Pheeroan akLaff, born Paul Maddox (born January 27, 1955) is an American jazz drummer. Pheeroan akLaff began playing in his hometown of Detroit, and Ann Arbor, Michigan, with Travis Biggs, Ars Nova, The Ebony Set, The Last Days, and Rod Lumpkin, recorded with Major Lansky. He moved to New Haven, Connecticut, and formed DejaVu with Dwight Andrews. He debuted with Bill Baron in 1975, followed by tenure in Leo Smith's New Dalta Ahkri.
Later developed a longstanding association with Oliver Lake, which included writing for their fusion ensemble, Jump Up. His performance and recorded history includes works with Andrew Hill, Cecil Taylor, Reggie Workman, and many others. In 2006 he co-founded Seed Artists in Brooklyn and currently teaches music at Wesleyan University.