Robert Glasper

Robert Glasper Announces Second Year As Resident Artist At Blue Note Jazz Club

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Multi-Grammy and Emmy-winning artist and producer Robert Glasper returns to Napa Valley this summer as the 2023 Artist in Residence at the second annual Blue Note Jazz Festival, taking place at The Silverado Resort in Napa Valley, July 28-30th. In 2022, Glasper curated and performed at the inaugural weekend—a collaboration inspired by his annual residency at the legendary New York jazz club, with headliners including Black Star, Snoop Dogg, Chaka Khan, Maxwell, Dinner Party, Madlib, Thundercat, Flying Lotus, JD & Domi Beck, Corinne Bailey Rae and special guest host Dave Chappelle. 

The festival was glowingly covered in a VIBE cover story, proclaiming the experience was “years of musical history and our ancestors’ wildest dreams rolled into one.” The festival will be co-hosted by Chapelle again this year, with an array of special guests, which always includes legendary acts and upcoming voices. 

Robert Glasper’s acclaimed Black Radio III album, hot off of winning the Grammy for Best R&B Album, is out now on Loma Vista Recordings and features a wide array of legendary guests including H.E.R., Jennifer Hudson, Common, Q-Tip, Ty Dolla $ign, Killer Mike, Big K.R.I.T, PJ Morton, Estelle, Meshell Ndegeocello, Bilal, BJ The Chicago Kid, Esperanza Spalding, India Arie, Lalah Hathaway, Alex Isley and more. In 2021, the album’s single won Best R&B Song for “Better Than I Imagined” with H.E.R. & Meshell Ndgeocello.

Critical accolades for Black Radio III over the past year include NPR’s 20 Best R&B Albums of 2022 and 50 Best Albums of 2022, as well as praise in OkayPlayer, UPROXX, Variety, ABC News’ Live Prime, SPIN and more. In October, Glasper returned to his legendary Blue Note residency, dubbed Robtober, at the iconic New York City jazz club with guest appearances from Thundercat, Common, Miguel, Lalah Hathaway, Dave Chappelle, Chris Rock, The Who/D’Angelo bassist Pino Palladino, Terrace Martin and more. 

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Chris Brown Apologizes To Robert Glasper Following Grammys Loss Meltdown: ‘You Were Not My Intended Target’

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Chris Brown

Chris Brown shared his apology to Robert Glasper on Monday, Feb 6, following his loss to the multi-instrumentalist and Best R&B Album winner the night before. Brown DM’d Glasper on Instagram and shared the screenshot on his Instagram story.

“Congratulations my brother .. ” Chris’s message began. “I would like to apologize if you took offense to my reaction at the Grammys .. you were not the intended target and I know I came off really rude and mean. After doing my research I actually think your amazing … THE ORGANIZATION ISNT DOING US BLACKS OUR DUE DILIGENCE. YOU AND I SHOULD never be in the same categor… Two totally different vibes and genres. So from one black man to another.. CONGRATULATIONS.. HOPE YOU ARE ABLE TO FEED YOUR FAMILY FOR LIFE. God bless my G.”

At the time, it did not seem if Glasper had responded to Breezy. Chris Brown angered many people when he decided to take aim at Glasper after he beat out Breezy for Best R&B Album at this years Grammy’s. “YALL PLAYING… WHO DA FUCK IS THIS,” “WHO THE FUCK IS ROBERT GLASPER?” Chris Brown wrote on his Instagram story following his loss. Brown not knowing who Glasper was ruffled the feathers of people on social media who quickly let Brown know who Glasper is.

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Chris Brown Apologized To Robert Glasper While Suggesting A Change That Could Make The Grammys Better

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Robert Glasper may not be a household name — something the producer has jokingly alluded to while promoting his own music — but he certainly gets his due from the recording industry establishment (i.e. those in the know). However, one of the artists he defeated in the category for Best R&B Album at last night’s Grammys wasn’t joking when he blew up at Glasper over the win.

Chris Brown, whose album Breezy was nominated against Glasper’s Black Radio III, threw a bit of a hissy fit on Instagram, wondering “who da f*ck is this?” and joking that he would “start playing the harmonica” to get recognition from the Recording Academy. (Truthfully, he’s lucky they’re still considering him at all after being basically persona non grata for upwards of a decade after assaulting Rihanna.)

Glasper acknowledged Brown’s meltdown, posting a graphic on his own Instagram that read “Who the f*ck is Robert Glasper?” “If y’all have questions, I have answers,” he captioned the post, smoothly highlighting his impressive resume which includes production for Kendrick Lamar, Mac Miller, and a who’s-who of Black music royalty in addition to composing the score for The Photograph starring Issa Rae.

Fans on Twitter seemed to align more with Glasper than with Brown’s outlook, censuring the more popular artist for not doing his research. Since then, he apparently has, as he sent Glasper a DM on Instagram apologizing for his outburst, according to a screenshot he shared on his Story.

