Anderson .Paak Directs Family Comedy 'K-Pops!' Starring His Son

The nine-time Grammy winner debuts his first feature film that blends Black culture and K-pop.

Published on Feb. 25, 2026

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Anderson .Paak has directed his first feature film, a family comedy called 'K-Pops!' that co-stars his real-life son, Soul Rasheed. The film follows a struggling L.A. musician who travels to Seoul and unexpectedly discovers he has a tween-aged son competing on a K-pop talent show. .Paak was inspired to make the film after realizing his son was into K-pop during the pandemic, and he wanted to tell a story about Black families and joy.

Why it matters

Representation was a key priority for .Paak in making 'K-Pops!', as he wanted to showcase Black families and happiness on screen. The film also marks .Paak's directorial debut, showcasing his creative ambitions beyond music.

The details

In 'K-Pops!', .Paak plays BJ, a struggling L.A. musician who travels to Seoul and discovers he has a tween-aged son, Soul (played by .Paak's real-life son Soul Rasheed), competing on a K-pop talent show. The film blends Black culture and K-pop, with .Paak promising a soundtrack album featuring 'a lot of cool K-pop collabs'. Making the leap to directing was a challenging experience for .Paak, who said 'it was the hardest thing' he's done, but he would 'do it again in a heartbeat'.

  • The film 'K-Pops!' premiered on February 27, 2026.

The players

Anderson .Paak

A nine-time Grammy winner who makes his feature film directorial debut with 'K-Pops!', in which he also stars alongside his son.

Soul Rasheed

.Paak's real-life son, who makes his acting debut in 'K-Pops!' playing the role of a tween competing on a K-pop talent show.

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What they’re saying

“I felt really inspired to tell the story — like, what if I didn't know I had a son that could be next?”

— Anderson .Paak, Director and Actor (Variety)

“It was creative bliss, but it was also the hardest thing — I got my ass kicked. So much work. I said it'd be the first and last one, but I would do it again in a heartbeat.”

— Anderson .Paak, Director and Actor (Variety)

“I could have pulled from a lot of things in my life, but it was important to do a family comedy where I'm sharing the screen with my son — for people to see Black families, for people to see joy and happiness.”

— Anderson .Paak, Director and Actor (Variety)

“He is actually my dad, so it felt pretty natural.”

— Soul Rasheed, Actor (Variety)

What’s next

A soundtrack album for 'K-Pops!' featuring 'a lot of cool K-pop collabs' is on the way, and .Paak confirmed he'll be joining Bruno Mars on tour as part of Silk Sonic.

The takeaway

Anderson .Paak's directorial debut 'K-Pops!' showcases his creative ambitions beyond music, as he blends Black culture and K-pop in a family comedy that prioritizes representation and joy on screen.