Anderson .Paak: My Mom Was Arrested, I Slept in My Car & I Almost Said No to Dr. Dre

He answered me the newspaper. He's like, "Have you seen this yet?" And my mom's on the front cover. We handcuffed. My mom was on the street with blood everywhere. And my pops, like, "Get in the house, I got a gun." I remember seeing my mom, I took it up to all these wires in the hospital and stuff. And I thought, you know, she was gonna die and-- - How broke are we talking? 'Cause I know at one point, you're even living in your car. - I stopped selling weed because I wanted to focus more on music and then I was back to being broke again. - Then you go up to me, say, "Haddle, I'm the place to look." - Yeah. - Live with you. - Yeah, I was straight up. - Straight up. - Straight up. - I don't have anywhere to go. And if you let me stay here, I don't do anything. I was super religious. I didn't want to go to hell. So I was like, "All right, let's just get married." - Who has more attention to detail or makes you do things like over and over more Bruno or Dr. Dre? - Bruno is different. He obsesses. I get a call one day and the like, Dre wants to meet you. And wants you to come to the studio. - And then what happens? - Ooh. - So you grew up in Oxnard? - Yeah. - And you're the son of your mom was adopted. - Yes. - She was found in like in Korea and adopted by an American family. - Yeah, she was Dr. Black American family who also was in the military. My mom was an abandoned kid in Korea. Her and my uncle were found taking into our orphanage and then adopted and then my mom grew up in Copten, California and a little bit in LA too. My pops is a twin from Philly and he was kicked out and he was really young. And he joined the military somehow when he was like 16. They were pretty crazy. They used to get in trouble and my pops in his twin. You used to actually go to prison for each other 'cause they looked identical. So my uncle used to go to prison for my dad when he got in trouble. - So growing up from your earliest memories 'cause I believe your dad was incarcerated when you were seven years old. - Yeah. - So was it just struggles early as you can remember or what was your childhood? - I grew up with two older sisters and one little sister. My mom was always working. My mom was had her own strawberry business where she did produce and we grew up in Oxnard and a lot of it is agriculture. So growing up, my mom was working and we'd be in the house with my sisters. My oldest sister is like 10 years older than me. So I just remember just us like watching TV, watching BT, MTV, music videos. They would have friends over and they'd be on the phone on the landline like tuck in and like trying to like talk to little boyfriends and stuff. And I would be just like the form of entertainment, like dancing around and like making skits and like doing impressions and drawing. But yeah, I remember just like music being played in the house or if one in fire just like good times. But being in the house full of women, it was there was like a lot of like, you know, tension and there was like a lot of energy going on. - Yeah. - With, you know, sibling fights and stuff. And I think that's partly why I like to like defuse things and don't really like the confrontation and try to, you know, provide some joy so that everyone's cool. But my mom was big on getting everyone together as well. So we had a lot of like cookouts and family events and she would take trips with us. We would go to like Vegas and go to Circus Circus. We were in Oxnard. There wasn't a lot of like black people where we were at. So she was like, I'm gonna take you guys L.A. There's more black people. I'm gonna take you guys to like sloths and swap me where you guys can go get your little chains and like little stuff and you can be exposed to more things. And she was always about that. - You being assimilated into like black culture and important for her if she was Korean. - She, I think now looking back on it, I think she didn't want us to like suffer with like an identity kind of thing, a crisis. She wanted us to know that there's a lot more than just this little town and you don't have to shrink yourself to be or try to be something that you're not essentially. There are other people that look like this. There are some representations out there. - So you grew up closer to your mom. Did you grow, did you get along with your dad well? - Sure, my father's a drug addict. So when he met my mom, he was really kind of battling with that. Like right around the time they met, he was actually like on trial for, I think it was marijuana or something that I caught him with in military and he got discharged and that kind of led him into depression. And my mom was doing everything she could to try to get him better and was taking him to A.A. and all these different things. Yeah, he got really, really addicted to the drugs and he got into prison for assault and battery on my mom and me and my little sister saw the whole thing and that was like the last time I seen him alive when I was like six. - Do you remember what it was like the day that the cops came and your dad got arrested? - Yeah, I was really into now because in my household, I didn't really see anything happening with my mom and dad that would lead me to think that something was wrong. I was also really young. My mom would always be like, you know, your dad's working or he's out, he's getting help. You know, he was having health issues as well. So I always thought he was just getting better. He was in the hospital or something. But I know that he was going in and out of rehab and he was trying, she was taking him to A.A. meetings and they were estranged and there would be times he would be gone for weeks like on drug benches and she couldn't find him. And she told me that, you know, after a while, she became crazier than him because she was, just became so dead set on trying to help him that she was doing crazy stuff. Like, you know, being in on drug dealer's doors at three in the morning trying to find him, she would see his car somewhere that someone else was driving and she would get in high speed chases trying to race and find that person. And she said she was losing her mind, you know, trying to get him well. And eventually she just realized she couldn't do it anymore and I think that's where it kind of hit my pops in. I remember seeing, you know, my mom on the street and there was like, I can hear like screaming and we came outside, my baby sitter was watching me, my little sister, we came outside, my mom was on the street with like blood everywhere. And my pops was on top of her. But like I told you, my pops as a twin is identical. So when I was seeing it, I remember thinking like, not, that's my uncle, like that can't be my dad, you know. He was just like, get in the house, get in the house. And my baby's sister was just like, get off her, get off her and he was like, get in the house. I got a gun, like, get back in the house. I just remember like running back in the house and my baby sitter like on the phone, like on the cops. And then she looked out the window and he was coming back in the house. She was like, let's go, let's get out of here. And so we ran and we hopped the fence to the neighbor's house. We hopped the fence and the police came. And yeah, I remember afterwards still thinking like, telling my sisters like, that wasn't him. It was my uncle, it was my uncle. And I remember us being like at the police station. And when I found out, it was devastating. And I just, I didn't really know what to think because before I just, I didn't