“Congratulations my brother,” he wrote. “I would like to apologize if you took offense to my reaction at the Grammys.. you were not the Intended target and I know I came off really rude and mean. After doing my research I actually think your amazing.”

However, he didn’t stop there. While acknowledging how his tantrum came off, he recommended a change to the Grammys’ format which actually might make things better for R&B artists in the future. “THE ORGANIZATION ISNT DOING US BLACKS OUR DUE DILIGENCE,” he wrote. “YOU AND I SHOULD never be in the Same category… two totally different vibes and genres. So from one black man to another.. CONGRATULATIONS.. HOPE YOU ARE ABLE TO FEED YOUR FAMILY FOR LIFE.”

Interestingly enough, R&B has had a fraught history at the Grammys — after all, what Black genre hasn’t? From 2003 to 2011, it was split into separate categories, Best R&B Album and Best Contemporary R&B album, to allow for the differences in production between those albums styled after the genre’s roots and those with more hip-hop influence and electronic production. After the categories were re-merged, a Best Progressive R&B Album award was introduced in 2020. Glasper’s Dinner Party bandmate Terrace Martin was nominated in that category this year, although Steve Lacy’s Gemini Rights took the award.

For what it’s worth, pitting Brown’s much more pop-influenced album against a field that included more soulful entries like Mary J. Blige’s Good Morning Gorgeous, Lucky Daye’s Candydrip, and PJ Morton’s Watch the Sun does make it stick out like a sore thumb. Perhaps the Grammys could figure out another category for more uptempo, dance-centric R&B records in the future.

Chris Brown Apologizes To Robert Glasper, Says They Shouldn’t Be In Same Grammy Category

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It’s tough losing one of the most celebrated awards of the year, but Chris Brown’s reaction was heavily criticized. Brown lost out on Best R&B Album to industry giant Robert Glasper. On Instagram, he wrote, “Y’all playing. Who da f–k is this?” and “Who the f–k is Robert Glasper. I’ma keep kicking y’all a– respectfully.” A few more mocking comments were also made.

Glasper is an industry vet with several accolades under his belt. Black Radio III, the Grammy-winning album, hosted appearances from hitmakers like Jennifer Hudson, Common, and Erykah Badu. Brown’s reaction went viral, and soon, fans—as well as industry professionals—called him out for being a sore loser. The criticisms weren’t lost on the Breezy star.

Read More: Jay-Z On Beyoncé’s Grammys Loss: “It’s Just A Marketing Thing”

The wave of pushback was almost palpable, and on Brown’s Instagram, he offered an update. The singer took to his Stories to share a screenshot of DM he sent to Glasper apologizing for his public behavior. “Congratulations my brother,” he began. “I would like to apologize if you took offense to my reaction at the Grammys. You were not the intended target and I know I came off really rude and mean.”

People quickly questioned why Brown wasn’t aware of Glasper’s work, especially if they were nominated for the same category. Others chastised him with remarks about needing to get into the studio with Glasper. “After doing my research I actually think your amazing… THE ORGANIZATION ISNT DOING US BLACKS OUR DUE DILIGENCE.” Brown then said that he and Glasper shouldn’t ever be in the same category because they are “two different vibes and genres.”

Read More: Chris Brown Disses Robert Glasper After Losing Grammy For Best R&B Album

Brown added, “So, from one black man to another.. CONGRATULATIONS.. HOPE YOU ARE ABLE TO FEED YOUR FAMILY FOR LIFE. God bless my G.” This didn’t quite get Brown out of hot water because many weren’t thrilled about how he apologized, but you can let us know your thoughts. Check out more reactions below.

Chris Brown Disses Robert Glasper After Losing Grammy For Best R&B Album

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Chris Brown has a bone to pick with Robert Glasper, who took home the Best R&B Album Of The Year award at the Grammys. Following the award ceremony, Chris Brown aired out his frustrations at Glasper and the Grammys in a string of posts on social media. It appeared that Chris Brown felt as though Breezy was a shoo-in for the category. So when the Recording Academy called Glasper to the stage to accept the award for Best R&B Album for Black Radio III, the “Call Me Every Day” artist threw a tantrum online.

“Bro who the f*ck is this?” Chris wrote alongside a screenshot of Google results for Robert Glasper. “Y’all playing,” he added with several laughing emojis, “who da fuck is this.” His subsequent post continued to question Glasper’s merits. “Ima keep kicking yall ass! Respectfully,” he added. Then, he began to mock Glasper for his musicianship. “I gotta get my skills up.. Ima start playing the harmonica,” he wrote. Afterward, he shared a meme of himself with a harmonica photoshopped into his hand. “New level unlocked,” the post read, “Harmonica Breezy.”

Chris’ commentary led to immediate backlash. Though some fans felt as though Breezy got robbed, others felt as though the singer revealed a lack of musical knowledge. “Chris Brown not knowing who Robert Glasper is… is the reason all of Chris Brown songs sound the same,” one person tweeted. Another wrote, “Chris Brown has 20 nominations and 1 win. He taking out his frustrations on Robert Glasper but them 19 Ls are the real enemy.”

