Anderson .Paak returning to Oxnard to celebrate new album named after his hometown

Anderson .Paak is coming home.

And why wouldn’t he? 

The Oxnard-born rapper is releasing his full-length album “Oxnard” on Friday, and what better place to throw an all-day party than in Oxnard?

On Saturday, .Paak’s nonprofit organization, .Paak house, will host a family-friendly carnival starting 2 p.m. at Community Center Park at the Oxnard Performing Arts and Convention Center. At 6 p.m., there will be a listening party that will feature .Paak performing a one-hour set in the auditorium of the center.

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Everything will be free, but participants should RSVP by visiting www.oxnardperformingarts.com/carnival and www.oxnardperformingarts.com/paak.

Mir Harris, event director at .Paak house, said .Paak wanted the event to be free so he could reach as many people as possible.

“He wanted to focus on the joy and hope in spite of everything going on in the landscape,” Harris said.

On Tuesday, .Paak tweeted: “Sending all the love and prayers to everyone in my county (right now.) Many thanks to the brave firefighters doing what they can to tame these fires.” 

Billed as “Andy’s Carnival,” the event will feature rides, games, free food and giveaways. There will be food trucks and Topper’s Pizza, .Paak’s favorite pizza growing up.

At 3:30 p.m., Mayor Tim Flynn will give .Paak a key to the city.

The listening party will be for those 18 and older and will start with cocktail hour. There will be a screening of a short documentary, a Q&A and a performance by .Paak. Organizers said there will be special guests.

Buzz in Oxnard began surfacing when .Paak released the single “Bubblin” in May with a video featuring him dancing on a billboard emblazoned with “Oxnard” in red letters. Speculation that .Paak would name his next album “Oxnard” began to swirl.

He did, and the album co-produced by Dr. Dre features a track called “Saviers Road.”

.Paak has never performed in Oxnard before. In 2016, he performed at the Majestic Ventura Theater.

The Oxnard Performing Arts and Convention Center has been working for a year in hopes of bringing the rapper, singer, drummer and producer to Oxnard. 

Carolyn Mullin, event coordinator for the center, said the city simply couldn’t afford to bring a big-name artist like .Paak to the city. But when she connected with his nonprofit, it was a perfect fit.

“Now the stars finally aligned with the album titled ‘Oxnard,’” Mullin said.

The nonprofit aims to bring music and education to underprivileged communities. Last year, a similar event was held at MacArthur Park in Los Angeles. The organization is footing the bill for Saturday’s event. The city of Oxnard is providing the venue, police and City Corps for cleanup.

About 2,000 people are expected to attend.

Mullin said the event will be a great rallying point for the city.

“It brings pride and joy that one of our own has made it,” she said. 

Free parking for the event will be at the parking structure on 328 South B St. in downtown Oxnard. Free shuttles will be available to the venue.

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