
Synopsis: Narrates the story of an aging musician who obtains the opportunity to leverage his son who he had not seen for a long time and become famous again, but finds out that becoming a father comes with many more responsibilities than just earning fame.
If time could be ever turned back, it wouldn’t take me long to recollect all the events that transpired in the year 2014 because it’s that memorable. It was at a point when PRiM was still one of my close friends and also under a contract with Yahu who was, at the time, still an upcoming Podcast creator. When our favorite, Anderson. Paak’s Venice came out, it was obvious the vocalist was going places. It was also charming to discover that Anderson was featured with Dr. Dre in the ‘Compton’ album; this instantly validated our admiration of him. But once more, I had no idea that very soon we would be surrounded by countless Anderson songs, promotions, and features, dulling the excitement. In 2016, Malib picked my views on him in a wholly unexpected way, as he went from “I know him” to “he’s my favorite musician” overnight. I guess what really blew my mind was the variety in his work because every new feature was completely different it was as if the previous one never happened, yet with perfect timing. Paak knew what the audience expected.
Fast forward 10 years, and it’s a completely different picture A debut film from Paak, K-Pops! debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival today. How extraordinary it is in ten years to rewind and see what really brought us here. For that alone, and for many more, K-Pops! is simply a great movie.
It doesn’t matter whether you are familiar with it. Paak or not for it is quite clear the moment he enters the stage. There are always odds such as this one to know what others bring. Paak is as cool and calm as a child running out of space only to burst into effortless raspy vocals while drumming. He is exhibiting what can only be described as boldly assertive brashness which only people in the music business will easily relate to. In this music video, Paak takes on the role of BJ, a drummer who has been performing at a small established bar in so-called Los Angeles for a substantial amount of time where it appears, without saying too much, his humor has become so integrated that people tolerate his shenanigans. For someone like BJ, it is a matter of time, for he just needs that one push.
Shifting gears, he meets Yeji (played by Jee Young Hon) with whom he begins a romantic relationship that is entertainingly sketched in a montage with news. Paak songs! It is one of the first in the many novel touches that Paak has placed all through the film, skipping any opportunity to play it safe and opting for the risky option instead. This film has helped. Paak cements his position as a true multi-hyphenate. So even if every chance taken does not necessarily pan out, it is thrilling to watch an artist take chances and figure out exactly what their film voice will be in the process.
The montage also shows BJ’s stagnant music career and the separation from Yeji. The next time we come across BJ, it is where we left him 12 years later. This time around he is still within the confines of a bar. The only contrast is that the bar is a little run down and much less crowded. He even goes as far as to being abusive which scares away the few patrons brave enough to stay. He is then confronted by his close friend and manager Cash (who is also a battle rapper and Jon “Dumbfoundead” Park, Anderson . Paak’s best friend) and his mother Yvette Nicole Brown, who let him go. However, they also offered him a golden opportunity that any artist would kill for. The idea? Be a backing drummer and do it on one of South Korea’s biggest sound showdowns Wildcard, the show! Instead, he aspires to work with Kang (the real Kevin Woo, also a K-pop idol) hoping to impress the talented K-pop star in the hopes of working together in the future. Next, BJ arrives in South Korea and the audience is treated to yet another transition in the narrative that ties in so beautifully with a song from BP’s discography. It is quite evident throughout the film that this was the overall crux that birthed the idea of the film.
BJ arrives with his usual terrific antics and manages to make it to Wildcard and it is here that he encounters Tae Young Soul Rasheed. Paak’s son. It is no surprise judging from sheer physical appearance as the film takes advantage of such a premise and pulls quite a few good comedic moments from it; Tae Young is in fact BJ’s son whom he never knew. While the film might try and skip straight to the crash course exposition on how K-pop works, this is certainly more to do with the story of the father and son adjusting together after a long while. This is largely what their intention to do was when making this film as well. At the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Paak had no choice but to pause his endless tours and Stay at home like everyone else – this meant that he was now able to do an obviously 100 million times more with Soul. I even vividly remember the gazillion Instagram posts of the two where they fought, made skits, and danced around together. It was nice to watch and it’s quite reassuring to discover that it was the exploration of what you could do with your child that gave birth to K-Pops!
Although the movie might be a bit faster than it should be at certain points, the rawness of how everything was created, as well as the genuine connection between the two on-screen, goes way past that of just another comedy of a fish out of water or family getting together.
Probably the most identifiable aspect of this movie, the one that is omnipresent in the lives of the lead actors and characters, is music. There is a certain elegance in how K-Pops! describes music as a medium for self-discovery and exploration of one’s origins. There is a sense of awe woven into all facets of the film. It may be recalled that. Paak’s fascination with K-pop arose from his son’s obsession with this music genre. When BJ attempts to explain to Tae Young the history of hip-hop culture, he simply states: “music is the world’s greatest language.” Well said, and indeed this is what the movie seeks to achieve. If one studies the timeline of the development of culture, especially the development of hip-hop culture, he or she can observe the fusion of many different genres through various decades. It is a genre defined by its roots and the capacity of how those roots can be adapted to create something fresh. With evocation and nostalgia, BJ is raising his son through cultural awareness of popular music everywhere, and the viewer is reminded of the closeness between the two. And again. Paak and Rasheed are onscreen, but once again they are not acting.
It’s enjoyable meta-textually but, within the developments of the film itself, this is a nice treat that works.
From playing my all-time favorite song with Method Man and Redman (“Da Rockwilder” for the curious) to a Beatnuts montage to an Earth, Wind & Fire scene, K-Pops! is a boom-drenched emanation of. Paak’s sensibility. Even a tag-team montage of father and son bonding over ‘Stuntin’ Like My Daddy!’ is present! One borrows me the impression that this will be an enjoyable film only for the followers. Paak and his music. But the viewpoint seems rather misplaced. There are many renowned directors who make their best works and satiate their biggest passions through their films, and it works perfectly. When one admires all the musical acts performed in K-Pops! and witnesses the heartwarming reunion of the Canadian father and son (both on-screen and off), it is hard to believe that. Paak’s first film is going to be anything less than a great journey filled with smiles, melodious sounds, and limitless dancing.
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