know that side. I didn't, and that's when I realized like, oh man, like people have a different side. There's a whole world of things that I don't know about. And I remember like seeing my mom, I hooked up to like all these wires in the hospital and stuff. And I thought, you know, she was going to die. And when she was talking to us and she was getting better, I remember she was still like, wouldn't say anything bad about my pops, you know. She was really like positive and just was like, your dad just was just really sick off the drugs and it changed them to a different person. And yeah, just remember just like, just us, you know, having to start from like ground zero. And her just getting better and each day getting stronger and then she was like, we're going to move out of this house. It's too many bad memories and we're going to start over and start different. And that was like our new chapter. And from there, we were always like going from a different place. And that's why I remember different things. Like that house at that moment. And then we moved to Ventura County. And then we were like in this apartment complex. And now my first time living in an apartment complex where there was like other kids around and everyone was in this, you know, little compound. And yeah, that's when I had my stepdad and we were, that was a whole other chapter. - So it sounds like your mom would always try to protect you. - Yeah. - Was it you and your sisters? - Yeah. - Like did your older sisters know? - Yes, yes. So you know, I had two older sisters and they have, they had separate dads to me and my little sister. So, you know, it was just a lot of trauma with my mom's husbands. And so my mom had already been through that with my older sister's husbands as well. And my two older sisters, you know, when they got into their teens, they ended up, she was like, you guys are gonna go live with your dad. And they moved to Louisiana to live with him. And then me and my little sister went off and we moved to Ventura County in the apartment complex with my new stepdad. Yeah, but we were always very close and we would always talk and they would come back every summer. And we would be get bigger. And they were like, Brian, what's going on? You got a girlfriend yet? And they would like inspect me and like, all right, you got to start working out. You got to do this and this and that. And then they would go off and I wouldn't see him for a year. But me and my little sister were like, really tight. You know, and we were always like, we would be in the house a lot just like goofing around and, you know, just like singing and doing skits. And yeah, but it was, we were always like, yeah, it's cool. We were like, what's going on? And it seems like your mom just sort of fostered this like optimism inside you. 'Cause it seems like she went through so much, but no matter what, she always try to see, like there's a brighter path ahead. But she actually felt that herself or she was just trying to help encourage you guys. - You know, I think, when I think about my mom back then, I think of someone that was just, she was just trying to do the best she could. And, you know, when I see her, she would honestly be looking stressed out and she would be working and, you know, dealing with my step pops, who, I think at one point they were in love, but as I got older, I could see like, there was always arguments as well and same thing. And when she would come home, it was just, I just remember we were always on the cell phone, like trying to work things out and just on the go. So, when there was moments of her, like having fun or smiling or dancing, those were big moments, they were rare. And I remember like, she was really kind of like, kept a lot of things from us. Like, I remember we had to do like, you know, arts and crafts for school and stuff. And I was drawing and I liked to doodle. And then my mom started picking up the. Vince will start a drawing and like drew this crazy portrait like like freehand and I'm like mom You know the draw like I'm not just ready to draw like legit and she's like yeah I wanted I wanted to go to school for art but I didn't do it and blah blah and she'll always shy away like no I'm no jar and it was just crazy and then I remember like we would be begging her like come on mom Play with us like when she the the few days where she wasn't working and she would like get a bunch of like a Structure paper and like crumble it up like into balls like snowballs and then we would just have like Paper fights in the living room stuff like that and those we would like live for that. Yeah, and Yeah, that was also why when I've got my first drum set and I learned how to play when she when she came out dancing and stuff Like which is one of the first time I ever really seen her dance That's what that really made me like want to keep playing drums and she was also like a real tough critic So when she was like, you know, you're pretty good. Yeah, I'm just dancing this stuff. I was like what the hell You know, you gotta like a drum set for like a present or something and you just practice that yeah My step pops about a drum set one day. Okay. I was playing drums in orchestra I was really about to quit because I didn't want to like learn how to read music and I thought I was boring and it was a marching band style But when I was walking home from school and they I heard drums in the house and he was he was playing on the drum kit And he was playing like Prince records and stuff and he he wouldn't let me on the drum kit for a while But then one day he got off and I got on picked up the sticks and started tinkering around and my mom came out dancing She's like, oh, yeah, you're good here. I'm gonna. I'm gonna give you something to learn and she started getting me all these different records to play like Yeah, Frankie Beverly and Archie Bell in the drills and Yeah Yeah, it's just unbelievable to think like that small moment you getting that drum set would eventually take you to work When Dr. Dre to work on Bruno Mars to paint drums at the Super Bowl, which we're gonna get into But you know as you're moving around from place to place I know you eventually end up like in a really great place, right? You end up in this like five bedroom mansion, and it seems like things are kind of on a high for you I think you're a teenager at this point, but then that state doesn't last for long, right? Yeah, can you walk me through that? Yeah, so at that point I was in high school my mom and my step-offs for big gamblers They were going to Vegas every weekend and they would take us and I would be able to bring like my friends and They would get like comp rooms and we hit the buffets and we we go see like all the magic shows and go see caretop and like We were just like running Vegas little kids and they began rolling all night and some nights were better than others But they ended up getting this big house like all cash and I remember like my friends in high school My parents would drop me off. They'd be like what do your parents do? I was like produce you're still going to like the same high school. Yeah, all of a sudden you have this really nice house Yeah, yeah, I think me and my sister kind of got used to like this is cool for now. Like enjoy while we can It could be the apartments next week, but when we got that big house It was like day and this is sick, you know and have the view and like it was great I didn't know that the strawberry business was kind of it was on the down decline and what happened was my mom had investors She she went from doing like independently