Who is Robert Glasper?

Robert Glasper is a Grammy-winning jazz pianist, composer, producer, and bandleader from Houston, Texas. He is the recipient of the 2020 NEA Jazz Masters Award. He is known for his innovative fusion of jazz, hip hop, R&B, and rock. His music has been featured in films such as Brown Sugar and Ray, and he has collaborated with numerous artists from Erykah Badu to Kendrick Lamar to Herbie Hancock to Common.

Robert Glasper's Musical Beginnings

Glasper started playing piano at the age of 12 and was inspired by the sounds of gospel, blues, classical music, and jazz. He attended Houston's High School for the Performing and Visual Arts. From there, he went on to New York's New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music where he studied under the likes of Reggie Workman, Kenny Barron, Ron Carter, Mulgrew Miller, Jimmy Cobb and Bobby Hutcherson.

The Robert Glasper Experiment

In 2005, Glasper formed The Robert Glasper Experiment. With this group he released three albums: Canvas (2005), In My Element (2007) and Double-Booked (2009). On these albums he experimented with combining jazz with hip hop elements. He accomplished this by experimenting with sampling techniques and by having guest rappers such as Rapsody and Mos Def on the albums. He also collaborated with legendary producers such as 9th Wonder and J Dilla on these albums.

Glasper's Later Work

In 2012, Glasper released Black Radio, an album that won him a Grammy Award for Best R&B Album. This album was a commercial success that featured collaborations with Erykah Badu, Lalah Hathaway, Lupe Fiasco, Musiq Soulchild, Ledisi, Faith Evans and many more. In 2014 he followed up this album with Black Radio 2 which featured many of the same guests plus new voices like Common and Jill Scott.In 2018 he released his latest album ArtScience which featured him collaborating with various artists from Kamasi Washington to Bilal to Snoop Dogg.

Conclusion

Robert Glasper has been an innovator in the world of jazz for over 15 years. His combination of jazz with hip hop elements has resulted in some great albums that have earned him numerous accolades such as a Grammy Award. His latest album ArtScience continues his experimentation with jazz fusion and features collaborations with some amazing artists. Robert Glasper is an artist who is pushing the boundaries of jazz music.