Robert Glasper's 'Black Radio III' Nominated for a Grammy

Album cover of 'Black Radio 3' by Robert Glasper
( Loma Vista Recordings )

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Alison: This is All Of It, I'm Alison Stewart. The Grammys are this Sunday and all week we'll be hearing conversations with some of the nominated artists. Coming out of our segment about the Fotografiska show, Hip-Hop: Conscious, Unconscious, we wanted to feature an artist who's helped shape the sound of hip-hop today. For the last two decades, pianist Robert Glasper has operated at the intersection of jazz, R&B, and rap working with artists from Christian McBride, and Terence Blanchard, to Talib Kweli and Common.

He's also the one you hear playing the jazz-inflected keys on Kendrick Lamar’s groundbreaking hip-hop album To Pimp A Butterfly. Over the last decade, Glasper has explored the connections between these genres in his album series Black Radio. His latest release, Black Radio III is up for two Grammys for Best R&B Album and Best Engineered Album Non-Classical. Here's a song from it called Why We Speak featuring rapper and producer Q-Tip and jazz bassist and vocalist, Esperanza Spalding.

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L'eau

Terre

Feu

Air

Coeur de l'eau

Coeur de terre

Ils s'étouffent dans votre papier cadeau

I cut the bow and remember

Vous n'avez jamais eu la liberté de donner

C'est dans l'esprit de la terre

Ce qui n'a pas de prix

N'a pas de prix

Tout est durci maintenant

Qui peut même encore pleurer

We got a long way left to burn

But it's easier when you know water is alive in you

Nous sommes réveillés maintenant

It's love alive (Une cuisse a la porte)

Et l'arbre de vie

Et l'œuf cosmique

Et le sang de la terre

Se souvenir

Alison: That's called Why We Speak. When Glasper joined us for a listening party, the first thing I asked him was how long it took to record the album, start to finish.

Robert: This one was longer than most. I think, probably, about a year and some change because it was COVID. I couldn't have people in the studio. It was just a lot of me sending files to people when they're living in another state. I didn't necessarily have a deadline or anything. Making this album was more casual than the other ones.

Alison: I'll just say, what headspace were you in when you were making this album?

Robert: It's funny because during the pandemic a lot of artists were depressed and not feeling creative. A lot of people went through a lot of ups and downs. I felt this was a project to keep my head straight. That's why I didn't have a deadline. It was just something I was like, "Hey, I'm going to do this record, but I'm going to let it flow naturally." When you have to get artists who actually go into the studio on their own and they're in a different state you have to just know it’s going to be longer, it's going to take longer. [laughs].

Alison: It's for real.

Robert: It’s going to really take time, but I was fine with that. I was able to build a studio in the back of my house and really just work and jam and come up with ideas. I just made it a longer project anyway. Also, it was therapy for me.

Alison: How did you want this album to build on the first two Black Radio albums?

Robert: I knew once the pandemic hit-- I've been asked to do a Black Radio III for eight years now. It's been a thing everybody's asking. I wasn't going to do it, but when the pandemic hit I felt I had an obligation to do it for the people. I felt this would be good just to do it during the pandemic because of the good and the bad of it. This is a moment in time that hopefully will never come again as Terrace FaceTime’s me. [laughter]

Alison: He can come on the radio. I think he was on recently. Hi, Terrace. [laughter]

Robert: I think this record is a little bit more pointed. The narrative is stronger. I'm being a little bit more outspoken about social issues, political issues. There's a little bit more of a point here versus good music. There's more of a message-- different messages foreign to the record but more pointed.

Alison: Let's listen to a song then. This is Black Superhero featuring Killer Mike, BJ The Chicago Kid, and Big K.R.I.T. We can talk about it on the other side. This is from Robert Glasper’s new album.

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Oh yeah

Every block, every hood, every city, every ghetto (up in the sky)

Need a Black superhero (it's a bird)

Every block, every hood, every city, every ghetto (it's a plane)

Need a Black superhero

You need a nigga roll like me

Military mind stated and I keep a gun and a degree

You can label me a Huey P

Made a martyr outta Martin, outta Malcolm, outta Medgar

I refuse to let these dirty devils make my Gullah beggar

Fuck a hero see, oh, I will go make heed, oh, for my people

Give me liberty or death, that is my credo, not my ego

Dressed in a tuxedo, enter party, alter ego

Killed your need of it, gazebo did it for the people

Love what motivated, I did not do it for hatred

But I truly hate the devil, I cannot debate or fake it

I was asked a question and I asked about it hard

If I was facing death, then I could ask one thing of God

I would ask for every nigga to be free here and abroad

And to be rightfully celebrated as a child of God

And to be rightfully celebrated as a child of God (as a child of God)

Every block, every hood, every city, every ghetto (it's a plane)

Need a Black superhero

Every block, every hood, every city, every ghetto (up in the sky)

Alison: That's Black Superhero from Robert Glasper's new album Black Radio III. What do you love about that song? What's a part of that song that you just really love? When you hear it you're like, "Yes. We got that."

Robert: [laughs] You know what's funny? I really love the ending where I had Christian Scott speak. At the very end of the song-- it's an interlude. The song fades out and he comes in over the beat. He's talking about what it means to be a Black superhero and the fact that a Black superhero isn't just a male. Black superhero is also females. That women are the strongest being on this planet. They were just talking about basically looking at-- it makes me remember that my mom, and my aunt, and my grandmother were the superheroes in my life.

I love the fact about that. When you see the video it reflects that too. It reflects how there's not one way a superhero can look. It could be anyone. It could be anyone that's in your neighborhood. It could be the lunch lady at your school. It could be your barber. Is anybody that inspires you or that lets you know that there's something out there that you can reach, like everything's obtainable and that gives you that confidence to know that.