getting it from a different source and in delivering like to There used to be like cocos and carols on if you remember that but she used to deliver to them And then she got investors to get her own fields and then she was doing it like she cut the middle man out El Nino hit and like all the crops like got destroyed and she couldn't pay the investors back So then that led to her trying to gamble and she filed her bankruptcy and But you didn't know any of this. Yeah, so you just think you're living in this five bedroom mansion Mm-hmm. Hey, you're at school one day. Yeah, and then all of a sudden the principal calls you in the talk to you Yeah, he answered me the newspaper. He's like, do you have you seen this yet? My mom's on the front cover with handcuffs and I'm like what my mom was blown and he's like, are you gonna be okay? And I'm like I guess like this is insane and so right then My brother more calls me. He's like hey, they got mom today. She got arrested at your step-ops I was just like crushed. I was just thinking about my mom like being imprisoned like the the kindest woman never heard anyone no criminal record Everyone at the school was just like looking at me like, well, you know, that's why they got that big house That's this and that and everyone's asking me like is this true? Is this true? And you know when you're a kid It's like yeah, you're just trying to like get through like biology and then you got this going on Yeah, it was just it was devastating and yeah from there things were just upside down my sisters, you know Came in and tried to do the best they could and we were going to see my mom and county So your sisters came back to live with you? Yeah, they came back and and we're staying at the house and you know The the money stopped so they couldn't pay their rent nothing was you know Everything stopped the mansion was getting foreclosed and we only had a little bit of time before we had to get out of there So you're 18 I was 17 oh your 17 And so did your older sisters like take custody then or how did that they came in and they got custody of my little sister I was gonna be 18 pretty soon So the plan was just all right try to get through high school get through your senior year And at the same time - I was I was like heavy into like making beats. I thought I was gonna be signed like yeah by the time I graduated They were like Baba like just try to get through high school and yeah, if you wanted to still you know Chase your dreams and do the thing with the music go ahead You know, we got to take care of your little sis and try to get her through yeah, it was tough At a no point are you like mom? Why did you put me in this situation? No, no, I never was like that. I was just more like I guess you know There was a part of me that was like my you we could have told us something Yeah, when our at the opportunity to get her was just more like are you okay? It's like we were just trying to enjoy our time with her when we had it and trying to do anything We could to like make her time go by faster and make it easier for her and just make sure she was good mentally and like you know Be there for her But you know just heard demeanor and how strong she was and like how she Carried herself, which is kind of was like when we go it was she was more like you guys get you shit together Like I'm a be okay. I'm gonna make this I'm gonna I'm gonna get through this you guys Brandon like you know if you still want to do music if you do that like she would tell me like you're the man So when you're 18 you you need to get up out of there so that you know your sisters can take care of your little sister and like you know Figure it out your mom goes to prison you graduate high school Throughout your 20s. You're working like small odd jobs. Yeah, and at what point do you mean you're your wife, right? Yeah, that time your ex-wife now. Yeah, so I I get back into music because I quit so like my my parents get put down prison and before that that was gonna get signed I don't get signed so then I'm like you know what I got said and make it so I completely stop Really making music? I'm still playing drums in the church because I can make a little money doing that But I was doing that for for years and I was doing all jobs all jobs and then eventually All right, I'm gonna get back into music. Yeah, and you would match your ex-wife at this point? Well actually I got I got I got a shotgun marriage before I met my second wife That's okay I admit that I had a girlfriend at a time that was like I was dating and it was really like my first girlfriend And she was like you should get back into music. She was a singer and I got back into it She got into UCLA law school and I was just driving her car and then I was like I gotta do something too So I applied at this the school called musicians institute and I got in and and I got in for drums because that's how I've been doing forever But I was also I also wanted to make my own music So I started getting really really back into it once I got to that school I realized how good I was at drums and I was meeting all these musicians and I I put a band together to play my original music And the school was loving me we got really popular and big and I was obsessed and the girlfriend was like let's get married Let's do it and I was like screw it. Let's do it. You know, I had grew up like in church before that And I was like super religious and I was like just like getting intimate with her and I didn't want to go to hell So I was like all right, let's just get married so we can we can do it legit, you know and then got married at the court and Like less than a month later. I knew I didn't want to do it anymore Because I was like so into the music and we it didn't mess and and I'm and I remember you know her being like you're doing a lot It's been a lot of time with the music like what about us isn't that it's like mere music and I think I was nailing the coffin And I was like, you know what let's play. I'm sorry And so we got in no meant but I had the ring still so I took the ring and pont it and I got my first apartment in LA And then that's when how I stayed in LA and I was like going to the school and a year after going to school I meet my my second wife that the mother of my children and she came straight from Korea Oh, yeah, yeah, she was coming up for Korea. I could hardly speak and I was like Danny She's cute like and I asked my my other Korean friend. I was like, how do you say like come here baby? Yeah, you taught me how to say that. How do you say? Shaggy. Yeah, I eat you why and then like I would learn like little, you know words here and there and she you know She would laugh and then we you know we go to lunch and a year after that she was pregnant And I was like, oh snap. She was like you want to get married? If I'm gonna stay in the country, we gotta we gotta make this happen. I was like, you know what? Let's do it You know before, you know, we were like six of us in a two-bedroom apartment We're trying to make music with my band and we were struggling and doing our thing but it was fun But I needed a boost and I think that's what it was. I was like, okay, now I have a family now. I gotta get going And yeah, we did it and I have my son and Man, I wish that's when I started turning the knobs and yeah, and you were still struggling at this point I was still struggling. I was doing like music full-time. Okay, so it was a struggle, but it was fun You were making money for me. I know. I was broken into joke But when I have my kid, I was like, okay, now I need to really start making money