November 15, 2023 • 65 mins
On this week’s episode of The R&B Money Podcast, Tank and J Valentine sit down with the extraordinary Robert Glasper for an eye-opening look at his musical journey.
Robert shares incredible stories of his meteoric rise as a teen musical phenomenon, including backing up famous artists before even graduating high school. Glasper reminisces about the challenges of breaking through in jazz and R&B, as he shares tales of disastrous gigs, backstage drama, and wild nights over his decades-long career. He also argues passionately for greater recognition of Black artists in these genres by the music establishment.
Glasper offers insight into how some of his Grammy-winning albums came together through impromptu collaborations with legends like Bilal and Prince.From the church piano to studio sessions with icons, Glasper gives listeners a backstage pass into his world. For music fans and aspiring artists alike, this episode is a masterclass in creativity, resilience, and sustaining a genre-bending career.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
R and B Money, Honey, we are thank take out
the child. We are the authority on all R and B.
Speaker 2 (00:18):
Ladies and gentlemen. My name is Tank Who this the
Army Money podcast exquisite, the authority? Oh what on all
things R and B? Man?
Speaker 3 (00:32):
Uh, your musicianship, your professionalism, and your education is in
question today?
Speaker 2 (00:42):
Yes it is. Because he's here? Who without? Who? Keep going?
Because he's here? Who he's here? Who the fuck is here? Robert?
(01:02):
Rob Ship Robert.
Speaker 1 (01:06):
Let's let's paint the scene before we get into the test.
Speaker 2 (01:09):
Let's paint the scene. Let's get into it. You win a.
Speaker 1 (01:13):
Grabby fitty, right, you win his flip pace, his flowers celebration,
and then.
Speaker 2 (01:30):
You look on social media you're big mangled by Team Breezy.
Speaker 1 (01:37):
They on your shout out to a little brother, Chris
Broun shot the team your ass full transparency. I'm like,
how did Robert and coulds end up in the same
section at the club?
Speaker 2 (01:54):
How does it even happen? And I'm sure Roberts sexual ladies.
What I don't want no bottles. I don't know bottles.
I don't want no bottle. I don't mean no one.
I have no idea I don't have to.
Speaker 1 (02:10):
Give it to that. Explain, explain, explain your yeah, yourself
at the So the funny funny part is so.
Speaker 4 (02:23):
That actually that actually happened with one of your friends
the first time I won R and BR by the year,
because I won it in twenty twelve, So let's just
be clear.
Speaker 2 (02:33):
That's the second time.
Speaker 4 (02:34):
So eleven years ago I won for Black Radio one
and I was up against Tyrese and I heard he
wasn't too happy about that. Somebody told me they were
with him at the Grammys and before they announced who
the winner is, he stood up, And that was before
(03:03):
I was on. I wasn't I didn't get on I
g T twenty sixteen or something like that. I wasn't
even on Twitter and stuff. But you know, but I'm
used to that makes sense, you know. Tyresee sings slow,
sultry music. He does implore the great musicians to do,
you know, have them with his thing.
Speaker 2 (03:22):
You're you're in that. So here's the thing. So here's
the thing.
Speaker 4 (03:27):
Me and Chris Brown were in the in the traditional
R and B category, right, that was that was a
category tradition.
Speaker 2 (03:33):
He should have been in the progressive. He doesn't even
know what he wants. He's like, I think, what what?
Speaker 4 (03:37):
No, because I have no because my other two, the
other the other two that are in R and B
are both R and B songs. So I still have
two R and B song Grammys, and one of them
is a credit progressive and one of them is traditional.
Speaker 2 (03:50):
Of course, so I wasn't trying to do a bar.
I was just saying I have always have them. So
my brother, technically, I think we were in the tradition category.
Speaker 4 (04:01):
Chris should have been in the progressive category, you know
what I mean, because if you're really doing traditional, my
album had all real instruments, yes, no attitude.
Speaker 2 (04:11):
Yeah, I was traditional traditional. Now technically people are like,
you shouldn't have been in the category.
Speaker 4 (04:16):
You shouldn't have. I should have because that's the album idea.
I didn't R and B record, you know what I mean. Now,
I'm a jazz musician also, so when I do a
jazz record, unfortunately I'm not. Unfortunately, I go and it's
a big house, and I go black music is a
big house, and I like to go room the room,
you know what I mean. And so sometimes I like
to go into the jazz room. Sometime I like to
go into the hip hop rooms. Sometimes I like to
(04:36):
go into the R and B room, you know what
I mean. So these records are like R and B records,
you know what I mean. Now, So it's more I
feel like in that sense, Chris should have been in
the in the more progressive R and B. You know
what I mean that in that sense, you know what
I mean. So when I saw I was in the
category with him, I also was like, oh, snap, you know.
(04:57):
And I also was like, oop, I'm not winning, you
know what I mean? No, but true transparency, I thought
Mary was gonna win.
Speaker 2 (05:04):
I was.
Speaker 4 (05:05):
I was prepared for Mary to win because her album
was a good record, and I feel like the campaign
behind the record was very very very very strong, and
she's Mary, you know what I mean, And I just
felt like she was going to win. I didn't write
no thank you speech, no nothing, because I just knew.
I even made a video saying all right, y'all, I'm
gonna lose, watch me lose.
Speaker 2 (05:25):
That's probably what you want, you know what I mean.
I just to make sure whenever I get nominated, that's
what I do, you know.
Speaker 4 (05:33):
No, Honestly, like even when I won for Black Radio
one back in two thousand and twelve, I didn't think
I was gonna nominated. For Me and my record company
got into argument because they wanted me to put it
in the jazz category. Case, you know, you put your
album where you think it's supposed to be. They wanted
me to put it in jazz category cause they said
that the jazz people know me and you know that
I was a Jeniat beforehand in jazz records, but I
(05:54):
purposely went on to it with Maxwell for three years
before that record and did the dance with you know different.
I was in the R and B room for a
long times. I was also Bellows mus the director for
nine years since he started. We were the Calls Together. Yeah,
so me and with the Calls together his first songs.
We rolled him in my dorm room for his first album.
You know allows my longest, my longest collaborator, my favorite
(06:16):
and longest collaborator, you know what I mean.
Speaker 2 (06:18):
So here's the question. Have you won a Jazz Grammy. No,
I've been nominated for Jazz Album of the Year. I
wondered about this.
Speaker 4 (06:26):
I've been nominated for Jazz Record of the Year, but
I've never won the first Grammy I ever won, no
I've I've also been nominated for Best Progressive.
Speaker 2 (06:38):
Alternative.
Speaker 4 (06:39):
When there was an alternative it was called Urban Alternative
in two thousand and nine.
