Vans, the original action sports brand and advocate for creative expression, is proud to announce three-time Grammy award-winning artist, musician and producer Anderson .Paak as the brand’s first Global Music Ambassador. Vans and AP share a mutual passion to promote creative expression through their active support of art and music. AP is longtime fan of the brand and always aspires to uplift the community around him, making him a natural addition to the Vans family. Having once worked at a Vans retail store in Topanga Canyon, California, AP has since gone on to perform live on the House of Vans stage and is featured as part of Vans’ global music content series, Sidestripe Sessions. This year, AP will serve as one of the global judges for the brand’s Vans Musicians Wanted competition, which aims to provide a platform for aspiring artists all around the world.
“I’m honored to be the newest member of the Vans Family and look forward to making history with one of the most respected global brands,” said Anderson .Paak. “I’m thankful for Vans’ partnership with .Paak House and can’t wait to broaden our reach to help even more people tap into their greatest potential.”
“We are inspired by AP’s multifaceted creative talent and are excited to continue to partner with him throughout the next year for curated music and art initiatives, product design and enabling creativity within the local community and around the world,” said Tierney Stout, global music marketing lead at Vans. “Anderson epitomizes creative expression and we are thrilled to officially welcome him into the Vans Family.”
The forthcoming partnership is celebrated with an exclusive footwear and accessories collection inspired by AP’s Southern California roots and his critically acclaimed breakthrough albums Venice and Malibu. The two-piece footwear assortment headlines with the ubiquitous Old Skool DX silhouette inspired by AP’s debut album, Venice which features a wavy, psychedelic upper that mixes digital print and 3D printing for added depth and texture and is finished with bold yellow eyelets and a translucent blue vinyl Sidestripe. The Sid DX pays homage to AP’s 2016 album, Malibu and showcases embroidered chenille pattern uppers complimented by tonal black laces and stitching and features a Flying-V logo embroidered at each side. Each footwear model is finished with a custom tongue label message from AP along with translucent green waffle soles, custom packaging and dust bag matching back to the collection. The Vans x Anderson .Paak collection includes a matching AP Bucket Hat that showcases each of the custom prints, silicon patches and signature quotes affixed to the brim of each hat. The Vans x Anderson .Paak collection will be available worldwide on November 13 and will retail for $40 – $110 USD.
Aligning with the launch, AP has released his latest single, “JEWELZ” today via APE SHIT exclusively distributed by 12Tone, LLC with an animated music video featuring caricatures of AP and his son, Soul “Khlex” Rasheed in a satirical take on their real life relationship. Decked out in exclusive Vans x Anderson .Paak footwear, the father-son duo battle it out in the feel good dance video directed by Anderson .Paak and Ali Graham.
Join Vans as we officially welcome Anderson .Paak to the Vans Family. The Vans x Anderson .Paak collection will be available worldwide beginning November 13 at Vans retail locations, online at Vans.com and select retail partners where Vans are sold, including Foot Locker, instore and online at Footlocker.com. For more information, please visit Vans.com/andersonpaak.
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About Anderson .Paak:
Born Brandon Paak Anderson in Oxnard, California, the three-time Grammy Award winning singer, songwriter, and producer played drums as a teen in his church band and later famously worked at a marijuana farm, all while honing his musical chops pursuing his dreams. His extraordinary talent was evident in his first incarnation as Breezy Lovejoy and it was fully realized in his transformation into Anderson .Paak, with his debut album Venice and a stellar six-song run on Dr. Dre’s certified Gold COMPTON album, that stoked anticipation for what would be the perfect storm of his sophomore release.
With insurmountable features and first-class production, 2016’s Malibu, was a sonic wonder met with universal rave reviews. This was the year .Paak received Grammy nods for Best New Artist and Best Urban Contemporary album, in addition to recognition and wins from The Soul Train Music Awards, NME Awards, and more.
The next year, he established the nonprofit organization, .Paak House, committed to creating safe havens for the next generation and cultivating alliances with like-minded nonprofits for a greater united impact.
.Paak has also acquired an impressive list of collaborations including acts such as Mac Miller, J. Cole, Snoop Dogg, Chance the Rapper, and made his SNL debut with Kendrick Lamar in 2018. 2018 saw the release of his monster single in “Bubblin” which won him his first GRAMMY for Best Rap Performance in 2019. 2 more Grammy Awards followed in 2020 with Best R&B Album for Ventura and Best R&B Performance for his song “Come Home (featuring Andre 3000)”.
About Vans
Vans®, a VF Corporation (NYSE: VFC) brand, is the original action sports footwear, apparel and accessories brand. Vans® authentic collections are sold in 97 countries through a network of subsidiaries, distributors and international offices. Vans® has over 2,000 retail locations globally including owned, concession and partnership doors. The Vans® brand promotes creative self-expression in youth culture across action sports, art, music and street culture and delivers progressive platforms such as the Vans Park Series, Vans Triple Crown of Surfing®, Vans Pool Party, Vans Custom Culture, and Vans’ cultural hub and international music venue, House of Vans.
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