Anderson .Paak Malibu

Receiving a holy blessing from Dr. Dre can be a life-changing moment; just ask Snoop Dogg, Eminem or 50 Cent. Dre’s latest protégé is Anderson .Paak, who blessed six tracks on Dre’s long-awaited Compton album, lending vocals to “Animals” and five other cuts. With Malibu, .Paak ventures out solo with his sophomore album, but it’s the first time all eyes have been on him. And delivering a brand of hip-hop and electronically fused classic soul, .Paak has released arguably one of the first great albums of the new year.

There’s a certain vulnerability and honesty that comes through in his voice as he toes the line between singing and rapping. On songs like “The Season I Carry Me,” he deals with newfound success, lamenting, “I ran bases, pitched flames/I called plays, removed labels/And f*ck fame/That killed all of my favorite entertainers.” His falsetto vocals blend well with the album’s musically rich production, such as on the jazzy “Heart Don’t Stand a Chance.” The clever, sultry “Silicon Valley” will likely be the most talked about track on the record, as he begs “Open your heart …,” which is actually a thinly veiled request to open her shirt.