Speaker 2 (06:43):
There was an Urban.
Speaker 4 (06:44):
Alternative before they put out because you know, the progressive
the progressive category came after Black Radio. When I won that,
then they made a progressive category R and B progressive, you.
Speaker 2 (06:53):
Know, so you made them.
Speaker 4 (06:55):
I pretty much opened that door. Yeah, just me trying
to keep throwing bars. But that's what happened. Boy, that's
what happened, you know what I mean. Sean's also Michelle Decachello, Yeah,
because she really it was the reason why there was
an alternative Urban Alternative category because she went in there
campaigned for it because of her music. That's why there
(07:15):
was an urban alternative category. And I was in there,
me and Belada the song called All Matter on my
on one of my records, do it in that time
in two thousand and nine. That that was my first nomination.
And then that was basically out of the box R
and B for bot people, you know what I mean,
because we were always putting a certain box. If you
want to do R and B if it don't sound
like this, then you you can't Winogrammy.
Speaker 2 (07:34):
You know what I mean. That's a big reason why
we wanted you here.
Speaker 1 (07:36):
Yeah, because you also represent other side of contemporary are
more popular R and B in that space, pop R
and B or hip hop r and B. Like you said,
you know, they they were in a sense creating and
finding sub genres of R and B for you to
(08:03):
fit it absolutely the music that you were making and
what you were bringing to R and B.
Speaker 4 (08:08):
Because if you listen to it, it's not necessarily jazz.
Because they want to make everything I do jazz because
my first few records are jazz record so they tend
people tend to think everything I do is jazz. It's like, no,
everything is not all the way jazz. I'm a jazz
musician as well. But I can make an R and
B album. I can produce an R and B record.
Speaker 1 (08:24):
But also then I think that you know, I think
the Grammys are working on it, trying to figure out
how to identify all of these things, because R and
B at this point is so many things, and it
should be and it just is.
Speaker 2 (08:43):
And so the.
Speaker 1 (08:46):
People who are figuring out these these categories have to
be very well versed in understanding what the difference is,
what the very differences are. You have a full live
R and B album that is as traditional as it gets,
it gets p J.
Speaker 4 (09:06):
Mortin's album Live Musicians. I'm not the only one in
the category that's like that exactly.
Speaker 1 (09:12):
So it's like with you two in the category is
like that makes sense absolutely, But then you have Chris Brown.
Even even Mary I wouldn't put so much in that
traditional space because she didn't make a traditional R and
B album.
Speaker 2 (09:26):
She made R and B as we know it. But
it's still progressive for.
Speaker 4 (09:29):
Us because technically Mind is progressive too, because it because
what would you when you listen to the album, it's
in a sense it's progressive because it's not. It's also
not a traditional record with the hip hop stuff I'm
mixing in there and how you know.
Speaker 2 (09:44):
Yeah, but it's it's it's it's hard to it's still
traditional though. I hear what you're saying. That's why I wasn't.
That's why I feel like if anybody because.
Speaker 1 (09:52):
Because if we're calling Chris Brown progressive, then your albums
are like our nine Day.
Speaker 4 (09:59):
I feel like it's progressive because most of its AutoTunes.
Also because of the production. It is more progressive, you
know what I mean production production. First of all, let
me be clear, not that he needs it needs altitude,
but I know you said it's the texture, the sound
more progressive for sure in that sense, you.
Speaker 2 (10:17):
Know what I mean. But but it's it's so sonic.
It's the drums used. It's huge. But people the way
we're talking, people in those rooms don't know how to
do that.
Speaker 1 (10:27):
But people in those rooms should know. It should if
it's those rooms, tasted room for me in those rooms, sorry, camera,
(10:50):
we'll spilled over. It's spilled over, spilled over exactly. The
people in those rooms these are and and and maybe
they are and we don't know what the rooms, but
ultimately they change over time, and they have to change
through us and through.
Speaker 2 (11:10):
Us promoting membership and being a part of it.
Speaker 4 (11:14):
Now they just added another category. I believe it's for
me again. It's literally this new category just came, just came,
it's starting now. It's it's a category called.
Speaker 2 (11:26):
What is it called I'll turn into something something something.
Speaker 4 (11:30):
Basically, the category says a category that mixes jazz, hip hop,
R and B with vocals or without vocals, and basically
that that's what I am.
Speaker 2 (11:42):
You it's me they that's what that's what it is. Section. Yeah,
so that team breezy because then it really don't jump you. Yes,
in that scenario though, I should have been on the
losing end of that. I should have been the one like,
why am I in? You know what I mean? Well,
we can't call that because Grammys is as we're you know,
(12:02):
as as we had.
Speaker 1 (12:03):
To learn, you know what I mean and doing the
education of it. It's like some of it is impact,
some of it is success, and in these in these
different occasions, it's not any of that, right, very true,
none of it where a bass player can take album
(12:24):
of theater and you're like, who's Robert? You see what
I'm saying. So there are those moments. But I think it's,
like you said, representing in those rooms. And I think
the responsibility is on us as well, because our participation
is needed in terms of trying to to help. They
(12:44):
would welcome our voices in our and our opinions, you know,
and obviously that's a that's part of our job. That's
part of our job. Even with this this podcast, yes
to you know, like I run into people on the
streets every day. Literally that are just you know, I
learned this from the podcast. I learned that from the podcast.
Hopefully they learned from the podcast. Listen, join the Grammys
(13:06):
if you have you know what I mean, if you
know anyone that is actively in the music business and
you can get you know, not what is it, I
don't know the term of it is slipping my mind
right now. But when someone gets you an invite, and
if you can figure out a way to get you
an invite and become a member of the Grammys, you should,
(13:27):
and now your voice will be heard and you can
start running for positions within the Grammys to you know,
to help and be on the boards and all these
other things. Like it's it's a job, so you can't
be mad at the people who actually do the job.
Speaker 2 (13:43):
Absolutely, and that's a good problem to have. That means,
that means the music is changing, it's moving, it's growing,
it's breathing, you know, it's not staying still.
Speaker 1 (13:50):
Yeah, but you know, I've been in the musicment it's
a really long time, and probably the last four to
five years is when I was really introduced to Neris
and the Grammy boards and the committees and that whole
thing and how to get how to be a part
and how to really have real membership in the last
four or five years of my career, which is crazy.
Speaker 2 (14:10):
I've been in this shit a long time. So because
we didn't have platforms like this that were telling us
like no, no, no, no, no, you can go there
and be, you know, absolute part of it. So did
you ever talk to Chris? Yeah, so we we.
Speaker 4 (14:24):
He sent me a message really nice, you know, apology.