and like how broke are we talking? Because I know at one point you're even living in your car. Yeah, I was living in that was couch surfing So where's your son then? My sister when my wife at the time had got pregnant My sister was like you can stay with me motor sisters So she had the kid and we were staying at my sister's place and around this time I was making money, but I was making money selling weed and I started making a lot of money selling weed. And once my sister saw that I was actually making a lot of money, she started charging me for rent to stay at her place. And I was, and so I was like, I'm making that money, but I'm making that much money like. And so I stopped selling weed because I wanted to focus more on music. And then I was back to being broke again. And I couldn't afford the rent. And my sister's and my sister was like, this is good for you. You need to go out and really chase your dreams. So I got, I packed up my family in U-Haul and we went to LA. And I stayed with anybody I could. One of my friends, Sean Feaks said you could stay at my place, but my house is getting foreclosed. Here we go again with the foreclosures. But hey, like I've been like putting it off for a while. But you have a wife and a wife and a kid, yeah, yeah. It's like I'm new where I'm like, cool, we'll stay here. But he smokes. So I'm like, damn, so I can have the baby in here and my Korean wife says like, no, this is not good. So my wife at the time takes my son and she stays with her friend. And I'm over there with my guy, Sean Feaks, because he's got the studio and we can be over there and we're going kind of back and forth. Because I can't stay with my wife's friend, her spots too small. What is your mindset? Like you're just like, I am so convinced that I'm going to make it in music. Or are you like, I don't know if this is all going to work out. And like my life is just going to be a complete failure. He was a little bit of both, man, depending. Some days you get a win and you feel like, all right, I could do this. What's a win? Like you develop, like you're in the studio, you make something that you just feel like, yeah, it gives you the vibes. Yeah, we would, when I was staying at my boy, Sean Feaks house, he said, you can stay here. I'm not going to charge you. But you're going to be like my assistant. So I need to go to the court. I need to get these papers done. I want breakfast. You know, I learned how to make really like really good oatmeal. And that must have been really humbling. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Was that hard for you to put your ego side to be like, I'm going to cook for this guy. I'm going to-- No, no. Because I was like, I loved his music. It was really like one of my idols at the time. And his group that he was in saw raw was like, that's where I want it to be. And the stuff I want the scene, that I want it to be around. So just to be around him, well, how do you even get in on that? He saw me made my band playing. You know, we used to play in a club called the, the, the temple bar. And he had, he was like royalty there. And he came by one day and he saw us and he's like, man, you good. But then you go up to him and you say, hey, I don't have a place to live with you. Yeah. Straight up. Straight up. And he just took a like into us and, you know, we before that we were the weed guys. So we would always come with jars of weed for him. And he was like, oh, yeah, you're the, you're the weed kid. Where's the weed? I'm like, look, I don't have weed. I do have a question. Like, can I live with you? Because like, I don't have anywhere to go. And if you let me stay here, I'll do anything. And I got a kid. And he had kids. He knew the struggle in everything. So he was like, yeah, you know, did he figure out honestly? Yeah. My, my she's about to go to. So. And so is that when your music starts to go? So, yeah. So eventually we were able to wear her set, she had a big house because he had the studio and with my band. And I ended up getting an audition for a singer named Haley Reinhardt and she was an American Idol finalist. And she was doing her solo debut and she had a budget for a band and she was holding auditions and I brought my band and we auditioned and she was like, I don't like the band but I like the drummer. And I was like, guys, I'll be back. I swear. Like I need this, you know, I got to get a place for my family. So that was my first big gig and I was able to get it. And we did like TV gigs and we did shows on the road and I got my first big check for like 1500 bucks or something and that was enough to get me a little apartment in K-town. And we got it and I moved my family there and every summer it just got a little better. And eventually I met a manager who was like, hey man, you need to stop playing for other people and do your thing. If you want to be a solo act, you got to put all that stuff aside and you know, stop trying to be the drummer of the stars and work on your stuff. Just work on you. And I'm like, well, how am I supposed to be my Reinhardt? And he's like, well, I'll pay you, Reinhardt, you know, if you just work on yourself and I was like, all right. And so he's like, I want to turn my bedroom into a studio and you just got to go there every day like it's a job and I'm going to get you a white board and I want you to write like what you want to be, how you want to sound. All the different things, what awards you want, what magazines you want to be on, what kind of artists you want to be associated with. Is that a challenge? Is someone who always has to think like short term, right? Because your whole life, you're always thinking like you're just on the verge of losing something. Like I remember that was a challenge for me that all my goals were always short term until I met my wife. And she's like, hey, like if you ever want to make it, you have to really start setting long-term goals and sticking to one thing consistently. Did that just come naturally to you or was this like sort of the guy that was at what unlocked the long-term thinking for you and change everything? Yeah, yeah, he definitely unlocked it before that. I was just really like every day with whatever it came and because I think I was naturally gifted to be able to do things, pick up things quick, I could play drums, I could do this, you know, I could talk to people, all these different things. I never thought about long-term and for some reason I just thought I'd be young for ever and everything was going to be fun in games and he would set me down, he's like, bro, you're not getting any younger and you're going to be 40 years old before you know it and you'll be looking around like, I don't have anything. I didn't set any long-term goals and I didn't stick to one thing. How were you at this time? I wasn't my 20s. I was 24. Okay. And you had one side at this time. Yeah. Yeah. So visualization, is that like an important part that you think like, because I know later on, you actually visualize going into Super Bowl and even like set Dr. Dre a picture that helped you get there. Yeah. So was visualization always an important part of your life? Yeah. Absolutely. And speaking into his existence and also simplification, like he taught me that too, he was like, you're doing way too many things and like, that's what's making your brain so foggy and not even allowing you to make better decisions. Like, I just want you to go to the studio and I'll be like, okay, but I need this guy over here. Like, he's like, you need to learn how to do it. You need to be so sufficient. I'm going to get you this