On The Beat
Vanity Fair|March 2019

“I love not having rules,” says the multi-talented Anderson.Paak about his latest genre-defying album, Oxnard, his third, and his first for Dr. Dre’s Aftermath label. The singer, songwriter, rapper, and drummer is on a headlining arena tour this spring that includes an appearance at Coachella. Here, .Paak, 33, talks about his chaotic upbringing, marijuana, and church.

Lisa Robinson
On The Beat

L. R.: How did you become such an accomplished drummer playing in church?

A. P.: Church was the best schooling I could have had. You can’t learn it the same way going to college or paying for it. It’s a spiritual process— the strong faith, the culture; just feeling the groove, feeling the choir out, knowing when to switch it up. It’s reflexes, instincts.

You went from playing music in church to working at a weed farm, which seems like a weird segue.

It’s natural. God blesses us with the herb—I was doing God’s work. But now I have to take breaks from [weed] because I get the munchies and gain weight. I once had a bad experience with edibles on a plane; I had a legit anxiety attack. My heart was racing, I thought I was going to die. Everyone was looking at me like I was on crack.

This story is from the March 2019 edition of Vanity Fair.

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This story is from the March 2019 edition of Vanity Fair.

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