I think he posted on this thing too, but apology.
And then we talked a little bit after it and
he was like, man, you know, you know, he's like
I was. He basically said he was down to work
and I would love to work Chris super talented, you know.
Speaker 2 (14:38):
I mean, I would love to work with Chris Brown.
Speaker 1 (14:41):
You know. So I think his fans would love it too.
And I think that you know, it was you were
right here in the middle. Yeah, you know, of his kids,
of him being overlooked a whole lot.
Speaker 4 (14:54):
But the funny thing is I didn't have my phone
on me because my in real life, I didn't try
on my tuxedo for the Grammys till the morning of
the Grammys m because it was the Taxila that water
a year before at the Oscars, and you.
Speaker 2 (15:07):
Thought that you were in the same Boom shade. There
we go, but I actually lost weight. Oh that's what
I'm I like that dude. The pants were too big. Wow. Wow.
He always loves to.
Speaker 1 (15:23):
Go back to my Steve Harvey suits every time he
gets a chance. Every time he gets a chance, keep going, Robert,
disrespect is gonna it's gonna stop.
Speaker 2 (15:32):
It was just a family feud. So look, my pants
are too big.
Speaker 4 (15:45):
So we ended up having to clip paper clips on
the side of my pants to go to the Grammys.
When I ended up winning, I jumped up and the
paper clips went their way. So I'm running up to
the stage. As soon as I get up there, I said,
I'm sorry, y'all my pants my paper clips fell out,
not paper clips, what do you call them?
Speaker 2 (16:03):
The safety pants?
Speaker 4 (16:05):
And I had to hold my pants up the whole night,
literally keep one hand like in my pockets.
Speaker 2 (16:09):
Didn't look cool. You look like a nigga who was
ready to fight. Boom Exactly. I put it up his
fans exactly. You know about having it, But what do
you say.
Speaker 1 (16:24):
So? Because if you get the slacked in between your thighs,
you really can't get your stance right.
Speaker 2 (16:34):
Black people love to adjust when we're about to fight,
when we adjust everything anything. You taking all that stuff,
getting the away, getting to see those.
Speaker 4 (16:51):
Jacket didn't have pockets, and I couldn't hold my pant
the phone in my pockets because I had to hold
them up. It's too heavy for my pants. So I
had like my assistant holding my phone the whole night.
I didn't even know none this was happening until I'm
during the actual Grammy doing the televised portion and some
people were like, yo, you're trending, and I was like what,
And then I was like, yo, get my phone.
Speaker 2 (17:12):
Then I saw all the text and all the things
and what it was. I was like five number five
trending on Grammy night. I was like, oh my god.
I was like, this is a blessing. I was happy.
I was like, this couldn't have worked out.
Speaker 1 (17:23):
Take it.
Speaker 2 (17:25):
This worked out?
Speaker 1 (17:26):
Ever.
Speaker 2 (17:26):
Make the t shirts? Oh, absolutely sold out. I need one.
I sold out of it. But I just made some
more from my festival than Napoo that I do on July.
Because I do a festival. Yeah, I do a festival.
We never get host host. Oh you'll be invited now
and y'all should do the R and B. Did she
do the podcast there? I like, Naple, I'm like, let's.
Speaker 4 (17:49):
Do you're from the bank, y'all heard it first. I'm
gonna ask next year. You know you just asked jazz Nap.
Speaker 2 (17:55):
Now what you meant year? It's in July July? What July?
Speaker 4 (18:00):
Well, normally it's like twenty nine thirty, okay, so it
just passed. We just said the next year.
Speaker 2 (18:04):
Okay, boom. I would love that anyway. So let's get
into let's get into who where in the where the
who issues? What the fuck? I'm from Houston, Texas. Yeah,
born and raised and love. Yeah.
Speaker 4 (18:22):
I was raising watching my mom do that. She had
the rehearsals at the house with the with the with
the cats and the musicians and stuff. So I was
just all the ways around music all the time. I
went to the High School for Performing Artists where I
met be Cos. You know, I actually met be Cocks
before that. We're in the competition together, but were in
high school together too. We're in high school together, but
I met him in eighth grade at a at a
talent competition. He had a band hit, a group called
(18:44):
business or pleasure.
Speaker 2 (18:47):
Whatever you want. Okay, business in the front, yeah, pleasure. No,
shout to becots.
Speaker 4 (19:08):
But we met in the talent competition that he told
me at that time, Yo, you should come to the
high school performing Arts.
Speaker 2 (19:13):
I didn't even heard of it. In the audition and
I got in me because Beyonce was there with us.
Yeah yeah, you know, and you know pros time.
Speaker 4 (19:27):
So it was fun because I used to pick Brian
up for school every morning, Me and Brian and my
boy Troy pick him up for school every morning. And
I'll be playing my jazz stuff, my Herbie Hancock, my career,
you know, my JA in high school and Brian would
be playing the R and B stuff and tell me
what's new coming out? And he was a line of
note freak, you know what I mean. So even back
then in high school, read the line of note of
this that. So that's where our music things like, you know,
(19:48):
co existed, you know, and that's where I learned a
lot of R and B stuff and understanding this and that,
and you know, one to the studio with him, and
in high school and Greg Hurtis, you know, we're at
high school, you know, shout to Greg. So yeah, man,
I had a that was pretty much the fruit of everything.
Speaker 2 (20:04):
What is your intro into professionalism?
Speaker 1 (20:06):
For you?
Speaker 4 (20:07):
The intro to professionalism, I'll tell you my very I
don't think I've ever said this out loud and not
on the podcast anyway. Uh, I was in eleventh grade
and I'm in school. Uh, these people come to me,
they come into the classroom. That Robert the people. I
would need you to get out, go go on the hallway.
(20:28):
Jennifer Holiday is performing in Houston. Her piano player missed
the flight. She's performing in Houston that night. Piano player
missed the flight. They came and got me out of
school to go play with Jennifer piano with Jenma Holiday.
Speaker 2 (20:42):
So we noticed kid. Yeah, literally, that was my first
eleventh grade that can what to learn the show? Learned
the show. That was my first professional like on a
big scale.
Speaker 1 (20:54):
Hold on j Holliday, Okay, because she's not singing fifteen minutes, Nay,
she doing about hour and a half two hours a show.
You had to be reading music. Absolutely, you were reading
music at that level.
Speaker 4 (21:11):
And eleventh grade I had to play, to play in
big band, to play and all the things I was
in in school. My school is it's super high level.
You had to the test and everything. You had to
be at it. So when I got into college, it
was a joke. College honestly was was funny. I just
went to college just for because we had to know
so much in high school. Bro like seriously, So yeah,
I read, I read the show I did. We did this,
(21:32):
we did a sound check.
