AUSTIN — California singer and rapper Anderson Paak came close to dominating the South by Southwest music conversation on Wednesday, even though the day's offerings included Michelle Obama, Iggy Pop and Robert Plant.
How did the 30-year-old up-and-comer generate as much heat as those bold names? Well, there were two widely praised performances in Austin yesterday. First Paak appeared at MTVU's annual Woodie Awards, which often curates nominees and performers with greater thought than the Grammys. Then he capped off the night with an official showcase in the expansive Stubb's outdoor venue — a touchstone of the festival.
I saw Paak with a full house at Stubb's, and nothing could have prepared me for the display of dynamism offered up by the artist and his live band — not even his current record, Malubu, which has been a constant for me since its January release.
Worthy of works by both Erykah Badu and Kendrick Lamar in both delivery and concept, Paak's album seamlessly blends hip-hop, funk, soul and jazz. The album's opener, "The Bird" unfurls like a classic and earthy Nina Simone performance, with Paak's beautiful rasp never reaching too far.
The dude lives in the pocket, whether he's rapping, singing or doing a hybrid of the two. But when he hits the stage, he turns it up significantly. Paak was incredible at Stubb's, dancing and singing with killer precision when he wasn't manning the drums.
He brought biographical soul in "The Season/Carry Me," got markedly funkier for "Miss Right," and commanded the crowd to bounce during his last tune, "NxWorries."
It might be early to identify SXSW 2016's most relevant sound, but my nominee would be a kind of hip-hop and R&B stew pulled together by a raspy, lived-in voice. Paak's the perfect model for that sound, as is Dallas' Badu.
The latter played just down the street on Wednesday, closing out the House of Vans party at the Mohawk. But those who didn't turn up hours early probably didn't get the chance to lay eyes on the neo-soul queen. The line for the Mohawk stretched more than a block just minutes before she was set to perform. That speaks to Badu's legacy as an artist, but it also has a lot to do with that fresh-yet-classic But U Cain't Use My Phone mix tape she put out recently.
The Vans gig appeared to be Badu's only SXSW event, but Paak is another story. He has at least two more showcases lined up for the weekend. Don't be surprised if you see those annoying headlines in a few days about him "winning" the festival.