Even if Chris Brown isn’t familiar with Robert Glasper, the famed 44-year-old Houston native has landed undoubtedly on his playlist at some point. Glasper has been active for 20 years and worked alongside some of the greatest artists of our time. He teamed up with Kendrick Lamar on “These Walls” off of To Pimp A Butterfly. However, he also worked alongside artists like Mac Miller, Jill Scott, Anderson .Paak and more in recent times. Black Radio III included collabs alongside Killer Mike, Big K.R.I.T., Q-Tip, H.E.R, Musiq Soulchild, Jennifer Hudson, India.Arie, Ty Dolla $ign, and more. 

While Chris Brown left empty-handed, he was undoubtedly up against some tough competition. Along with Breezy and Black Radio III, the R&B Album Of The Year category was rounded out with Mary J. Blige’s Good Morning Gorgeous (Deluxe), Lucky Daye’s Candydrip, and PJ Morton’s Watch The Sun. 

Robert Glasper Acknowledged Chris Brown Getting Big Mad After Glasper Won A Grammy Over Him

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In the Best R&B Album category at the 2023 Grammy Awards last night (February 5), Robert Glasper won for Black Radio III. One of the albums he beat for the award is Chris Brown’s Breezy (Deluxe), and Brown made it clear he wasn’t happy about the loss. In the first of a string of social media posts about it last night, Brown wrote, “Bro who the f*ck is this? Yall playing [crying laughing emojis] who da f*ck is this?”

Since then, Glasper has offered a subtle reaction to Brown.

Glasper hasn’t directly respond to Brown’s posts, but he did acknowledge he’s at least aware of them via a retweet. A Twitter user shared an XXL tweet about a news post covering the situation, reading, “JUST IN: Chris Brown asks ‘Who the f**k is Robert Glasper’ after Robert beats Chris for Best R&B Album at 2023 Grammy Awards #GRAMMYs: ‘BRO WHO THE F**K IS THIS?’” In the Glasper-retweeted post, the user added, “Ha congratulations to my mf cousin @robertglasper y’all better do a lil research around here …”

As for what the user meant by that part about research, they’re presumably referring to Glasper’s recent self-deprecating social media post of a graphic that reads, “Who the f*ck is Robert Glasper.” On Instagram, Glasper wrote, “It’s been brought to my attention that y’all have questions about Who TF is Robert Glasper! If y’all have questions, I have answers. Check out my stories to play along!”

Find the full list of this year’s Grammy nominees and winners here.

Robert Glasper Wins Fifth Grammy Award For Best R&B Album

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Multi-Grammy-winning pianist and producer Robert Glapser has received his 5th Grammy Award for Best R&B Album for Black Radio III. Glasper’s contribution to music and culture spans over two decades with Grammy nominations and wins for a multitude of his projects including the history changing 2013 win for Best R&B Album for Black Radio, 2015 win for Best Traditional R&B Performance for Jesus Children, 2017 win for Best Compilation Soundtrack For Visual Media for Miles Ahead, and 2021 taking home a win for his hit-single “Better Than I Imagined” in the Best R&B Song category. Glasper has formed an exceptional legacy that permeates throughout contemporary art and advocacy. 

Black Radio III features both new and old Black Radio family such as H.E.R, Ty Dolla $ign, Common, Yebba, Meshell Ndgeocello, Killer Mike, BJ The Chicago Kid, Big K.R.I.T. , and more. Glasper’s body of work is a masterclass in hip-hop, R&B and jazz fusion that sonically has influenced the next decade to come. This further proves Glasper to be one of the most respected collaborators of his generation, now with 12 nominations in total and 5 wins. 

The Grammy Award winning Black Radio III celebrates Black joy, love and resilience and features the Grammy-winning single “Better Than I Imagined” with H.E.R and Meshell Ndgeocello. Killer Mike, BJ The Chicago Kid and Big K.R.I.T. unify in “Black Superhero,” a track that lifts up real-life Black heroes, while Lalah Hathaway and Common put a fresh spin on  “Everybody Wants To Rule The World,” a nod to the Tears For Fears classic. Glasper also creates space on this album for songs like Q-Tip and Esperanza Spalding’s versatile and driving “While We Speak” and “Over”, Yebba’s sweet-winded plea to a fleeting love. Black Radio III’s guests also include Jennifer Hudson, Ty Dolla $ign, Ant Clemons, India.Arie, Musiq Soulchild, PJ Morton and more. Since announcing the album in early 2022, Glasper has joined Trevor Noah for an interview and performance of “Heaven’s Here” with Ant Clemons on The Daily Show and was backed by The Roots on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon for a special MLK Day performance of “In Tune” and “Black Superhero” featuring Rapsody, DJ Jazzy Jeff, BJ The Chicago Kid, and Amir Sulaiman. 

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