little mac me computer. You need to learn how to record yourself, how to produce yourself, how to write yourself. You don't need anybody else. Some people might need that. Not you. You already do 50 million things. We want you to do 50 million things for yourself and just wake up 8 a.m. Go to the studio, be done and time to go have dinner with your family and then do the same thing tomorrow and take the weekends off. That's it. And write the goals and make music. That is it. And don't worry about what you're going to wear. Don't worry about none of that stuff. You know, wear the same thing every day. Yeah. And so that's great advice because a lot of people don't have that kind of a person to do this. I mean, again, I think there's something very special about you. That God just continues to sort of bring people into your life that even though you've gone through so much, somehow you meet somebody like some guide that kind of takes you to the next chapter. And a lot of people do have that, right? I'm so grateful to have that like with Laura, my partner and all this, but for those that don't. I think everything that you just said right now, you know, like the simplification, right? Not just visualization, but don't focus on, I need a team to do all this. I need all these resources. I need all these fancy clothes. It's like, yeah, learn how to do everything yourself, become that one stop shop, believe in yourself, focus, work hard. Like these are all the skills that you got taught that you kind of had inside of you, I guess, but you just got a little bit of guidance to get there and then what does that do for you? It gives you the confidence. It gives you like a real understanding of like yourself and what the artist that you want to be. And it helps to like clear up your vision to where once you've done all that stuff you've done for yourself, then when you're in the position where you can hire people, it's like you could really be a leader because you know, like anything's possible. Like I used to, I've done this before, I know we can do this. So that's why now when one thing's done, it's like, like I know these things can be done and like it's either, if I do it, then I don't need you anymore, you know, stuff like that. And it's like you have a real, you know, there's people say you get that dog in you and I'm saying that you need a little bit of that and to like be in that position, sometimes you have to be breaking down to the lowest denominator to be able to just like listen to someone and take their advice and then do it and put it into action. Some people are incapable of being helped because they think they got all the answers and they don't, they think, you know, people are there telling them stuff that have already done it and then they still don't want to listen to them. Like they're in a place that you want to be and you don't want to listen. Like without a word, science behind that. So for you always listen. I did. Because I mean, I didn't have like no choice really. I had nothing. You know, so some people I listened to and were telling me stuff and I was always always open. I was always open to try it because why not? But what I've done, I've done all this other stuff and it got me this far, but I was willing to try it and he in it was cool with him because he taught me like, he said, I'm going to put skin in the game. He also taught me the business. He's like, I'm doing this, but you're going to, this is an investment. You're my investment. So I'm paying your rent, but I'm, I'm trying, I'm telling this up, you know, and when you make it, which you will, there's going to be this long receipt and I'm going to wonder, ROI, you know. I learned that quick too, you know, so people also think that they can get into partnerships with people and they're not going to want to make their money back or they can just use them and suck them dry and all that stuff is coming for free. It's like, no, this is a business as well. So yeah, that got me in gear. Another thing he told me was like, all right, it's time to change your name. We got all the music now and all the stuff and I was like, I'm not going to change my name. Breezy Lovejoy, that's fly. And he's like, no, it's not and you're going to meet Dr. Dre and you're really going to introduce yourself as Breezy Lovejoy and I was like, all right, you got a point. Because I just go as your real name, you know, Anderson Park. And I was like, I guess, and he's like, yeah, that sounds prestigious, you know, Anderson Park. But actually, do Anderson Pack, 'cause then they'll argue if it's Packer Park and they won't know if it's like a band or a group and you'll get the conversation going. So I was like, all right, you know, let's do it. I guess I can rock with that and I can be AP or whatever and then that turned in Andy. Two years after that, I was signed to Dr. Dre. Wow. And so when does your first, like, breakout success happen? My first breakout success, there was a few things that led up to my first breakout success. And the key things was that I had come to terms with the fact that even when I turned to Anderson Pack that I was now I'm a practically 30 years old that I was just going to be an Andy artist. I didn't think I was going to get a deal. And I was fine with being the underground king. I was fine because I could put my own music out. And also streaming was very early, Spotify, all that stuff, Apple music didn't even exist yet. All I cared about was like getting like viral on like soundcloud or re-rubination or getting my music played and the little clubs that we were going to, the low end theories and all these different things. And so if that was happening, I was cool with it. If I could play South by Southwest or if I could eventually get on Coachella, like that was going to be cool because I had I didn't think I thought I missed the boat with the whole getting signed or even meeting Dre or anything like that. And so I had. Dr. Dre was always the goal. Dr. Dre is always the goal because like I grew up in the West Coast. I mean, I know he's the goal for everyone, but it's it's the pit of me of the final boss when you when you grew up in the West Coast. Yeah. That is my musical DNA is like Snoop and Dre, like that's my first tapes, like the blocking myself in the room, learning G-thang, learning all these things and wanting to be that and just like low riders, my affinity for cars, everything. It's a part of like my personality and they, you know, that's how it developed was through watching them and listening to them, right? And how did you meet Dr. Dre? So I had like two songs that were out, like Buzz and around and on SoundCloud and stuff and one of them was called Drugs and another one was called Swade and one one was from my first album under Anderson Pack called Venice and it was a trap, like, so you put your first album already? Yeah. Yeah. I put my first solo album independently. Yeah. Okay. I was working with Dumb Founded who was a big YouTube red time and he was doing his stuff and he was taking me out and I would perform and open and I had a little following and I was building every, every year and I had the song "Trugs Out" and I had a group that I started with a duo called No worries. I started with a producer named Knowledge and that song was called Swade, two different records. One was like trap auto tune, like club banger thing and another one was like a soulful Jay Della loop where I was like singing like on some singing rap, pseudo thing, we're at the Yes Law and two, you know, two different worlds but they were both doing their things and I gave