Intense Records

Malibu (10th Anniversary 2LP Zoetrope)

Pre-order

£26.06 (£31.27 incl. VAT)

Ten years ago, Anderson .Paak didn't just release an album; he staged a full-scale takeover of the soul and hip-hop landscape. Released on January 15, 2016, Malibu served as the definitive arrival of an artist who had spent years grinding in the underground before a star-making turn on Dr. Dres Compton. While his previous work hinted at his potential, Malibu was the moment the world met the "Cheeky Andy" persona in fulla virtuosic drummer, a raspy-voiced crooner, and a sharp-witted rapper all rolled into one. The album is a sprawling, sun-drenched journey through the Southern California coast, blending 1970s funk, church-reared gospel, and gritty boom-bap into something that feels both nostalgic and entirely futuristic. With a heavyweight production lineup including 9th Wonder, Madlib, Kaytranada, and Hi-Tek, the record maintains a warm, analog texture that was a breath of fresh air in an increasingly digital era. Its an album that breathes, full of intentional imperfections and the kind of "in-the-pocket" groove that can only come from a seasoned live performer. Beyond the infectious, dance-floor-ready energy of tracks like "Am I Wrong" and "Come Down," the album is a deeply autobiographical masterwork. .Paak uses the 65-minute runtime to unpack his life story with startling clarity, touching on his mothers gambling addiction, his fathers incarceration, and his own brushes with homelessness with a sense of resilience that never feels heavy-handed. He weaves these heavy themes through a lens of triumph, grounded by vintage surfing documentary samples that give the project its cinematic, coastal atmosphere. Its a celebratory record born out of struggle, anchored by his impeccable technicality on the drums and a guest listfeaturing ScHoolboy Q, Rapsody, and The Gamethat feels hand-picked to complement his specific brand of West Coast swagger. A decade later, Malibu stands as a modern classic and the blueprint for the soulful revivalism that would eventually lead .Paak to global superstardom and Grammy-winning heights. It remains a testament to the idea that the most profound music often comes from the most personal places, proving ten years on that the best way to move forward is to stay rooted in the groove.

Tracklist:
A1/1. The Bird
A2/2. Heart Don't Stand A Chance
A3/3. The Waters (feat. BJ the Chicago Kid)
A4/4. The Season / Carry Me
B1/5. Put Me Thru
B2/6. Am I Wrong (feat. ScHoolboy Q)
B3/7. Without You (feat. Rapsody)
B4/8. Parking Lot
C1/9. Lite Weight (feat. The Free Nationals United Fellowship Choir)
C2/10. Room In Here (feat. The Game & Sonyae Elise)
C3/11. Water Fall (Interlude)
C4/12. Your Prime
D1/13. Come Down
D2/14. Silicon Valley
D3/15. Celebrate
D4/16. The Dreamer (feat. Talib Kweli & Timan Family Choir)