Speaker 2 (21:33):
Hold on, he's getting all my motherfucking mass this is yeah.
Speaker 4 (21:43):
I called my mom was like mo from the office
of school because there's no cell phones. So I was like, Mom,
I'm not coming home after school because I'm going to
play with Jennifer Holliday.
Speaker 2 (21:53):
She was like, first of all, my mom's a singer. Yeah,
so you know.
Speaker 1 (21:58):
What.
Speaker 2 (21:58):
Yeah, and the mess of thing is she had a
gig already that night, so my mom couldn't come.
Speaker 4 (22:02):
You know, my mom's work. She worked five days a week. No,
I'm sorry, six days a week and sometimes on Sunday nights,
but not really. But yeah, And that was my first
that was my first real like hello, you know, this
is it?
Speaker 1 (22:17):
This is it?
Speaker 4 (22:18):
And then I got I got a full scholars with
the Berkeley in eleventh grade and the New School in Manhattan,
so I chose the New School because it's in New York.
Speaker 2 (22:41):
So what is the New School? Like, we're very.
Speaker 4 (22:44):
The New School is a it's a conservatory in New York,
and it's the New School is the umbrella. And under
that they have a liberal arts school called Eugene Lane,
and they have an art school called Pratt and then
and then they have the New School, which is sorry, man,
It's College of Music, which is the music part, and
it's pretty much a jazz conservatory. That's where I met
(23:06):
bala our first day of school. He was there for
jazz voice, for jazz vocal and uh, and you were
studying I was studying jazz pan jaz. And then the
first day of school, they put all the freshmen in
the room and they put you on stage based upon
your scores when you auditioned.
Speaker 2 (23:24):
And they put me in.
Speaker 4 (23:24):
Balaoup together on stage the very first day of school
and we did the song together.
Speaker 2 (23:29):
And after that it was like, I'm sure you and
I had the highest school.
Speaker 1 (23:33):
And after that, let's put the exceptional people and then
are you like whoever was in the crowd, he probably
wasn't you know what whatever, And it was like oh, oh, oh, okay,
so soon if one of our guests comes on, they
were like, yeah, I once in a new school, and
yeah I watched.
Speaker 2 (23:54):
You weren't were your scores were scoring? The scores weren't
scoring or snoring scoring with snoring.
Speaker 1 (24:08):
That I'm so tripped out right now about that eleventh
grade two hour billy holiday show.
Speaker 2 (24:14):
Jennifer Holliday, I'm sorry that the chart after chart. Yeah,
that's great. That's crazy when I am telling you all
the things.
Speaker 4 (24:24):
But the good thing about it is, since my mom
was a singer, I didn't heard all these heard before.
Speaker 2 (24:29):
So here's the other part.
Speaker 1 (24:30):
To the people you know, as you're as you're a
learned and study musician, you also.
Speaker 2 (24:34):
Play by ear.
Speaker 1 (24:35):
Absolutely started off because because that's because there's a difference, right.
I know a lot of guys who have the studied information,
but when it comes to feel.
Speaker 2 (24:46):
It's gone, it's not there. It's just you don't believe them.
I don't believe that. I don't believe you. So did
you play for extra credit or did you get paid?
Speaker 1 (24:54):
Oh?
Speaker 2 (24:55):
The gig they called me from school, but now were
out of school with the gig is a gig. I
got paid.
Speaker 1 (25:00):
It's very few guys that I've seen with the education
and the feel like Tim Carmon in the field is
one of the first guys because we're all out of
the DC area that I saw that was like extremely studied,
Like you know, we're doing that dream Girl soundtrack and
(25:21):
he's like, okay, yeah, I'm ready.
Speaker 2 (25:25):
Yeah, when you're ready.
Speaker 4 (25:27):
That's what I tell all the cats from church, just
so many, so many incredible, incredibly talented people. But if
you don't know how to read, you reach a certain feeling,
a certain ceiling, and that ceiling you can only reach
a certain amount of money. M you can't call yourself
the music director of this and that. If you don't
know how to read, pick up a book, you know
what I mean? You know I mean, now you can
(25:49):
finagle it. And if you know, if you got your friend.
Speaker 2 (25:51):
That know how to write, you know right now to
transcribe for youscrib about thank you AI.
Speaker 4 (25:59):
You know what I mean, certain things, You got a
certain certain situation. You gotta know how to read, you
gotta know how to write, You got to know how
to do these different things, you know. So so yeah,
it's important. It's like I said, it doesn't ceiling your
reach where you just become the killing musician. Everybody's killing
now what everybody's good?
Speaker 2 (26:16):
You know what I mean? What else you got? You
know what I mean? What else do you have? It
is my thing, wow, because if you don't even have
your own.
Speaker 4 (26:23):
Sound, you just sound good. That goes with singing and playing.
You know, everybody sounds good now, that's the standard. If
you don't sound good, it's your fault. Now, especially with
all the information out there, all the tools out there
and just all the lessons you need are online. If
you suck, it's your fault, you know. But after you
learn the tools into your camera.
Speaker 2 (26:43):
If you suck, you.
Speaker 4 (26:44):
Suck, it's your fault. All the tools are out there
for you to be good at your instrument. Whatever youment
is your throat, your hands, whatever you do, all the
tools are out there. So if you're not at least good,
it's your fault.
Speaker 2 (26:57):
Period. That's it.
Speaker 4 (27:00):
Now that you can go further and everybody doesn't have
a sound, And that's what I look for when I
hear musicians or I hear singers, or like, what do
you what story are you telling? I've heard that story
before totally better than you, you know what I mean.
But if you're telling your own story, I can't hear
that before or like, that's your story to you. That's
why I I'll take a singer who's who's who has
(27:20):
something to say, versus the greatest singer who's sing what's
already been said. I don't care about that sounds the same,
you know what I mean that that that sound? You know,
that's what I was telling them about talking about you.
Why you wait trying to tell you Tank, that's one
of my favorite bro. That that that's just you and vocals.
Speaker 2 (27:41):
That's it.
Speaker 4 (27:42):
No auto tune, no producers messing it up, no sounds,
no nothing, just you and the keys, pure talent, pure
honest story. Every song's amazing. The singing, the songwriting, every
the plan, the plan, it's all great.
Speaker 2 (28:01):
Bro, Yeah, it's incredible. I didn't want, you know. J
J forced me to do it good. Absolutely, that's what
That's the thing that nobody can't do that.
Speaker 1 (28:10):
You called me one morning said, listen, Bro, this was
like the eighteenth idea because he's gonna get me with
twenty five singing.
