Anderson .Paak and his son are both worthy music contestants.

I’ve been a big fan of rapper Anderson .Paak ever since he sang hits like “Bubblin,” “Cut Em In,” “Come Down,” and “Fire in the Sky,” and made his voice acting debut in “Trolls: World Tour.” He has the right kind of vibe in his voice to allow us to feel the rhythm of his music, almost like if comedian Eddie Griffin became a rapper. And now, I have another reason: his directorial debut of “K-Pops.”

Now, try not to get confused with the Netflix animated hit “KPop Demon Hunters,” because “K-Pops” is a completely different film. .Paak is both African-American and Korean, and he embraces both heritages in this movie with funny, poetic, and honest vibes. And he also does a nice job representing a Korean version of “American Idol,” which would not be without the cynical judge. And no, Simon Callow isn’t in this movie.

.Paak plays BJ, an ambitious fish-out-of-water LA musician, who is a drummer in a band performing at a local night club with very few fans, and therefore, he’s struggling to find his big break. 12 years later, when the very few fans are decreasing, his mom (Yvette Nicole Brown) and boss (Jonnie “Dumbfoundead” Park) decide to have him fly to South Korea to join a K-Pop version of “American Idol” called “Wildcard” ad their new drummer. It would make sense, considering of his heritage, which he should embrace.

When he arrives in South Korea, it would be inevitable that his dreadlock hairstyle would have a hotel employee confuse him with Busta Rhymes or Waka Flacka Flame, which is why he would shave it off. It would also be inevitable that his first few days of rehearsals can be hectic with how he struggles to impress the lead singer Kang (Kevin Woo) and the domineering host Diamond (Cathy Shim). Like they say: “There’s only room for one star and it’s not you (BJ).” And it would also be inevitable that his only new friend in South Korea is the youngster and alumni Tae Young (.Paak’s real life son Soul Rasheed), who is his son.

To clarify, back in his early days, BJ feel in love with a would-be Kpop singer named Yeji (Jee Young Han), and she left him because he was too busy focusing on his dream. And why would she tell him she carried his baby? You know how it is.

Yeji told Tae that his father was British and Idris Elba. The “Daddy’s Little Girl” DVD tipped us off. When the kid finds out the truth about 50 minutes into the movie, he does get upset that his mother lied to him. But on the other hand, .Paak’s reaction is hilarious. You just have to see his snappy comebacks to know how charming it is.

And when it comes to both BJ and Tae’s potential in music, he must teach his boy about how James Brown, Aretha Franklin, and Stevie Wonder are “the Avengers of Music,” and the Jackson 5 are “one of the greatest boy bands ever.” The boy responds: “that would make BTS today’s Jackson 5.” And how often does a kid get to see his dad perform with Earth Wind & Fire at a Hard Rock Cafe with sheer joy?

I think, so far this year, Anderson .Paak and Charli XCX are both telling The Weeknd how to act in movies after he failed miserably in “Hurry Up Tomorrow.” I gave Charli XCX the BTOD with “The Moment,” and now, I’m getting the style and charm of .Paak’s directorial debut. And he’s generous enough to share screen time with his son and the Kpop world. I’m also reminded of how Will Smith worked with his son Jaden in “The Pursuit of Happyness,” as .Paak and Rasheed both play a father and son with the kind of love and spirit that should be kept within them. And you know you’re guaranteed for formulas of the genre of a man meeting his son for the first time, but .Paak knows how to handle them.

“KPop Demon Hunters” deserves to be animated, as “K-Pops” deserves to be live action.