupled with his hard work certainly has paid him a lot.
As of 2022, Anderson .Paak’s net worth sits around an estimated $4 million. Most of his earnings come from his music career. Anderson .Paak is a Vans Global Ambassador.
Let’s dive deeper into more details on Anderson .Paak.
Who were Paak’s parents?
Anderson Paak was born Brandon Paak Anderson in Oxnard, California, to a Korean mother and an African-American father. His father constantly violently attacked his mom and landed himself a prison sentence of 14 years after he was apprehended by officials for gruesome assault and battery on Paak’s mom.
His mother moved on to start up an organic strawberry business which became successful, enabling the family to move from a one-bedroom apartment to a more comfortable residence.
Paak attended Foothill Technology High School and enjoyed a comfortable life as a teenager, producing music from the comfort of his bedroom. All went smoothly until El Niño destroyed and completely devasted his mother’s strawberry farm, wrecking her business and causing her to go into bankruptcy.
Anderson’s mother married again and made a little fortune as a professional gambler. She was arrested with her second husband and charged with defrauding investors and tax evasion. She served seven years in prison.
Did Anderson .Paak change his name?
After Paak was relieved from work, he, his wife, and his son became homeless. He gradually got back on his feet by becoming Shafiq Husayn’s assistant, videographer, producer and composer.
During this period, he prepared his first album under the moniker “Breezy Lovejoy.” He dropped his first album O.B.E.Vol.1, in 2012, and Anderson’s stage name morphed from Breezy Lovejoy into “Anderson .Paak” following the release of his debut album Venice in 2014.
On the significance of the dot (.) in Anderson’s styled stage name ” Anderson .Paak,” the man himself said in an interview with NPR that the dot represents ‘detail.’ The artist places much importance on attention to detail, which he believes audiences respond well to.
He also alluded to the meticulous work he’s put on his craft over the years, which the dot generally stands for. It’s there to remind him and his fans of how much the musician has invested in developing his art.
Is Anderson .Paak married?
Anderson Paak met his love interest, Jae Lin, while she was in college. She stood by his side as his wife even when they were homeless to the point where they had to squat with family members.
Interestingly, Jae Lin isn’t Paak’s first wife, but his second. This was confirmed by Anderson .Paak himself in an interview with ‘The Breakfast Club.’ They have two sons together.
Fun facts about Anderson .Paak
True to his unique and quirky persona, Anderson .Paak goes the extra mile to pass messages…through ink. He has a tattoo on his arm that says, “When I’m gone, please don’t release any posthumous albums or songs with my name attached. Those were just demos and never intended to be heard by the public.”
Paak was introduced to Dr. Dre by King Mez and Justus. He was featured on Dr. Dre’s project Compton six times. Anderson .Paak has collaborated on projects with several artists, including; The Game, J. Cole, Eminem, Mac Miller, Ab-Soul ScHoolboy Q, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Dr. Dre, etc.
Paak made $150 an hour working at a marijuana farm in Santa Barbara, California.
Paak founded a non-profit organization called the Brandon Anderson Foundation. One of the aims of the foundation is to “Support and create initiatives that uplift, engage and support the community through access to the arts, supplemental education and unique experiences to expand the imagination.”
This was founded in 2016, and as of 2021, the organization has raised more than a million dollars, providing more than 3000 families in the Greater Los Angeles area with necessities.
Some of Anderson .Paak’s career achievements
Anderson .Paak and the significance of the dot in his stage name is more than just a symbol to differentiate himself from other artists. All that hard, thoughtful work on his craft has earned him eight Grammy wins and eleven nominations thus far.
Anderson .Paak signed a record deal with Dr. Dre’s Aftermath Records. Under the label, Paak released Oxnard with major guest appearances, including one (“Tints”) with Kendrick Lamar.
He followed that up with Ventura in 2019 and, in 2021, collaboratively made “An Evening With Silk Sonic” with Bruno Mars, which peaked No. 2 on the Billboard Charts.