Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Anderson .Paak & The Free Nationals, 'The Bird' (Live At SXSW 2016)

"I'm not concerned by what the latest do," Anderson .Paak sings towards the end of "The Bird." "I choose to follow what the greatest do." It's a line that isn't on the recorded song, but it pins down what makes .Paak so unique. Since his appearance on Dr. Dre's 2015 release, Compton, he's been an emergent force in popular music. He's a magpie across the timeline of greatness, picking the bits that suit his voice with little heed to current trends. He's made his name with a blend of classic soul, jazz, multi-instrumentalism and classic hip-hop so effortless, it can be easy to forget how singular it is. If you need the reminder, .Paak's laid-back recollections of his youth on "The Bird" will bring you up to speed.

Set List

  • "Green Light"
  • "The Waters"
  • "The Season/Carry Me"
  • "Put Me Thru"
  • "Am I Wrong"
  • "Come Down"
  • "Miss Right"
  • "Room In Here"
  • "The Bird"
  • "Suede"
  • Credits

    Producers: Saidah Blount, Mito Habe-Evans, Otis Hart; Technical Director: Josh Rogosin; Director: Mito Habe-Evans; Videographers: Nickolai Hammar, Katie Hayes Luke, Cameron Robert, A.J. Wilhelm, Lizzie Chen; Editor: Cameron Robert; Audio: Timothy Powell/Metro Mobile; Assistant Audio Engineer: Loretta Rae; Production Assistants: Erin Conlon, Nathan Gaar; Special Thanks: SXSW, Stubb's BBQ; Executive Producer: Anya Grundmann.

    Support for NPR Music comes from Blue Microphone.

    Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.