“Cheers” by Anderson .Paak (featuring Q-Tip)
“Cheers” is a collaboration between two American rappers, namely Anderson .Paak and Q-Tip. On this track, both Anderson and Q-Tip pay heartfelt tributes to a number of their deceased friends and collaborators.
On his verse, Anderson expresses deep pain over the tragic death of fellow rapper Mac Miller. He regrets not being able to help Miller defeat his demons (drug addiction). Those demons eventually killed Miller. Anderson misses him so much that he wishes he could have been blessed with more time to spend in his company. He expresses his sadness throughout the track.
“Wishin’ I still had Mac wit’ me”
It’s noteworthy to mention that Anderson and Miller were close friends. The pair even worked on a song together in 2016 titled “Dang!”
Anderson .Paak (right) and Mac Miller (left). .Paak posted this picture on Instagram shortly after Miller passed away. He captioned it with the phrase “I miss you bro”
Sadly, Miller died on September 7, 2018 at the age of 26 from a drug overdose.
Q-Tip, who handles the third verse, drops a number of lines that also pay tribute to his fallen friends. It is widely believed that one of the decease people Q-Tip honor in the song is rapper Phife Dawg. Phife was a member of Q-Tip’s hip hop group A Tribe Called Quest. He died on March 22, 2016 at the age of 46.
“So sick of sendin’ flowers to all my of brother’s mommas”
In summation, we can say “Cheers” is a touching homage to the fallen buddies of Anderson and Q-Tip.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tFOwfV6FPUU
Facts about “Cheers”
- This mournful song was penned Q-Tip and Anderson. Three others receive songwriting credit on “Cheers”. They are: Andre Brissett, Sly Jordan and Jonathan Davis.
- A total of four music producers were responsible for the song’s production. They are: Dr. Dre, Andre Brissett, Focus… and Q-Tip.
- “Cheers” came out on the 16th of November 2018. It is twelfth track on Anderson’s third studio album entitled Oxnard.
- Singer Cocoa Sarai and producer/songwriter Sly Jordan (who co-wrote the track) contributed vocals to this track. Sarai is the same singer who features along with Dr. Dre on Anderson’s track titled “Mansa Musa“.
Was “Cheers” released as a single?
No. The album (Oxnard) it finds itself on produced only two singles – “Tints” and “Who R U”.
