Anderson .Paak, the iconic drummer, vocalist, songwriter and everything in between, is renowned for his collaborations. Whether it be working with fellow superstars Bruno Mars, A$AP Rocky, or most recently Knxwledge on their seminal new record Why Lawd? under their NxWorries alias, the polymath is continuously pushing boundaries in his own career, whilst aiding in the wider music landscape with his work championing other artists. This year will also see the legend head out on tour across the States this autumn.

In his latest venture, the Grammy Award-winner has joined forces with Jameson, the legacy Irish whiskey brand, for Distilled Sounds. The all new music programme has connectivity at its core, with aims of bringing together musicians from all over the globe. The brand will be connecting artists from countries like India, South Africa, the UK and the US to share a glass of whiskey and the stage with Anderson, as well was writing and recording in unison to bring their different styles together in a melting pot of creativity.

To find out more about the collaboration and his current endeavours, we connected with Anderson, talking Why Lawd!, his relationship with Jameson, and why supporting upcoming artists is so important to him personally.

Watch the campaign video…

Read the exclusive interview…

Hey Anderson! How are you? How’s your year been?
Great! I can’t complain – I feel filled with joy.

Congratulations on the release of Why Lawd! How are you feeling now the body of work is out in the world?
It feels great! It’s been years in the making, and I’m very proud of what we’ve created. I feel like it’s one of my most vulnerable albums, and I felt like we did something different than the first one. It feels like a bit of an evolution.

The record was eight years in the making, why did now feel like the right time to return to release as NxWorries?
No time better than now!

What is it about Knxwledge that draws you to working with them?
His production is infectious, hypnotizing, and he has a great sense of keeping a standard of excellence. He’s very consistent, and his work ethic is second to none when it comes to output. He’s really fun to be around because I feel like he keeps me balanced, and he’s really good with details.

What inspired the record, sonically and thematically?
Life!

What drew you to partnering with Jameson’s Distilled Sounds project?
They are a quality product and their initiative to bring together great artists to do collaborations within music drew me to this partnership.

To you, what do Jameson represent as a brand in terms of cultural impact and ethos?
I think Jameson is a product that is synonymous with community and people coming together to have fun at local bars. Growing up in places like K-Town–it was a lot of times the drink of choice–and it makes me think of hanging out with friends in my hometown. My sound crew loves drinking Jameson so it makes me think of people behind the scenes as well.

In a nutshell, what is your role in the partnership?
Together with Jameson, I’m becoming a ‘Music Distiller’, choosing a range of global rising artists who I will be supporting at Jameson Distilled Sounds this August. I’m really excited to hear and see all the really talented artists and bring them together to create something magical that the world will soon be able to hear

How important is it for you to support upcoming artists on their journey, and why so?
It’s very important! I feel like when you have a platform, it’s important for artists to use it wisely. And, in this industry, you get what you give. When I was coming up, I would be nothing without people helping me get to the next level. Especially in LA, it’s all about your reputation and network and keeping it strong. You never know what’s going to happen in this industry and who you’ll meet. I like helping artists who may need a bridge to the other side because it was given to me when I was coming up.

What other ventures in and out of the studio are you working on at the moment?
I just wrapped a movie! We’re finishing it up and premiering it at Toronto International Film Fest. It stars me and my son, and I’ve been working on it for a little over two years, so I’m really proud of that. I’m gearing up for a tour – my Malibu tour – which will be going from September through October. Coming to an amphitheater near you with the Free Nationals!

To you, what does success look like?
It looks like a rag top ‘64 SS Impala on D’s. Shout out to Primo!

Find out more about the campaign here.