Speaker 2 (28:17):
The morning He's like, Bro, and you should do like
an EP you piano, like just.
Speaker 1 (28:24):
Just rocket EP right, just right, now while the world
is down and everybody trying to figure it out. I said, Jay,
I don't feel like doing the EP. I'm just chilling,
relaxing in the house, like I ain't bother nobody. No,
So I said no to like all eighteen ideas, right,
I'll call you late, all right, So we get off
the phone and I just.
Speaker 2 (28:41):
Walk over to the piano.
Speaker 1 (28:44):
And I just start playing music and I called Jay
back about fifteen minutes. I was like, Okay, I'm gonna
do it. I hear, I hear whatever you said. Jumped
into the universe and ran over to my house and
hit me over the head and said.
Speaker 2 (29:03):
Yeah, yeah, that's how I felt about Jamie Fox. I
want him to do that too. I said that for years.
Oh no, he would love to. I've never met him.
I just he would love to do that. He should do.
Speaker 4 (29:13):
That's where he lives, that's where he lived in his
comedy shows he was doing because I remember the first
time he did when I saw him do that, and
he imitated blow at one one of those things. He
did a prince thing and then he went into a
blow yeah thing, and I called aloud, like, yo.
Speaker 2 (29:26):
Jamie Fox is imitated He's like what I was like,
I was like, you made it. He's like, why that's
his voice? Boy? But when Jamie would do that the shows,
I'd be like, oh man, that's that's like, couldn't be
it's real. That's just that was his separation too, literally,
(29:49):
the separation from everybody because everybody's using the same tools
to make the same songs.
Speaker 4 (29:54):
You're hearing the same songs over and over again, and
the same tools. When you're sitting at the pian just
you and your voice, you can't hide behind nothing at all,
none at all, nothing at all.
Speaker 1 (30:05):
Okay, So Billy, I mean, Jennifer Holiday, the first gig,
your first big check, yep.
Speaker 2 (30:13):
What's next after that? What does that lead you to?
Speaker 4 (30:16):
So that led me to I mean, I still you know.
When I was high school, I was playing three churches.
I was playing seven Da Adventist Church on Saturdays Saturdays,
Catholic Church early Sunday morning, and then Baptist Church around
the corner from the Catholic Church at eleven.
Speaker 2 (30:28):
How different is each church musically? Well, lucky for me,
all those three churches I played for were super hip.
It was like a movie.
Speaker 4 (30:40):
The Catholic Church Saint Mark's shout out Kim Roych she
passed away, who's the choir director. She was a jazz
singer and the preacher, the priest love jazz, so we
would go in and switch up all the stuff into
jazzy stuff. So was it your normal kind of Some
things were normal Catholic church. Some of the hymns they
(31:01):
want to keep sacred, but most of the stuff we
tore it up.
Speaker 2 (31:05):
Man.
Speaker 4 (31:06):
And we would get invited to like different like you know,
choir choir, choir days or you know, choir concerts.
Speaker 2 (31:11):
Will be the only Catholic church there. Wow.
Speaker 4 (31:14):
And then they were selling them like next Saint Mark's
Cothlic church. I'd be like Catholic church and we go
up there and get crazy.
Speaker 2 (31:21):
And her husband was amazing bass players, Dereck royight Man,
he was oh man, we would kill him. It was
it was. It was crazy.
Speaker 4 (31:26):
So anyway, that was my situation there was. It was
Dough and be Cox. I had him singing in every church.
He was in the choir at every church I played that.
Speaker 2 (31:34):
He was in the choir. Say, he was every every church.
Speaker 4 (31:37):
And his first gig on piano was because I couldn't
do the at his first gig on piano was at
my Catholic church because I couldn't do a Christmas program,
so I had to teach him Hallelujah, the Christy Jones version, whatever,
the well, all the different parts, you know, all that.
(31:58):
I have to teach Brian that on piano. Yeah, so
you can learn it and do the thing. So he
sucked for me. Yeah, sell from your church. That's a
hard song, it absolutely is. It's a lot, there's a
lot going on. It took yeah, so we worked on it.
It's a it's a monster of a song.
Speaker 2 (32:13):
Absolutely, so we worked on that. I'm going to google it.
We worked on that.
Speaker 4 (32:18):
But anyway, Yeah, I ended up going to New York
for college and then, like I said, me and Balad
on those stage the first to work together. I mean
to do a song together in college. And then right
after that, one of the one of the professors, just
like you guys, they would see us in a practice
room all of the time working together. Me and but
I started writing songs and stuff and you're like, yo,
you should do a demo. My friend has a studio,
(32:39):
so we started going up this guy's studio house around
the corner and we let a demo do a demo tape,
and allows management at the time took it to Jimmy
Ivan and they played them.
Speaker 2 (32:50):
One of the songs we wrote in my dorm room,
a song.
Speaker 4 (32:52):
Called what will You Call Jimmy I being played a
verse in the chorus of that signed him sign.
Speaker 2 (32:59):
That's it. That was it. So he didn't come back
to sophomore year to school. So at that point we did.
Speaker 4 (33:05):
His first album came out, and I was his music
director from that point on until like till I got
signed to Blue Note. I got signed to Blue Note
Records in two thousand and five.
Speaker 2 (33:13):
Did you do any any songs on his albums? The
very first album? Yeah, I wrote. I wrote like two
or three songs on there, yep. And then yeah. Then
after that, you know, I got.
Speaker 4 (33:25):
Signed started doing my own things around two thousand and
seven when I stopped paying below, but I kept playing
for a while.
Speaker 2 (33:30):
You know what I mean?
Speaker 4 (33:31):
And that was my chewing all over the world with
touring all over the world below opening up for Erica
I do in common because I was during the time
of the Neil Soldier.
Speaker 2 (33:41):
This is like, yeah, this is likeety nine, you know
what I mean.
Speaker 4 (33:44):
He took me to Jay Dilla's house when you know,
when Firs his first album, that was one of the
first person people they had him work with for his album.
So I got to go to Dila's house and work
with him on that and all that stuff. And and uh,
I used to go to the jam sessions with him,
the Roots, you know, play with the roots, you know,
because the Roots was in these jam sessions every week
at the spot called the Black Lily in Philadelphia. That's
(34:05):
kind of where that neo soul sound was born, you know,
in the Black Lively and Philly is this where Jill
Scott was the host yep, she would host it. That's
where I saw jazz intel of them. She was like
fourteen years old in the club smashing, smashing, smash. Who's
this little girl in here?
Speaker 2 (34:22):
While she in here? And why she singing like that?
Speaker 1 (34:25):
You know what I mean?