Alison: I like the quick drop at Huey P. I just love that line. [laughter]

Robert: Oh, yes. [laughs]

Alison: Good. It's quick.

Robert: Yes, so good.

Alison: You got to catch it. My guest is Robert Glasper, the new album is Black Radio III. It is out now. On the album, you dip into a re-imagined version of Everybody Wants to Rule the World from Tears for Fears. What was it about the song that struck you as something you want to reimagine? That song was everywhere.

Robert: Absolutely, absolutely. I love redoing songs that people know and love but it's not necessarily overly redone. That song, like you said, it's just one of those songs that no matter where you're from, no matter your background, you know that song. [laughs] I just love the song. The funny thing is it wasn't a planned thing. The song came on the radio when I was on my way to the studio and I was like, "Oh, there it is."

I was looking for a cover to do. Me and Lalah Hathaway always do covers on black radios. She's done Cherish The Day with me. She's done, Jesus Children of America, Stevie Wonder on Black Radio II. We're going to keep that same thing going and do a cover and I didn't know what we're going to do. That came on the radio on my way to the studio. When I walked in I was like, "This is what we're doing." [laughs]

Alison: Let's hear it.

Robert: It was the universe.

Alison: Love it. Everybody Wants to Rule the World.

[music]

Welcome to your life

There's no turning back

Even while we sleep

We will find you

Acting on your best behavior

Turn your back on Mother Nature Everybody wants to rule the world

Everybody, everybody (who am I?)

It's my own design

It's my own remorse

Help me to decide

Help me make the

Most of freedom and of pleasure

Nothing ever lasts forever (nothing is gonna last)

Everybody wants to rule the world (oh)

Alison: I just love everything about that. You know Tears for Fears have a new album out, have you--?

Robert: It came out the same day my album came out.

Alison: Have you heard from Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith, I think? Yes.

Robert: No, I haven't, but I talked to Tom Whalley who owns Concord Records, which they're assigned to. I'm under Concord Records on Loma Vista, so I think there might be something there. There might be a conversation to be had. I feel like it's the universe, too many things that are lining up. [laughs]

Alison: Let's just put it out in the world, make it happen.

Robert: Absolutely, absolutely.

Alison: My entire control room put their hands up. Yes, make it happen. [laughter]

Robert: For sure.

Alison: My guest is Robert Glasper, the new album is Black Radio III. I'm just imagining your contacts. We're talking and Terrace Martin FaceTime’s in. [laughter] On this record, you got Common, Q-Tip, India Arie, Lalah Hathaway. Can you just call up somebody and be like, "Hey, I have an idea. Let's try this."

Robert: Yes, that's pretty much what I do. Anytime I do Black Radio albums or anytime I have anything with any guest, I like to reach out first and talk to the artist to really bond with the artist and see if they really like the idea. Because sometimes when you talk to people's people, and the people's people, people, people, people's people, some things just get lost in translation. Sometimes it doesn't even ever really reach the artist. I like to have a real conversation with the artist to see if they're into it. From there, “Okay, I'll have my people contact your people." Boom. That's how it goes. I have to talk to the artist first.

Alison: I want to play the song Shine now featuring D Smoke and Tiffany Gouché. What are something you'd like people to listen for in this track?

Robert: The lyric-- first of all, I'm playing drums, hey, hey.

Alison: Hey, hey. Look at you.

Robert: This is my first time.

Alison: Look at you.

Robert: You know why? It was really a jam session and I was actually on drums during this jam session. My drummer was on keys, Justin Tyson. He was actually on keys and then I went back and did some key work too. For the most part, it was this whole song started off with the jam session, and we just kept my drums like kept it. [laughs] It was my first recording I think of me being on drums, but I love the lyric.

If you just listen to the lyric, listen to D Smoke-- I mean all the lyrics. What Tiffany Gouché is singing, this is about self-love, and about knowing who you are, and loving yourself. You can't expect anybody else to love you if you don't love yourself. It's just saying, hey, pretty much being optimistic, you can do anything. Love yourself and just let life do what it does, but understand who you are and that you're worth it.

Alison: Let's listen to Shine featuring Robert Glasper on his drum debut on one of his recordings. Here's Shine.

[music]

I can feel the love in here

My inner space got constellations

And all those inner conversations

They help me to shine, shine

Shine, shine

They help me to shine, shine

So shine, shine

They help me to shine

Picture the world after the wilderness

No longer exists, picture me with no filter

Picture we see the rainbow as evidence that the storm

Was only meant to wash away the hurt, certainly not destroy

Picture divine vines growing on side abandoned buildings

Picture choosing the road less traveled, abandon millions

Picture standing on top of hills and projecting your brilliance

Alison: That was my listening party with Robert Glasper's album. Black Radio III is nominated for two Grammy Awards, Best R&B album, and Best-Engineered Album, Non-Classical. The Grammys take place this Sunday, and Robert Glasper will be in New York at Terminal 5 with his fusion super group Dinner Party that's happening on March 9th.

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Now, if that conversation with Robert Glasper has got you in the mood to make some music yourself, submit to all of its public song projects. We're inviting anyone, 18 or older, to send us an original recording of a song based on work in the, say it with me, public domain. At the beginning of every year, certain creative works, songs, books, movies, enter the US public domain. Meaning they can be freely shared, copied, adapted, and recorded by anyone, and that includes you.

You do not have to be a professional musician to submit. Your songs could be straightforward covers, original twists on old compositions, even public domain literature, and poetry set to original music is fair game. Submit to us by February 13th and we will pick at least three of our favorite submissions. If yours is one of them, you'll get a chance to talk about it on air on All Of It. For more, go to wnyc.org/publicsongproject. That is wnyc.org/publicsongproject. We look forward to hearing from you.

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