Robert Glasper
A pianist who dissolved the walls between jazz, hip-hop, and R&B, creating a lush, beat-driven sound that defined a new generation of Black music.
Born 1978 (age 48)·American jazz pianist, record producer, and songwriter·Birthday: April 6·Generation X
Biography
Robert Glasper didn't just play jazz; he rewired it for the 21st century. Hailing from Houston, a city steeped in hip-hop and soul, he brought those rhythms and textures into his piano work from the start. His early acoustic trio records displayed breathtaking technique, but his true breakthrough came with the Robert Glasper Experiment, a band that fused live instrumentation with MPC beats, guest MCs, and neo-soul vocals. The landmark album 'Black Radio' in 2012 was a manifesto, winning a Grammy and proving that jazz could be a contemporary, genre-fluid conversation. He became the go-to collaborator for artists like Kendrick Lamar, crafting the jazz-inflected backbone of 'To Pimp a Butterfly.' Glasper's impact is dual: he honored jazz's improvisational heart while insisting it live in the same sonic world as D'Angelo and J Dilla, making the music relevant to an audience that had been told it was a museum piece.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Robert was born in 1978, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Robert Was Born
The biggest hits of 1978
#1 Movie
Grease
Best Picture
The Deer Hunter
#1 TV Show
Laverne & Shirley
Robert's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1978Born
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1983Started school
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1991Became a teenager
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
1994Could drive
Nelson Mandela elected president of South Africa
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $90,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"The Sign" — Ace of BaseBest Picture: Forrest Gump
1996Could vote
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
1999Turned 21
Columbine shooting; Y2K panic builds
Gas: $1.17/galHome: $113,900Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Believe" — CherBest Picture: American Beauty
2008Turned 30
Barack Obama elected first Black US president; financial crisis
Gas: $3.27/galHome: $153,100Min wage: $6.55/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Low" — Flo RidaBest Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
2018Turned 40
Royal wedding of Harry and Meghan; Parkland shooting
Gas: $2.72/galHome: $211,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"God's Plan" — DrakeBest Picture: Green Book
2026Age 48 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won the Grammy Award for Best R&B Album for 'Black Radio' in 2013.
- Provided the musical foundation for Kendrick Lamar's critically revered album 'To Pimp a Butterfly'.
- Curated and hosted a multi-year residency at the Blue Note Jazz Club in New York, blending jazz with hip-hop and R&B artists.
Did You Know?
He composed the theme music for the Showtime series 'The Chi'.
His mother, Kim Yvette Glasper, was a blues and jazz singer who often performed in Houston clubs.
He is a frequent musical director for the annual 'Black Girls Rock!' awards show.
“Jazz is the mother of all these other genres. She's the only one that allows you to do whatever you want.”
