Multiple Grammy award-winner Anderson .Paak signs global publishing deal with Warner Chappell Music 21 Apr 2021
Warner Chappell Music, in partnership with Dr. Dre’s Hard Workin’ Black Folks, has entered into a worldwide administration agreement with four-time Grammy Award-winning songwriter, rapper, singer, producer, director and multi-instrumentalist Anderson .Paak. His latest project brings .Paak together with fellow Warner Chappell songwriter and superstar Bruno Mars in the dynamic new duo, Silk Sonic. Their debut single, “Leave The Door Open” – which they performed live for the first time last month at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards – instantly lit up the charts and recently hit the top spot on Billboard’s Hot 100. It has also seen more than 350 million global streams and peaked at No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot R&B Songs and R&B Streaming Songs charts. Silk Sonic’s debut project, an Aftermath Entertainment / Atlantic Records release, is coming out later this year. Anderson .Paak is signed to Aftermath Entertainment.
Warner Chappell Music Co-Chair and CEO, Guy Moot, and Co-Chair and COO, Carianne Marshall, said: “Anderson .Paak is a true music man who’s bringing back funk and soul with style and originality, earning him a massive global following. He’s been wildly successful as a songwriter, producer, and performer, and his incredible versatility has landed him collaborations with a diverse range of top artists as well as a raft of awards for his solo work. We’re thrilled to welcome him to the Warner Chappell family and proud to represent him and his phenomenal repertoire of songs.”
Warner Chappell Music President of A&R, U.S., Ryan Press, noted: “Anderson .Paak is already at the top of his game, and yet he continues to reach higher and higher. He effortlessly brings an optimistic and feel-good vibe to every song he releases, and his latest hit with Bruno Mars is well on its way to becoming one of the top songs of the summer. He truly exemplifies everything a great songwriter can be, and it’s an absolute honor to get to be a part of his journey.”
Born Brandon Paak Anderson in Oxnard, California, the four-time Grammy Award winning singer, songwriter, and producer played drums as a teen in his church band and later famously worked at a marijuana farm, all while honing his musical chops pursuing his dreams. His extraordinary talent was evident in his first incarnation as Breezy Lovejoy and it was fully realized in his transformation into Anderson .Paak, with his debut album Venice and a stellar six-song run on Dr. Dre's certified gold COMPTON album, that stoked anticipation for what would be the perfect storm of his sophomore release.
With insurmountable features and first-class production, 2016’s Malibu, was a sonic wonder met with universal rave reviews. This was the year .Paak received Grammy nods for Best New Artist and Best Urban Contemporary Album, in addition to recognition and wins from The Soul Train Music Awards, NME Awards, and more.
In 2017, he established the nonprofit organization, .Paak House, committed to creating safe havens for the next generation and cultivating alliances with like-minded nonprofits for a greater united impact. (www.paakhouse.org)
.Paak has also acquired an impressive list of collaborations including acts such as Mac Miller, J. Cole, Snoop Dogg, Chance the Rapper, and made his SNL debut with Kendrick Lamar in 2018. 2018 saw the release of his monster single in "Bubblin" which won him his first GRAMMY for Best Rap Performance in 2019. Two more Grammy Awards followed in 2020 with Best R&B Album for Venturaand Best R&B Performance for his song “Come Home (featuring Andre 3000)”.
In October 2020, .Paak was named as Vans’ first ever Global Music Ambassador. The partnership includes exclusive footwear and accessory collections inspired by .Paak’s Southern California roots that dropped in November and December respectively, along with the release of his song “JEWELZ”, co-produced by Timbaland and featuring glimpses of his Vans collection throughout its accompanying music video. Rolling Stone hailed the song a “no-nonsense blast of funk-pop that’s centered around a crisp guitar lick, peppered with delicate synths and anchored, of course, by an irresistible rhythm section.” .Paak also served as one of the global judges for the brand’s Vans Musician Wanted competition, which aims to provide a platform for aspiring artists all around the world.
Earlier in the year, .Paak released his highly regarded single “Lockdown” on Juneteenth. Inspiration for the song came from .Paak’s participation in a Los Angeles Black Lives Matter protest where peaceful protestors were being shot with rubber bullets by the police. A video directed by Dave Meyers featuring Andra Day, Jay Rock, Syd, SiR, Dumbfoundead & Dominic Fike followed in addition to a bundle including the remix with JID, Noname, and Jay Rock – the latter of whom he performed the track with at the 2020 BET Awards. The song was featured in a multitude of “Best Of” 2020 lists from NPR, The FADER, Complex and President Barack Obama’s annual “Favorite Music” list. .Paak garnered two Grammy Award nominations for the song – Best Music Video and Best Melodic Rap Performance, winning Best Melodic Rap Performance.
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THE HEADLINES
Universal Music Group and Stability AI announce strategic alliance to co-develop professional AI music creation tools (see News)
UMG and Udio settle lawsuit; announce agreement for new licensed AI music creation platform (see News)
The last days of Utopia (see News)
UK Music introduces 'Five Ps' guide to boost diversity and inclusion across the music industry (see News)
Reservoir Media: A hidden gem? (see Features)
The music industry remains divided on generative AI. Where will that leave us? (see Comment)
How fan power is reshaping pop (see Features)
The “forever” stakes of generative AI ownership (see Comment)
Lyor Cohen: AI won’t replace artists — it will make them unstoppable (see Opinion)
Omdia tips music publishers’ revenues to hit $10bn this year (see Reports)
Unit1 Studio launches offering potential for immersive avatar concerts through lower production costs (see Digital)
Are we still in the music business? When your POV is worth more than your mp3s (see Opinion)
Is rock’n’roll dead? (see Features)
Book extract: Body Of Work: How The Album Outplayed The Algorithm And Survived Playlist Culture (see Comment)
With MTV channels switching off, is the music video under threat? (see Features)
