If you haven't checked out Anderson .Paak's "Bubblin" yet, make that your priority. Dr. Dre's talented collaborator has officially entered the fray, setting the bar for anyone thinking of dropping in 2018. While his press run is ongoing, Paak's latest stop is a particularly special one; a conversation with Desus and Mero is generally an enjoyable experience from start to finish. Such is no exception. Paak seems in excellent spirits, reflecting on the significance of sharing the stage with Dr. Dre, especially after his nieces questioned the authenticity of their friendship. Finally, some validation.
At thirty-two, Paak has a sense of wisdom about him, which is particularly evident when he talks the recording process. "Doing it at 18,19 I don't think I'd be able to handle it," reflects Paak. "I had a lot of insecurity things, I was trying to find myself, it was just all chaos, I would have froze up." Now, he's sharing the studio with the likes of Pharrell Williams and Dr. Dre, who treat him with a sense of mutual respect.
At around the 7:45 mark, Desus drops the inevitable Dr. Dre question, and Paak can't help but smile. "This is my first project I'm doing on a major label. I'm just signed to Aftermath, to Dre. Everything I put out goes through him...We go through everything together." He proceeds to express gratitude to the Good Doctor, saying "it's cool to have that bigger homie filter guy." Still, as he reiterates, the work never stops, and the results will speak for themselves. "At the end of the day, when I work with him, it's my best material."