it a call one day and they're like, "Dray wants to meet you." They want you to come to studio for my new manager now and I almost didn't go. I was like, "Ah, yeah, right." You know, like before that, everybody gets a call that, you know, Dray is working on something and he would have been working on a song called The Detox and for years and I had, you know, it never came out and I was like, "I'm not going to go to another detox session then it's going to come out." I'm not a writer for other people, like I don't know, like I'm going to do my own thing and I don't want to go. I got other stuff to do and stuff and then my manager was like, "Don't be an idiot. Just go, bro." Like, come on. And so I showed up and. I showed up where it is. I showed up to the studio, record one studio and Dr. Dray is the first person. I mean, I walk in and he's like, seemed like he was 10 feet tall. And him and at the OC, there's dad and dad, and I'm like, "Wow, nice to meet you." And they're like, "Yeah, we heard a lot about you, man." Like, "Cool." So they went back and started watching the game and it took me to the studio. I met these two writers, King Mads and J.T. and they were like, "We love your songs, Wade. That's a banger. Man, we want you to help write on this album for Dr. Dray. He's coming out with an album. I was like, "Okay. Let's do it." And they're like, "Wait, man, let's play him your song first." And I was. Then I got nervous again. I was like, "Oh, man. I don't want him to kick me out the studio. I didn't know he already heard it. I thought he heard it. I thought this is a done deal." They're like, "No, I'll bring him in here. They bring him in here. They play it." And man, he played it like three, four times in a row. The game is a double thumbs up. And when you know, Dray likes something and when he doesn't like something, he says the same thing. But what the fuck was that? He's like, "That was his thing. What the fuck was that?" And then. That's good. That's a good thing in this time. Okay, yeah. Okay, okay. We got to have the two thumbs up. It's a good one. But if the thumbs. No, you don't see the thumbs. You probably hate to end it. And did he tell you, like, after the very first time he heard it? Are you like waiting until, like, he's listening to it three, four times? I can see he was feeling it. Okay. Because he's like, "Bob and his head." And then he was like, "Play that again." We made our first track that we made there was all in the day's work after he played Swade. And he was just like, "Come back again. You can come back again." And the thing I noticed was that he was letting me do my thing. And he would. Let me get on the mic. I would write stuff, do things. And he would produce me. Like, try like this and that. But I wouldn't come back the next day and be somebody else wrapping what I laid down. It wasn't like he was coming and having me as a writer, like, it was still me. He was like, "He liked me as an artist." Yeah. Every day, I was just on more stuff, more stuff. And then one day, I wake up and then he dropped it down. And it's on iTunes. And it's called Compton. Everyone's blowing up my phone. They're like, "You see what you're on?" You're on, like, every track. And I was on, like, six tracks and they started called me six track pack after that. Yeah. Because at that time, like, you don't know what songs we're going to make it on the album would or anything. It's like all secrecy. And they were telling me, like, "Do not tell anybody you work with Dre. Don't let me talk about this. I was telling everybody." I was like, "Dude, I'm in the drape, bro. Can you believe it? I'm on. Don't talk to me anymore." Yeah. He really put out an album. And I was all over it. Wow. So you put out your second album, "That's Malibu." Yeah. And how does that go? It goes crazy. I think, like, platinum or anything overnight, but it was an album that still is, like, it just got bigger and bigger and bigger and bigger with time and it just, like, became this quote classic. There was so many things, I think, that led up to that. But I think before that, it was tough, like, I didn't really toured on my own. And I remember when that came out, that's when we were doing, like, our own headline tours in Europe. And I saw, like, out of the venue, like, there was lines. And everything was kind of coming together and people were like, "Yo, that's it. That's interesting." And that's your first time experience in, like, any sort of fame. Yeah. Yeah. What did that feel like? It felt crazy, man. It felt really cool, man. I remember just, like, thinking back, like, to that room, you know, and thinking about, like, how do I want to look? And what's my thing and all this stuff? And when Malibu hit, I could see these things, like, had been unlocked and I could see people that were, like, dressed like me and, like, I can see, like, the things that I was writing and visualizing were coming true. And I saw how powerful it was and how you have to be patient because these things take time and, you know, you know, universe, God, whatever you believe in, it needs to make sure that you're able, you're at the right time to accept these things and have all these things, right? And so that's what I realized. And I was like, okay, man. This is legit. Like, hard work really does pay off. And it was cool to be able to do that. And simultaneously, now my mom's out of prison. She's like, oh, hello. Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And she just, she know about your success while she's in prison. Yeah, she does. And she had been out, you know, and doing her thing. But this was like, we were both like, you know, she was trying to figure out her lives, like, doing stuff and I was trying to do the same thing. And I was like, now I was in the position of really like, okay, mom, I'm getting my first little money. Well, where you want to live. I'm going to take care, you know, I got my family in situated and I want to get you a house. Yeah, that's when I was able to get her like a first house and, yeah, it was super special and like, I just remember those things happening. I was able to get like my first real car and like get some like health insurance and, you know, take care of my fam and get a nice spot where we had, you know, cool, amazing stuff. I mean, I know your career just keeps getting bigger from here. So you have this viral MPR moment and then what happens? We're on the road. We're doing like a cellar, everything. We were just like on the road nonstop. We're doing all the stuff. And then this is what I realized like, oh, like, I don't have any, I didn't, I never knew what to do with like, I wasn't the type like, oh, check in my accounts and all this stuff. So I had people with a team at the time that was, that was with, but that's when I realized like, oh, man, and I might have outgrew this, this team on with and I started seeing there was little holes here and there with like on the, on the business side. And eventually like everything was kind of upside down. It was like tax problems and manager at the time was getting into it with Dre and Dre is like, yo, man, you got to fire this guy. And also when you're going to come do your album, you've been on the road forever. And you know, my kids are getting bigger and I'm, you know, I'm just like moving, moving, moving, moving. I had to like sit down and like clean up shop, get rid of the old team and then I got what a new team that sat me down there were like, okay, this is what's going on. And I was like, oh, shit, you know, and they're like, we're going to help you with through this. You