Speaker 4 (34:26):
Smashing, you know, and uh, you know music soul child,
all the all the Philly you know. And I started
playing with the Roots from that because I used to
sit in and jam and they knew me as Bellows
jazz friend. You know, where's your jazz friend that you know?
So Amir started quest Love started, you know, calling me
to do shows with the Roots. So I started playing
(34:47):
with the Roots a lot, you know, cutting my teeth
with them. So that's kind of where I learned how
to play hip hop. So did you finish at the
new school or no? Did you leave too by the
skinning by the by barely finished? I finished, I wasn't there.
Speaker 2 (34:58):
So you have a degree in piano. Yeah, but it's
it means nothing. No, no, no, you mean nothing. You
don't need it. Explain that, well, it's a bachelor's degree.
So with that, he just had a Mike Tyson moment. Scott,
it means nothing. It means nothing. I just metto.
Speaker 4 (35:21):
Yeah, yeah, I mean it's a bachelor's degree in jazz piano.
So it's like you're hung up at the house now.
I don't even know where it is. I've never touched
it except the graduation I touched it. I think my
dad has it somewhere. But it's you know, you don't
need it to do anything.
Speaker 1 (35:38):
Because before you alluded to that college was just like
by the time you got to college, it was like
I was in my last.
Speaker 4 (35:44):
Year of everything when I got to college because I
cancel it out of everything they had. So when you
give you the test as a freshman, to give you
a test for your placement, to see where they're going
to put you.
Speaker 2 (35:52):
And I can't. I can't sit it out of everything
my first year. So I just I know all this. Yeah, literally,
So I just took a bunch of like film classes.
Speaker 1 (36:00):
What is this?
Speaker 2 (36:02):
Get this side of him? This is beneath me, This
is beneath me.
Speaker 1 (36:10):
Whenever you need, you have to go into your African
when everything you're Royal African man.
Speaker 2 (36:19):
Whenever something is beneath you can bring this to me.
This is you at at.
Speaker 1 (36:26):
This is.
Speaker 2 (36:28):
New school. Yes, this is a new school. You must
be new. This school is never going to let us.
Speaker 1 (36:42):
Man, this is this is what we want to come.
We would love to go because we have no we
don't know what we knows. We don't we haven't canceled
out of anything.
Speaker 2 (36:52):
We haven't canceled out of ship. I mean he's been canceled.
But I need your help take my kids maybe like
a week?
Speaker 1 (37:04):
Oh man, Wow, okay, so you plan will blow your
cutting your teeth. You're meeting everyone, but you still haven't
done a record for yourself. And this is you said
like a nine year seven seven nine year, I said, So.
Speaker 2 (37:20):
I played this about seven years.
Speaker 4 (37:21):
So I played with Bloud started, you know, we're in college,
and he got signed like ninety nine. Album came out
like two thousand and two thousand and one. Matter of fact,
it's right after d'angelo's album, the untitled. Right after that
come me and Bellowed snuck into the studio to watch
them make that because we were in the same and
we're at all that electric Lady blows the studio the
(37:44):
top of the cdoc Erica was doing Mama's Gun studio
B and d Angelo's at the bottom studio a recording. Yeah, absolutely,
So we used to go down and you know, sneak
in there and watch some of the recording sessions and
stuff while we were working on his record, you know,
finishing up his record. So it was around there, and
then I did a demo in like two thousand and two,
(38:06):
demo album called Mood, and then Blue Note signed me
in like two thousand and five, and then from there
I've been I was on Blue Note for to like
twenty sixteen.
Speaker 2 (38:14):
And you put out your first album one year two
thousand and five, first major album, was it? So was
that the demo you turned in or was it the
demo was it was on.
Speaker 4 (38:24):
Another label from Spain called Fresh SAMs, another label from Spain.
It was called a label from Spain because they were
signing new artists. It was it was a jazz label
and they would come to New York and find young
artists who wanted the record and they'll pay you nothing,
barely anything, but they would You could do a record
and they'll distribute it and do the whole thing. Yeah,
So it was just like, oh, that's a business card.
Speaker 1 (38:44):
I'm glad you. I'm glad you mentioned that. Give us
the rundown of new artists new record deal in the
jazz space, is there is initially? Is their money there?
Speaker 4 (39:01):
Hell no for three hundred police, Uh no, there's no
money in jazz, there's no. But there's barely a budget
to do the damn record really, so it's like it's
literally for the love, there's no there's no budge because
jazz musicians don't make people don't buy jazz even before
streaming and stuff, you know what I mean. Jazz was
such a small part of the of the whole pile
(39:21):
of music, you know what, I'm such a small part,
so you don't make a lot of money, and jazmugicians
weren't making a lot of money. There was a very
few who cut through and make a decent living, you
know what I mean. You know, but other than that,
you kind of like check the check and trying to figure.
Speaker 2 (39:36):
That shape, you know what I mean. So, so it's
really about gigging. It was really about gigging a lot
as much as you can get that. That's what it's
about and the love of music. But you know, after
a while, you got kids, so do you have So within.
Speaker 1 (39:49):
Those deals though, the way they're structured, are they are they?
Are they more artists friendly?
Speaker 2 (39:54):
Though? Since there's no upfront money or is it still
a bad you know, royalty rate.
Speaker 4 (40:01):
It's a terrible deal, bro It's nothing. It was, especially
back back then when you're first getting signed. Most jazz
musicians are just happy to get signed. You're just happy
somebody's gonna put your record out and distribute the distribute
that joint.
Speaker 2 (40:16):
You know what I mean.
Speaker 4 (40:16):
Like literally to make a jazz record back then in
two thousand and five, for sure, you know you're lucky.
If your budget's like twelve thousand dollars, what maybe fifteen
thousand dollars. I think my first my first budget to
make the album, to make the whole album, because you
make an album in like a.
Speaker 2 (40:34):
Day, maybe two days.
Speaker 1 (40:36):
And to survive too though, Yeah, that's all, that's everything,
because you gotta have gigs.
Speaker 2 (40:39):
You got to.
Speaker 4 (40:40):
That's why most jazz musicians it's hard to rise to
the top because when you when you do get a
record deal, they don't give you money to sustain your life.
They just give you money to make that record. So
and your record doesn't crack off all of a sudden
your tour in the world, that's not how it goes.
So you still plan side man gigs with different other
artists that already have gigs, you know what i mean,
(41:01):
trying to figure it out. So it's hard to become
famous in jazz because people keep seeing you with other
people as a side man. It's like being an artist,
but you keep having to sing background for these other people.
But you are an artist too, and you have a
record out, but if they keep seeing you singing background,
it's hard for them to see you as a as
an artist artist, you know what I mean. Ever, like
most people, that's a lot of people's way. You go
(41:22):
through background everybody done it, you know, but in jazz
you kind of never stop doing background stuff. Kind of
everybody plays with each other, you know what I mean.
