*Anderson .Paak has worked with two of music’s most meticulous producers, and he says Bruno Mars takes perfectionism to another level.
During an appearance on Dhar Mann’s “What Happens Next” podcast, .Paak described Mars and Dr. Dre as “neck and neck” in their attention to detail. But when comparing his own studio experiences, he gave Mars the edge.
For .Paak, the difference is how deeply Mars gets involved in every part of a record.
“It’s not just about a take. It could be about the baseline not being right,” .Paak said. “Bruno plays everything and he’s one of the best producers; so he’s got his hands in the whole song.”
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That scrutiny extends well beyond vocals or a single performance.
“It’s about the math of the entire record that it gets him going,” .Paak explained. “It can’t be just a good hook. It needs to be a good pre[-hook]. It needs to be a good verse. And it needs to be now we need a good intro.”
He said Mars can then turn his attention to the bridge, drums and final mix, questioning details as small as, “Why is it so loud? Why is it so quiet?”
That experience differs from what .Paak has encountered with Dre.
“I think Bruno because a lot of people say like Dre, man, it’s tough,” he said. “He’ll make you do things over and over again, but I don’t really have that thing with Dre.”
.Paak said Dre still cares deeply about quality, but by the time they began working together, he was given more room to create.
“He’ll make you do things over and over again, but I don’t really have that thing with Dre. … I think maybe Snoop [Dogg] and all those guys went through that.”
The comparison ultimately comes down to what .Paak has experienced firsthand. Dre may carry the more intimidating studio reputation, but .Paak says Mars is the collaborator who has shown him what all-consuming attention to a record can look like.
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