know, that's the team I have now. And they were really cool and you know, we had to learn how to work with each other from the start, but it was, it was all the experience and they eventually like cleaned it all up and it took a while. We're still like doing stuff, but that was a whole process. But then it was time to go into making like my major label debut and I did that with Dre. I mean, there's a bunch of different stuff that was going on. I was doing a bunch of features and all this stuff, but you know, he was like, hey, I can't, we can't do an album if you're always on the road and I was like, dang, man. So like I sat down and the idea was I wanted to do like a double album where, and I called all my albums. because I had so many musical personalities and I wanted to take my fans with me. You know, to each location, we would be somewhere different and I'm gonna take you guys on a journey. So now it was time to kind of go back home and I'm from Oxnard and Ventura. So now that, you know, it was kind of like the protocol sun returns after this big album that I did, now I'm coming back home. And it's like, same guy new car. And I was like, my concept. I was excited. I was excited to get in there but to make an album with one of the biggest producers ever. And he was excited to work with me and we got in there. And I was like sleeping at that studio, man. I was in there every day with him and working with his producers and writing new stuff and collabbing with people, the biggest stars from Kendrick Lamar to Jay Cole to Q-tip to Andre 3000, I mean, everybody. And I had a lot of fun doing both of those albums and my album Ventura ended up getting me the Grammy for R&B album of the year. And then I got another Grammy that year for R&B Performance with Andre 3000. And I got a Grammy for rap performance on a song called "Bubbling" and I was like a Grammy winner. Like, I didn't know where it was. I was insane. And when I got my first Grammy, I didn't even show up. I didn't think I was going to win so I wasn't there. And I was with my son and they called me up and they're like, "Yo, you won." And I was like, "Oh, shit." So we rushed over there and we got there just in time to take pictures and then COVID. And so everything stopped. I had sold out the forum, sold out Madison Square Garden. We were on like a crazy run. Doing big tours. I had a crazy stage set up where it was like, it would look like an 80s hair metal band set up. They're like, "Risers coming up. There's a pyro everywhere. It was in lasers." I was like, it was crushing and then boom, everything shut down. And then there was no more tours. And the momentum kind of just like, "Err." And I was like, "All right, well, I'm at the house now. With my kids, I had two kids now. And before that, I was barely at home. I was always on the road. My wife was, you know, I come home and like, everybody had their own interests. And I was like, "Daddy's home." And like, they're all on iPads. And I'm like, "Oh, damn." So I was like, "All right, man." So I started trying to tap in like, "Hey, what's up? What are you guys up to?" And my son, my oldest son, who was like eight at the time, he was big in the YouTube. He was obsessed with you. He was watching all your stuff. And he was watching like video game tutorials and Mr. Beast and all this stuff. And then he could sing. And we used to make all these little videos where, you know, he'd be singing. And he would be doing, you know, he was just so funny to me. And he's as natural. I could already see it. But when he told me he wanted to be a YouTuber, I would look at his content and see stuff that he liked. And I would think to myself, like, "Okay, this is kind of brings me back to when I was with my little sister in the house. We used to make all these little skits." And we had the high eight tapes. And I would like edit them. And I loved that. And so I was like, "Let's do it together." And so we started writing these little skits and vids. And I would post them. I would be trying to get him subscribers. I was like, "Son, we got to make some goals." Yeah. Right out the white board. Right. Start with 100 followers. Start with this. Every week we're going to set the plan. We're just going to simplify our lives. Then I was that guy, you know, with him. Yeah. And that's what we did. And he got his subscribers up. And then I was up there, you know, editing. And, you know, up at three in the morning, wake him up. Like, what do you think? All right. I got to get up at noon. So we can get the most traction. Well, blah, blah. And then I became more obsessed with it than him. And he was just like, "Dad, you ruined it." Like, I'm going to baseball now. But he inspired me because, at that point, I realized, "Man, I want to get back in the film." I really want to, this is a new, it's invigorated, new thing. And I love music. But now I feel like I want to try to start something new. Fresh and learn it. And I'll know how I'm going to do it. But I'm going to learn all this stuff. I don't know how to write a script. But I'm going to start with a treatment and get these ideas the same thing. And I knew that I was going to need some sort of like real or some sort of, if I was going to take it to somebody they were going to invest or whatever, like, maybe I'll direct music videos and do that until, you know, I can develop it. And at the same time, I get a ring. Bruno Mars calls me up. And it's like, "What are you doing?" I'm like, "I'm just telling my kids if I'm making skates or doing all this stuff." And he's like, "Come to the studio. I go to the studio." And he's working on music. And some of the music is from when I opened up for him. It was one of the biggest tours I've been on in 2016. I got to open up for him and do like a 24-carat magic tour. And I came back and he was working on that stuff in quarantine. And I was like, "Wow, this is sick." And he's like, "Yeah, man." And I got on the booth and we were working and we were laughing. And we hit it off right away. The next day, it was like Dr. Dre. He was like, "Yo, come back. Come back." And he was like, "All right, we're going to start a group." And the group's called Ivory Panther. And we're going to wear like 70 stuff. And I was like, "That's great. Terrible name though." I'm going to figure out something. And he's like, "All right." And we came with subsonic. So I was just in the studio with him and at the crib of my kids. And I started working on a script in each day. Developed this idea. And I came up with the idea where what if I didn't know I had a kid that could be the next K-pop star? And I was like a washed up musician. And it was inspired by just us being doing the YouTube things. I wanted to incorporate all these things and give people the feeling I had with creating a bond with my son and having fun. And I wanted to be a family comedy. And I wanted the whole family to be able to go and watch it. And I knew that I could pool from a lot of different things. The well is my life. And I could put that in there. I also wanted it to give a lot of joy and a lot of happiness and things that I used to help cope with a lot of trauma that I went through. And that was the idea. And it was really tough to do both at the same time because both required a lot of attention. Brennan requires a lot of attention and movies require a lot of attention. But I was trying to do both. Who has more attention to detail or makes you do things like over and over more Bruno or Dr. Dre. Oh, they're probably neck and neck. Honestly, Dre, I think Bruno, because a lot of people say like, "Drey, man, it's