That's kind of how it was. I didn't want to
continue to do that, you know what I mean. I
wanted to just now I want to do that.
Speaker 1 (41:35):
So is there a different cachet when you walk into
the jazz clubs, like, oh, I'm signed to Blue Note. Yeah,
that does give you a difference.
Speaker 4 (41:43):
Yeah, okay, yeah, absolutely, And you know for festivals and
things like that, it's a big brother, you know, like, oh,
you sign a Blue Note, okay, because Blue not has
they have marketing money, they can they can promote you
to a certain extent, you know what I mean.
Speaker 1 (41:58):
The cool thing about jazz though, is that it's global,
like you play, I mean music too. Yes, but the
average R and B singer is not playing in Brussels, No, true,
you're right, right, But the average now I want to
say average, the new are established.
Speaker 2 (42:17):
Either one can catch a gig in Norway playing jazz bro.
Speaker 4 (42:23):
I went to Europe with So I've been touring for
years with other musicians and you know, doing jazz tours
around the world since two thousand nineteen ninety eight.
Speaker 2 (42:33):
You know what I mean.
Speaker 4 (42:35):
When I started playing Maxwell in two thousand and nine,
he was my whole band. Like that was when he
came out Pretty Wings and all that. That was my
band he was using. So I toured with Max and
on our days off we would do it. I would
do gigs with my band, you know what I mean. Yeah,
his first time going to Europe was when I was
on tour with him, like twenty ten. That was his
first time going to Europe first time. And you have
(42:57):
been going to Europe since.
Speaker 2 (42:57):
I've been going to Europe for twelve years before that. Yes,
that's crazy.
Speaker 4 (43:03):
Also because you think about it sometimes it's it's the
language barrier too. When you're playing instrumental music, there's no
language barrier. M when you're an R and B singer,
it's all about what you're saying, you know what I
mean a lot of times and it's you know, it's
it's it's that. So I think a lot of people
maybe get scared of that, or or also you have
to cut your teeth. You have to really tour places
(43:25):
over and over again to build an order out there.
Speaker 2 (43:28):
You have to you have to do that.
Speaker 4 (43:29):
People don't understand how important that is unless you got
a record where it's like, Okay, I could tour the
world off this one record because it's connected everywhere, connected
so much. Other than that, as an artist, you kind
of got to keep going to London there unless you
got pony.
Speaker 2 (43:45):
Yeah, you can kick you off. Quit. I'm just a bachelor.
Speaker 4 (43:49):
Yeah, you know, like certain places I know I can go,
and I know I can clear four thousand people one show,
five thousand people, one show, just.
Speaker 2 (43:56):
Me ticketed, not festival.
Speaker 4 (43:58):
Yeah, but because I kept going one of the country
so many times, so much, and I tweed it the
right way, you know what I mean.
Speaker 2 (44:05):
I know I can do that. Not twelve Oh that's
not a tune.
Speaker 1 (44:22):
Oh man. People don't really know where I got that from.
But you picked it out immediately and it thinks which
are super.
Speaker 2 (44:42):
Superman. He knows his music. He may not know it's mad.
That is crazy because I played this every time you
with the super first grade.
Speaker 1 (45:00):
What is the bird?
Speaker 2 (45:02):
It's a fine. Robert O. Man, we want some information
from your brother. Don't bring me some tissue.
Speaker 1 (45:16):
Musical journeys, all the music you've heard, all the music
you've covered, you've got to have some favorites. I do, Robert,
(45:39):
we want to know y'all. Top five, Yeah, your top.
Speaker 2 (45:47):
Five, say it again?
Speaker 1 (45:50):
Top five.
Speaker 2 (45:54):
Your top ORANGEB singer? What else? R and B song?
Speaker 1 (46:04):
Come with you?
Speaker 2 (46:04):
You got to you got your show. I know you do,
and I want to top Yeah.
Speaker 5 (46:28):
Your sex A chocolate says so beautiful?
Speaker 2 (46:44):
Don't you agree? Oh? Glass?
Speaker 1 (46:47):
Oh?
Speaker 2 (46:48):
Your top five R and B singers, Top five R
and B singers. So you said the R and B.
So we're talking about R and B.
Speaker 1 (46:59):
We're tall talking about R and B, but we are
also talking about those singers who are influential and instrumental
to you, to you, to Robert, Robert. Okay, I like,
do we get to safely say Robert's great.
Speaker 2 (47:21):
Top five singers all time, dead or alive? Yours? Stevie
half of the top Donny mm hmm, Kimberell, Yes. Blow.
Speaker 1 (47:43):
Oh this is really hard, Layla, Layla's a savage list, Laylasten.
I mean it's and I've seen blow terror room apart art.
He woldn't even stage that long. No, he's incredible, bro.
(48:07):
Most people haven't seen what I've seen because I've known
him for so long. I knew him when he was
kind of still saved.
Speaker 2 (48:13):
You know what I mean? However, because I used to.
Speaker 4 (48:16):
You know, his dad was a Muslim, mom's Baptist, so
he knows the Koran and and he was he used to.
I have seen the video knocking people out of church.
He's eleven.
Speaker 2 (48:28):
He was a healer. Yeah, he was an evangelist and healer.
Like it's deeper than most people know, got it, most
of God, most people? It makes sense.
Speaker 4 (48:37):
He used to be god man. He was Derek Holey
two point oh when I met him, he was eighteen,
Like it was crazy.
Speaker 1 (48:45):
Grade five, Yes, Top five Army songs your whole while
we wait album next, We'll make that.
Speaker 2 (49:01):
We'll make that one. That one just what you gotta cover.
Work around that.
Speaker 4 (49:05):
But you know, getting out of here Army song, a
lot of it, and for me is nostalgia because growing
up what my mom was playing and stuff, you know.
So I would definitely say one of the one of
the songs that made me want to play piano is
giving you the best that I got. M I need
a baker, Yeah, give you best I got. I had
forty five, I was in third grade, fourth grade.
Speaker 2 (49:27):
Wore that out. I can't help it. Michael Jackson, written
by Stevie Wonder. I wanted to that's another one.
Speaker 4 (49:35):
When I was in third grade, I used to unfold
the Off the Wall album and play it back forward
back for hours to sit there reading the line of notes.
I knew who Greag Philly Games was when I was
in third grade, and now he's my uncle grade game.
You know what I mean, Uncle Greg, Great Feeling Games.
I didn't know what that instrument was, but I knew.
