Robert Glasper (Pianist): Bio, Age, Career, Net worth, Family, Relationship

Robert Glasper is an American pianist, songwriter, record producer, and musical arranger. Throughout his career, he has worked in several musical and artistic genres, mostly jazz. Robert has won 5 Grammy Awards and received 11 nominations across 8 categories.

Robert’s career breakout came after his album, Black Radio, which won him the 2013 Grammy for best R&B album. After this success, he performed on various hit albums, like playing keyboards on Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp a Butterfly for the track “These Walls.” The ongoing Black Radio series of albums have since become his calling card, with guests like Yasiin Bey (formerly Mos Def), Ledisi, Bilal, Lupe Fiasco, Erykah Badu, and Jill Scott. Black Radio was the 1st album to debut simultaneously in the top 10 of four genre charts: Hip Hop R&B, Jazz, Urban Contemporary, and Contemporary Jazz. 

Robert has toured extensively, earning a large and loyal following worldwide. In addition, he has been an Artist in Residence at several prestigious festivals and institutions worldwide, including the North Sea Jazz Festival, London Jazz Festival, Hollywood Bowl, The Kennedy Center, Carnegie Hall, and the Blue Note Jazz Club.

Robert has written, performed, and produced albums by Mac Miller, Anderson .Paak, Brittany Howard, Banks, Herbie Hancock, Big K.R.I.T., Bilal, Kendrick Lamar, Denzel Curry, Q-Tip, Common, and Talib Kweli, amongst others. Robert has also written music successfully for the film. In 2017, he won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics for his single “A Letter to the Free.” He has also earned the Emmy-winning documentary The Apollo, won a Grammy for his track to film Miles Ahead, and composed the original score for Issa Rae’s The Photograph.

Robert Glasper Early Life:

Robert was born on 6th April 1978. He was raised in Houston, Texas. His mother was the music director at the East Wind Baptist Church, where Robert 1st performed in public. He performed during services at 3 churches: Catholic, Baptist, and Seventh-day Adventist. Robert has said that he 1st developed his sound in church, where he learned how to hear harmony and was also inspired to mix church and gospel harmonies with jazz harmonies.

Robert Glasper Family Background: 

Robert was born to Kim Yvette Glasper (mother). Kim used to sing jazz and blues professionally. She took him on club dates rather than leaving her son with babysitters. Further details about his father’s identity and sibling information are still unavailable. 

Robert Glasper Education:

Robert attended Elkins High School in Missouri City, Texas. He also attended the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts. Robert performed with the jazz band in tenth grade at Texas Southern University. In 1997, he was in the 2nd Vail Jazz Workshop and attended the New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music (New York City). At this School, Robert met neo-soul singer Bilal. The duet started performing and recording together, which helped them in their career.

Robert Glasper Physical stats:

Robert’s exact height and weight details are unavailable in the media; however, his physique is around 5 ft 11 inches tall, and he should weigh around 90kg. He has naturally dark brown curly hair, and his eye is also dark brown. Further, he keeps a beard and mustache, which suits his personality. 

Robert Glasper Birth Signs:

According to Robert’s birthdate, he falls under the zodiac Aries. Currently, he is 44 years old. Further, his birth flower is a sweet pea, and his birth element is Fire. 

Robert Glasper Net worth:

Robert’s estimated net worth should be around $4 million. He primarily earns from his music career. 

Robert Glasper Relationship Status: 

Robert is married to Yiyi Sanchez; she is a singer and percussionist from Cuba. The couple has two children, a boy named Riley and a daughter named Lola. 

Robert Glasper Career:

In 2002, Robert released his first album, Mood with Fresh Sound New Talent. The album features 6 original compositions and versions of the jazz standards, which includes Herbie Hancock’s “Maiden Voyage.” In 2005 he released his debut on Blue Note Records, Canvas, and the album features 9 original compositions. Further, in 2007, his 3rd album, In My Element, was released, which includes songs written in honor of Roberts’s mother (“Tribute”) and hip hop producer J Dilla (“J Dillalude”). During this time, Robert became a signature of fusion style, moving between classic and contemporary. 

In 2009 his next album Double-Booked was released. The album features guest vocals and spoken-word appearances by Yasiin Bey (formerly Mos Def) and Bilal. In February 2012, Robert’s 5th seminal album, Black Radio, featured performances by a lineup of neo-soul and hip-hop artists, including Lupe Fiasco, Lalah Hathaway, Bilal, Erykah Badu, and Yasiin Bey. The album was a commercial success; it reached no. 10 on Billboard’s Top Current Albums chart and, in 2013, won the Grammy for best R&B album. That same year, in November, Black Radio Recovered: The Remix E.P. was released with 5 remixed tracks before the album, which included remixes by Questlove, Georgia Muldrow, Solange, Pete Rock, and 9th Wonder.