tough." He'll make you do things over and over again. But I don't really have that thing with Dre. Like, I don't know. I think maybe like snooping all those guys went through that. You maybe have to ask snoop. But I know that is the thing with that. But I think people kind of went through that. So like, I didn't have to go through it. Because by the time I got to Dre, he was like, "Do it. All right. Cool. That sounds great." And he, yes, he is particular what he wants. But I don't know. You know, maybe I'm just that good. What about Bruno? Bruno is different. He's different. He obsesses. He is someone that, and it's not just about a take, it could be about the bass line, not being right. It could be about the Bruno plays everything. And he's one of the best producers. So he's got his hands in the whole song. So it's about the whole song. It's about the whole song, it's about the math of the entire record that it gets him going. It can't be just a good hook. It needs to be a good pre. It needs to be a good verse. And then he's beat. Now we need a good intro. And then we need a good bridge. And now the drums need to hit like this. And then once you get the song done, now the mix. Okay. Why is it so loud? Why is it so quiet? Oh, this part. And we need to, you know, it's like all that stuff. So yeah, Bruno, more of a on that tip. And he goes hard for it. I saw that Bruno was directing his own music videos and all that stuff. So I was like, yeah, I'm going to do that. And I'll do it for anybody else too. Because I want to learn how it is to be on set. And I want to learn the language. I want to get a good team. And that's why I did. I had a goal. Like maybe I do like 10, 15 music videos. And I have a decent reel to bring to a production team. So that's why I did. And one of the first music videos I did was for Leon Bridges. And I knew I wanted to do like music videos. I had a narrative. So he let me do like this Bonnie and Clyde kind of like story where he gets killed in the end. And it was great. And I just, that was one of the first videos I did where I was like, I can't wait to do a movie, man. And I just kept doing them. I started a label and I signed this really talented group. Dome and JD Beck. And they were like kids when I signed them. And they did this like real avant-garde jazz stuff. And they were like, you can direct our videos. And I was like, great. And I got to make this like these cool, whimsical videos with them and real cinematic. And yeah, I took that reel to the production team Stan Pied and the ST who gave me the funding for my first film. And my boy Dump found it who I've known for years. He was getting it to the film space too. And I told him the idea. And he's like, well, let's go. Let's take it to them. Let's see what they do. And I started meeting with them. And they were like, yeah, you never directed or wrote. You're like, you don't want any help. And I was like, okay, well, that would be great. Like to get a co-writer by. I know I wanted to direct that. I know I want to be in there with my son. I want to start it. And they were like, okay, well, it looks like you can, you might be able to handle it. But we're here to help. And they were really good with that. And they said, we'll help you hire the people you need to make this happen. And they said, you know, this is real deal. This is not like the music world. If you wanted to react, you're going to have to be on set at 6am. You're going to have to be the first one there and last one out. And I had some growing pains for sure. I got my ass kicked. The first couple of like meetings. I tried to push off and they sat me down. We're like, you cannot do this. And so I had to straighten up. And they sat me down with a co-writer, Kayleigh Amazon. And she taught me like everything about K-pop and all about story arc and all the stuff. And so my idea started to gain like a bunch of layers. It went from this little treatment idea. So like, well, if I didn't have a kid to now, oh, let's put him in this world. And let's do all this. And now we can cast it like this. And this is where my character is going to go. And his character is going to go and all the stuff. And I had to learn more about the system of K-pop and different things like that. And that helped me to be able to put these kind of teachable moments. Because I always saw like K-pop, how it pulled from black culture and black music. And I wanted to figure out how we confuse that into the story as well. And do different things. All that stuff, I had to really sit down. And it was just like a crash course. And I was doing that all the same time working with Bruno. when I was going through my other crash course with him and in the studio and working with him and learning how to build like hit records. - Yeah, and you ended up winning more Grammys. - Yeah, yeah, and that came out and we did some amazing performances and we won four Grammys that year. It was a whirlwind, man. - So what's your movie called and when does it come out? - My movie is called K-Pops, it stars me and my son so I'll sheet and it is out now. - What does it feel like having your son in a movie with you? - Oh man, it's incredible. It was the biggest joy to be able to work with my son on a movie and to bond with him, to see him grow, to see him work so hard at the craft and to just see him be a kid and us to just goof around and spend a lot of time to be able to spend that much time together on a set. It didn't feel like work and now he's a teenager and you know how it is with the teens they're not so willing to wanna hang out with you as they get older but I had a time where I got to really kick it with him and now we have that kind of capsule and something that we could look back on. - When you strip everything back from your story, what do you hope that people take away from it? - I hope it inspires them, you know, your story, you never know who it's helping, you never know. There could be someone right now sleeping in a car or someone right now that is going through the same struggle I went through and hearing my story here and me say those words, it's getting them out and helping them see the light. And so I just hope that I continue to inspire and continue to spread joy, continue to help people know that like just don't give up, keep it going man, it's it. - Yeah, I mean that, I know I ask you this outside but you know for that Anderson and his younger 20s, you know who's sleeping in a car, I'm sure there's so many people that are in that situation right now, right? Like they feel financially stuck. They don't have a lot going for them, they don't have a lot of dreams and hopes and aspirations and maybe they think their life isn't gonna work out the way that they hope. What would your advice be for that person? - My advice is just make your next move the best move. Like just like we said earlier, you might be in the car but your next opportunity can always be the best the next thing to take you to the next place. So the moment you feel like quit and it's like always that next thing that could take you to the next one. So just always keep going, invest in your relationships. You know there's someone out there that is could be your bridge and your life raft in a sense you never know and it could be the person right next to you. Humble yourself, take the ego out, be willing and be open to just work and just do what you can, whatever you have. And because you're gonna get an opportunity it might seem small but you're gonna have to execute and you gotta do it and that opportunity will lead to more. So make your next move the best move.