Between Residences in Las Vegas, Super Bowl Halftime Concerts and countless collaborations, Anderson .Paak has directed music videos for Leon Bridges, HER, and Hailee Steinfeld.
Now 38, the California-born, multi-talented musician is making his feature directorial debut with “K-Pops,” in which he plays BJ, “the greatest undiscovered lead drummer since Phil Collins.” When BJ joins the house band of an idol competition series in Seoul, he discovers that his long-lost son is one of its contestants.
The eight-time Grammy winner, who is of Black and Korean descent, co-wrote and produced the lighthearted family comedy, which also stars Yvette Nicole Brown, Jonathan “Dumbfoundead” Park, Jee Young Han, Kevin Woo, Cathy Shim and .Paak’s real-life son, Soul Rasheed.
Ahead of the title's world premiere on Saturday at the Toronto International Film Festival, the first-time filmmaker told The Times about properly representing K-pop onscreen, collecting cameos from big names and sharing scenes with his son.
Where did the idea of “K-Pops” come from?
Since 2016, I've been away a lot because I was constantly on tour. You go away with your child in diapers, you come back and they're already so big. It's amazing how fast they grow. So when the pandemic hit, I was able to hang out with my kids at home; my son and I did a bunch of funny little skits for YouTube. I saw how naturally funny and talented he was, and it was really fun to do something together.
I am Korean too, but I didn’t know much about my Korean culture until I met the mother of my two children, who is completely Korean. A lot of times, I would come home and everyone would be speaking Korean, eating kimchi, and listening to K-pop. Sometimes I felt like I was the exception. When everyone would talk about BTS, I would think, “Okay, but what do you know about BET?”
Some people I met with were quite apprehensive about my decision to direct and write this film, but that was what I wanted to do. This was all because I wanted to spend more time with my son and I wanted to be with him every step of the way.
At first, your character doesn't seem very likeable. Who is he based on?
Part of that character is that I grew up thinking I knew everything, that my talent could take me everywhere, and that there was nothing better than playing to a packed bar on Saturdays and Sundays and getting drink tickets. It wasn't until I started a family that I started wanting more things for myself.
So I wanted to exploit that with this character, him being so oblivious and selfish and in his own world, with my real band, the Free Nationals, playing themselves and trying to keep me grounded. [BJ] I needed to be able to develop a story arc and have some growth, otherwise people wouldn't be interested in seeing the movie.
Some scenes feature introductions to K-pop, such as when characters describe the most important groups in history or the elements of a successful group. Did you feel pressure to represent the genre appropriately?
Yeah. And I realized how political it is, more political than gangsta rap music: you can’t get certain people to work together! I’m a huge music history buff and my co-writer Khaila Amazan is a K-pop fan, and we wanted to look at some of the history and influences and explore why these groups are so big.
Every musical phenomenon comes full circle; what BTS did was very similar to what The Beatles and The Jackson 5 did. The choreography, the fashion, each member with their own distinct personality: these are the pillars of a great group, from New Edition to New Kids on the Block.
Anderson .Paak and Soul Rasheed in “K-Pops.”
(Israel Ramos)
I appreciate that scene in the record store where BJ traces the roots of K-pop, and all music, to black culture, especially considering the Conversation about K-pop and cultural appropriation.
We had to develop that scene quite a bit and we even had to re-shoot it. What I wanted to convey is that if you love this genre or any other, and especially if you're trying to create something original, you have to go back and learn where it comes from. You'll see the similarities, the derivations, the unique versions that people around the world make of different types of music.
I'm not trying to be disrespectful or anything, but just to show that all of these things are connected and that people can do something new and create a phenomenon because there are people who have done it before, they know how it works, it's tried and true. And what makes it so exciting is when people put their own spin on it. It's not about putting anyone down or saying that someone is taking something away from someone; it's just about exploring history and showing respect. And I wanted to do that in this film in a fun way.
Let's talk about those cameos in the music industry! How did you choose who would make an appearance? Did you text everyone from your phone?
Basically! I used up every favor I had left and you'll probably see me appear on a lot of different songs later on, because I owe a lot to a lot of people after this. It was all script-based, but I was still shooting for the stars with my wish list: If we're going to have a “come to Jesus” dream sequence, can we get Kirk Franklin?
I couldn’t believe how humble and open everyone was to being involved, especially since it was my first time making a movie. And I’m so proud of the variety of people in this movie – why are Jay Park, Diplo, Saweetie and Earth, Wind & Fire all in the same movie? It reminds me of “The Blues Brothers,” with all those cool cameos that are fun surprises but make sense for the story.
Your first leading role was alongside your son, who is now 13, in his first feature film. What was his role as a co-star like?
He's very versatile, agile and naturally charming; he doesn't overthink things and just goes with his instincts. Part of the reason I wanted him to play this role was because I wanted the audience to feel what I felt when I did those YouTube skits with him. But I also wanted him because he's a real kid, not someone who's been trained for years and all that. Movies like Little by Little and School of Rock, those kids are so talented, but they're also just kids and you believe it.
I was a little nervous that he wouldn't want to do it because he has to wake up for these crazy schedules, take choreography classes, and really learn on the fly. Plus, movies take a long time to make. He got older, and we had to adjust the script on certain things so that it made sense for him as well and it could be something that he could be proud of as well. I didn't want him to watch it, say it was embarrassing, never want to do it again, and really regret it.
But when the cameras came on, he was ready to go, and even though there was a lot of pressure, he never gave up. At times he acted like he was outclassing me; thank God I was able to be in the editing room so I didn't look like a complete botcher. It was my proudest moment to work with him; I've worked with so many people, but he's by far my best collaborator.
Anderson .Paak and the cast of “K-Pops” on set.
(Jake Giles Netter)
You have directed many music videos and now a family-focused feature film. What films do you hope to direct in the future?
More animated stuff, some sci-fi, a biopic about a musician or someone who changed the music scene. I just want to make movies that tell great stories, leave the audience with a special feeling, and hopefully teach some lessons. I'd love to learn more and try to develop my own style, and the only way to do that is to make more.
Last question: Is that running gag where your character is mistaken for Childish Gambino and André 3000 based on real-life experiences?
Yeah, it's very funny. They swear I'm someone else! I've had to deal with that a lot, where people know the music but they don't know the face. That kind of self-deprecating comedy and it's okay to make fun of yourself, that's my thing. But maybe they'll recognize who I am because after this comes out, I'm going to be a big movie star.
