Anderson.Paak has announced that there’s a new signee on Apeshit Records by the name of Rae Khalil.
Variety has confirmed that the Grammy-winning singer-songwriter signed to the label, which is under Def Jam Records, on Friday (February 16).
“Once Tunji [Balogun, CEO of Def Jam Recordings] signed [Rae], he asked me to do my ‘Quincy Jones’ thing and it’s been such an amazing experience being part of her journey and helping with her incredible project,” Paak said in a statement to the outlet. “Rae is not only one of my favorite artist/collaborators but one of my favorite human beings. I’ve seen her go from a contestant on a Netflix show to us winning Grammys together.”
He followed up that announcement with a post on Instagram about it, writing: “TOP OF THE MORNING! I’m really proud of this young lady and honored to be a part of her journey. @raekhalil is the newest member of the @apeshitinc family and her first single “IS IT WORTH IT” is OUT NOW!!! Go peep the live performance vid directed by yours truly!”
He continued: “Big shout to the amazing @gawdherself on back grounds and choreo @alissia the producer and smooth bass player and @josemrios of the world famous @freenationals on Guitar.”
A native of Southern California, Rae Khalil first rose to prominence with the release of her 2018 album GIRLFRIEND. She also appeared on Netflix’s Rhythm + Flow, where she eventually lost to Bigmouf’Bo.
When he’s not signing artists to his imprint, Anderson.Paak is also working on new music of his own.
Back in September, .Paak shared a clip of his “Old Town Road” rendition from three years ago at BBC Radio 1 Live Lounge. Unrelated to the video (at least on the surface), the caption read: “It’s almost time @knxwledge.”
Anderson .Paak & Knxwledge Return With ‘GTA’-Inspired ‘Daydreaming’ Video: Watch
Anderson .Paak revealed in 2020 that he and Knxwledge were working on a new album. “We’re working on a new one,” he told Apple Music’s Zane Lowe. “I was just over there the other day. You know what I’m saying? We’ve been getting it in. We’ve got a bunch of stuff that we’re really happy about.”
Then in January 2022, .Paak confirmed on Instagram that the pair were in “album mode,” with the likes of Black Thought, Insecure actor Amanda Seales, and singer Lalah Hathaway showing their excitement in the comments.
Though it’s been a while since NxWorries released their debut LP, Yes Lawd!, the superduo did drop “Where I Go” with H.E.R. last year after being inactive since 2020. The pair then embarked on a global tour from May to July, playing shows in North America, Europe and Asia.