In October 2013, Robert released Black Radio 2. In 2015, one of the tracks won the Grammy for Best Traditional R&B Performance, and the album was nominated for Best R&B album. On 16th June 2015, Robert released Covered, and the album features songs drawn from an eclectic variety of artists, including John Legend, Radiohead, Kendrick Lamar, and Joni Mitchell. In 2014, the album was recorded live at Capitol Studios, and the Covered was nominated for a Grammy Award under Best Jazz Instrumental Album.

In 2015 Robert collaborated with Lauryn Hill to co-produce Nina Revisited… A Tribute to Nina Simone. That same year, he served as composer, arranger, and producer for the film Miles Ahead, a biographical documenting the life of jazz trumpeter Miles Davis, whom Robert cites as one of his major musical influences. In 2017, Robert won the Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media Grammy.

In 2016, Robert paid further tribute to Miles Davis, releasing Everything’s Beautiful on 27th May 2016, his 1st with Columbia Records and Legacy Recordings. The album is a tribute to Miles through remixes and reinterpretations of many of his original works. Although Miles died in 1991, he is credited as a co-artist of the album. 

Further, 16th September 2016 marked Robert’s return to his electric group named the Robert Glasper Experiment, with the release of the ArtScience album, which all members write and produce, and the 1st with no guest vocalists, although Robert himself sings on the album. Later, in 2018, he released a remix version of the album in collaboration with Kaytranada entitled Robert Glasper x Kaytranada: The ArtScience Remixes. That same year, Robert received attention for his significant role in Kendrick Lamar’s album To Pimp a Butterfly.

In October 2016, Robert co-hosted the inaugural Blue Note Cruise along with Gregory Porter. Later, the cruise became an annual event, and Robert co-hosts it yearly with bassist Marcus Miller.

In January 2017, Robert performed with Christina Aguilera at the Smithsonian’s new National Museum of African American History and Culture opening. In February 2017, he partnered with Afropunk as a Creative and Musical Director and performed at the Apollo Theater. On 29th September 2017, he released Our Point of View with the Blue Note All-Stars band. In 2018 Robert formed 2 new supergroups: R+R=Now; R+R=Now stands for Reflect+Respond=Now; the group’s debut album, Collagically Speaking, was released on 15th June 2018. 

Robert was also a part of August Greene; they released their self-titled debut album on 21st February 2018. In October 2018, he launched the 1st of his annual residencies at the Blue Note Jazz Club. Each year, he participates in 56 sold-out shows across 30 days. In 2018, Robert appeared on The Potash Twins series Beats + Bites’ along with Smino, Wynton Marsalis, & Tom Colicchio.

In 2019, Robert was Artist in Residence at the North Sea Jazz Festival and the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

On 3rd October 2019, he released the mixtape Fuck Yo Feelings, his 1st recording with Loma Vista Recordings, at the Blue Note Jazz Club on the 1st day of his 56-show 2019 residency. In 2019 Robert appeared in Toni Thai Sterrett’s “Potty Break” (a web series) as an R&B artist.

By the end of 2019, he composed the original music for the documentary The Apollo. The following year, he gave the music for the film The Photograph.  

On 25th June 2020, Robert, Terrace Martin, Kamasi Washington, and 9th Wonder announced the formation of a supergroup named Dinner Party. On 10th July 2020, they released a single titled “Freeze Tag,” followed by their self-titled debut album. In March 2020, Robert performed at the March On Washington with George Clinton and Derrick Hodge. On 27th August 2020, Robert released “Better Than I Imagined,” the 1st single from his forthcoming Black Radio 3 album. In September 2020, he collaborated with Common for the educational Netflix show Bookmarks. 

On 14th January 2022, Robert announced on his Instagram page that on 25th February, he would release the 3rd installment in his Black Radio series, titled Black Radio III.

Robert Glasper Social Appearance:

Robert has an active profile on Instagram and Twitter with around 505K and 127K followers, respectively. Further on YouTube, he has around 224K subcribers. He has mostly shared his concerts and upcoming projects posts on these handles and, at times, about his personal life. 

Summary!

With years of hard work and skills, Robert Glasper has made his name in the entertainment industry. With his talents, Robert has won thousands of hearts. We wish him all the best for his upcoming projects.