An Anderson .Paak and BTS collaboration? It’s not out of the question for the former.
During a recent interview with Esquire, .Paak spoke briefly spoke about his oldest son’s obsession with the K-pop group and how he has encouraged him to pursue a career in the genre.
“I tell him, ‘Yeah, K-pop is where it’s at, man,’” .Paak said about his 9-year-old son, Soul. “’Make sure you keep up with your Korean, because you could be rapping in Korean one day, and we’ll fly your ass out there, and you won’t got to worry about shit.’”
At one point in the interview, .Paak was also asked if he would ever consider hopping on a record with the wildly popular boy band. Although he offered a “mostly joking” response, .Paak indicated he was at least open to the idea.
“I’m working on trying to get that plug, man,” he said. “If you know of any way, let me know, bro.”
BTS is among the musical acts that will perform at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards this Sunday. .Paak will also hit the stage alongside his Silk Sonic partner Bruno Mars. The two began teasing their performance last week in a series of light-hearted tweets directed at the Recording Academy. Mars and .Paak had claimed they were trying to secure a spot in the ceremony’s musical lineup, but weren’t having any luck.
Thankfully for fans, the Recording Academy went on to confirm Silk Sonic would make their television debut at this Sunday’s awards show airing at 8 p.m. ET on CBS. .Paak and Mars are expected to perform Silk Sonic’s debut single “Leave the Door Open,” which also appears on the group’s upcoming album.
.Paak spoke about the collaborative project and how it deftly fuses a wide range of vibes and musical styles, which is right on par with .Paak’s approach to art and life.
“I’m so blessed that I never had to be nobody but me, and I can maneuver freely,” he said. “That’s the thing that keeps me the most happy is being able to go into different rooms, whether it’s with the gangsters or the rockers or the hipsters or the intellectuals. It’s like, everybody knows Anderson .Paak, I just wanted the respect in all those rooms.”
Silk Sonic’s debut album, An Evening with Silk Sonic, is expected to arrive later this year. Although there are still many questions surrounding the Motown-inspired record, .Paak confirmed it will include an appearance by Grammy Award winner H.E.R.
“Those sessions were amazing,” .Paak said about working with “Best Part” artist. “It’s rare you meet real musicians now that are artists that can really produce and handle everything, and she’s one of them. She’s a monster in the studio, and can play that damn guitar and sing her face off.”
Elsewhere in the interview, .Paak touches on his previous work with Dr. Dre and Kendrick Lamar, and how he has kept in contact with each of the artists throughout lockdowns.
“We talk just through texts and just off and on,” .Paak said about Kendrick, who contributed to 2018’s Oxnard. “I always check on him and the family and make sure he’s good. He’s always responsive, and just like, just let me know he’s hanging in there just like everybody else.”
You can read .Paaks full Esquire interview here.
