2024 Commission Artist
Robert Glasper is the leader of a new sonic paradigm with a career that bridges musical and artistic genres. To date, he boasts five Grammy wins and 12 nominations across 11 categories, an Emmy Award for his song for Ava Duvernay’s critically hailed documentary 13th with Common and Karriem Riggins, and a Peabody Award for his Composition of “Mr. Soul!” His work and accolades bridge all aspects of the music business, from live touring to film scoring, composing and producing.
Evolution is his hallmark. Glasper’s breakout crossover album Black Radio changed the face of the genre and set a new expectation for what popular music could be. The album won him the Grammy for best R&B album and established him as the musician of choice for some of the world’s most iconic artists; notably playing keys throughout Kendrick Lamar's To Pimp A Butterfly, winning another Grammy for the elastic track “These Walls.” The ongoing Black Radio series has since become Glasper’s calling card, upholding a place at the heart of a trailblazing community: from long-time sonic brothers Mos Def and Bilal, to legends including Ledisi, Lupe Fiasco, Kanye West, Jill Scott, and Erykah Badu.
Glasper’s eternal pursuit to further his sound has been consistent in challenging and transforming his creative horizons across the board. Whether producing a remix album with Kaytranda or as a bandleader, Robert consistently defies the limits of the genre. This is evident in a portfolio that ranges from his acoustic jazz trio; which simultaneously defies and elevates the traditional idiom by uniting it effortlessly with electronics from visionary DJ Jahi Sundance, to August Greene; a collaboration with Common + Karriem Riggins, to R+R=Now; a supergroup at the crossroads of hip-hop and jazz.
In the last year alone, Glasper has seen a staggering diversity of success. He released Black Radio III and Black Radio III Supreme Edition on Loma Vista Records; with features ranging from Jennifer Hudson, Killer Mike, and the late Mac Miller. On screen he created the original score for Run The World Season 2 and The Best Man television series. In July 2022 he was the Co-Founder and Artistic Director of the first Blue Note Napa Valley Jazz Festival, which brought to the stage a plethora of iconic artists; from Chaka Khan to Maxwell and Glasper’s Dinner Party project featuring Snoop Dogg. October 2022 sees him back in New York for his now-legendary month-long residency at the Blue Note NYC, with the usual array of star-studded appearances from the likes of Dave Chappelle, Chris Rock, Questlove, Alex Isley and Miguel joining him both on and off stage.
With boundless innovation and elite technique as his signature it’s no surprise that Glasper has an avalanche of accolades, awards, and achievements to his name -most recently being asked to play at the 2020 March On Washington with Derrick Hodge and funk legend, Sir George Clinton. In August of 2020, Robert released "Better Than Imagined" which won the Grammy for Best R&B song in 2021; the first taste of his Black Radio III album. Featuring H.E.R and Meshell Ndegeocello, the song advocates for Black love and the power, and responsibility, we have to improve our world; again demonstrating that, above all, Glasper is an artist at the heart of a moment — and a movement — to champion Black music, Black people, and the possibility of a better future. The hip-hop-head-nod ballad is a dedication to just that: the beauty and brilliance of a heritage that is as much Kendrick as it is Coltrane, and which seeks to empower and uplift with every offering. Glasper later went on to win the Grammy for Best R&B Album for Black Radio III in 2023.
“Black lives matter and so does black love; no one wants a life without love, but we have generations of people in our community who haven’t had the tools to actually be in healthy relationships. It seems like people are finally ready to open their eyes to systemic racism in this country, and if we’re going to talk about it, we have to also talk about how it affects our relationships — how we communicate, how we see ourselves, how we treat each other. It’s not always good, even though maybe it could be.” —Robert Glasper
Yebba, the 29-year-old soul singer, songwriter, arranger grew up singing and listening to gospel music, along with arranging and music directing choirs in her hometown of West Memphis, Arkansas. She released her breakthrough video for “My Mind” in 2016. Soon after, she released her first single “Evergreen,” instantly captivating a passionate fan base leading to support and collaborations, including her 2019 Grammy-winning performance with PJ Morton on “How Deep Is Your Love.” This collaboration resulted in her first GRAMMY award for Best Traditional R&B Performance.
Yebba has been a go to collaborator for A-list musical talent. She has performed and collaborated with A Tribe Called Quest (“Melatonin”), Stormzy (“Heavy Is The Head”), Ed Sheeran (“Best Part of Me”), The Robert Glasper Experience (“Fuck Yo Feelings”), Mumford and Sons (“Beloved”), Sam Smith ( “No Peace”), Chance The Rapper(“Same Drugs”), and was the featured vocalist on three tracks from Mark Ronson’s latest studio album Late Night Feelings (“Don’t Leave Me Lonely,” “Knock Knock Knock” and “When U Went Away.”) In 2021, she collaborated with Lucky Daye’s “How Much Can A Heart Take” and on Drake’s album Certified Lover Boy on “Yebba’s Heartbreak.” She released her highly anticipated debut studio album Dawn via RCA Records. The Daily Telegraph (UK) wrote “The one-in-a-million voice destined for the spotlight…Not since Amy Winehouse has there been a voice like this.”