I loved the roads. I know what it is now,
but I didn't know what it was. But that, bro,
(49:57):
you're not playing at this point. Oh no, no, we
didn't get to what age did you start playing? I
started playing with one finger Happy Birthday at church when.
Speaker 2 (50:04):
I was eleven.
Speaker 4 (50:04):
You just start playing to your eleven eleven and you're late,
super late. Another song from my childhood Isley Brothers smooth Sailing.
Speaker 2 (50:13):
That's Angela Wimbush wrote it smooth Sally anything that you
know from me? I love that song. It takes you
back to a place immediately. Don't listen to they know
about I don't know.
Speaker 1 (50:33):
Come on, Oh my god, that song is such a
good something man, Jesus, I'm like, what a song.
Speaker 2 (50:40):
That song will never get old.
Speaker 1 (50:41):
It will.
Speaker 2 (50:44):
So it always feels like a first listen, like, alright, man, it's.
Speaker 1 (50:49):
That was yeah, bro, let's create a vultron this oh
musical vultron. All Right, your super your you're super R
and B artist, Right, We want to know who you're
going to get the vocal from.
Speaker 2 (51:00):
Mm hmmm.
Speaker 1 (51:00):
Who you're going to get to performance style from, who
you're gonna get the styling from. Who are you going
to get the passion of the artist, the heart of
the artists?
Speaker 2 (51:08):
Right? Mm hmmm mm hmm. And who's going to play
for that artist? Hmmm?
Speaker 1 (51:15):
Who's going to m d that band? Empty the band?
So let's start off with the vocal. You get one
vocal to build your super R and B Stavis.
Speaker 4 (51:25):
You know why because like when you say Stevie, it's
like which Stevie, because there's a million of them.
Speaker 2 (51:30):
He doesn't have one Stevie voice. There's a million. He
misses it. He misses it. No tempo, no year, no
year period.
Speaker 1 (51:38):
Okay, performance style Michael Jackson, see Michael Jackson.
Speaker 4 (51:45):
Okay, just purely when you walk out on stage going crazy.
No one has the Michael Jackson effect.
Speaker 2 (51:55):
No, you stand there and watch them.
Speaker 4 (51:56):
You just fucking stand there before you even do anything.
You stand there and then you start doing stuff. We
all got to stand there. And from Michael Jackson.
Speaker 2 (52:06):
Absolutely, it doesn't always go the way he went with
Michael Jackson. But but come on, I haven't seen a
couple niggas standing there and be like, have you ever
seen his life? It's the styling of the artists, like
what they're wearing.
Speaker 4 (52:19):
Ye can't do Michael twice, I like, you can't whatever
you want just just for the sake of just just
for the sake of, like, you know, just some different ship.
Speaker 2 (52:30):
Let me just see, let me see. That might be fun, Prince,
might be fun. Me, Michael, Prince, that might be fun.
Speaker 1 (52:40):
That could be fun. This is great, Now, this is great.
It's great because of because of because of the first two.
You don't to accept whatever he has that for sure,
whatever whatever, that level of talent, and.
Speaker 4 (52:55):
He's going to bring his guitar and you don't even
know what part of what it's going to be when
he shows up.
Speaker 2 (52:59):
You have no idea, Michael, you kind of know what
the vibe is. Yeah, Prince, you don't Prince gonna bring
to work with him too. He's gonna bring them. He's
gonna bring to you. Feel me here. Ain't got a
couple you feel me with him? No, he's not ice.
You gotta have some of your feel me. He keeps me,
Apo keeps you know, I mean, you know what I mean.
(53:19):
And Lisa I met him, want Sheila. He had like
eleven your filmies. Yeah, and it all had on yellow Yeah. Yeah, yeah,
my tay you feel Yeah, it's all ly here.
Speaker 1 (53:32):
You know what I mean.
Speaker 2 (53:32):
I got on your and you feel me right now?
I have one of your feel you feel me? Yeah,
I like that. The passion of the artists, the heart
of the artists who mean it. James Brown.
Speaker 1 (53:46):
A man this my no, no, no, I'm not even
my You got the an alphol five, I mean both
round of all times. Yeah, Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, James Brown,
all all pioneers, absolutely, all changed the game, all some
(54:09):
point change all pioneers. Who's the m D for this artist,
who's making.
Speaker 2 (54:15):
It all go?
Speaker 1 (54:16):
Right?
Speaker 2 (54:18):
I might the m D might be Earth Winding Fire.
Have them do the music? Oh my god, because I
just it's Adam Blackstone, you know, going in fire show,
you know how to do a show. Yes you feel me.
First time I saw earth When the Fire Alive, I
(54:39):
was like, what the fuck is going on?
Speaker 1 (54:46):
How many members are in earth Winning Fire? It's only
but it's only four though, something like that.
Speaker 2 (54:54):
Like Maurice he was he was the the little Verdine
Philip Philip, And then I think it's just yeah, that
was but.
Speaker 4 (55:10):
On, Yeah, they're on, that's everywhere. That was my second
concert ever. Michael Jackson was my first. I was seven.
I was twelve when I saw Earthline Fire. My mom
made me go see them. She said, you want to
be a musician.
Speaker 2 (55:23):
Right.
Speaker 4 (55:24):
It was Saturday morning. She woke me up, Come on,
we're going to see Earthlin the Fire. That the Houston Rodeo.
And I was like, Mom, sleep, I don't want to go.
Stay boy, get your ass up. Then goes the Earthly Fire.
Momm good, you want to be a musician. She almost
spanked me for not wanting to get up and go.
Speaker 2 (55:40):
She made me go shout out to your mom. Absolutely,
but all right, Rob, we can't let you leave this. Ye,
yeah we can't. We can't. Yeah, We're gonna give them.
Ain't saying no Nick, ain't saying no name, no names.
(56:07):
Don't say I ain't saying.
Speaker 1 (56:18):
Whoa Oh my god, so right now, very important segment
of the show. Yeah, I ain't saying no names.
Speaker 2 (56:29):
Right. Will you tell us a story funny or fucked up?
Are funny and fucked up? Yes? You know what I mean?
Speaker 1 (56:38):
These travels, Yeah, these jazz, R and B travels, hip hop,
hip hop, be bop by dibbity bop, all of that,
all of every genre.
Speaker 2 (56:49):
Everything you got to Grammy.
Speaker 1 (56:54):
Of Robert Glasper, the things you've seen, things you might
have experienced that was and fucked up.
Speaker 2 (57:05):
Don't rule to the game. You can't say no name,
no namest rule to the game. Gotcha? Okay, So I'm
gonna and I guess this point there was no cell
phones allowed maybe, but I was doing a gig. I
(57:25):
was doing a gig.
Speaker 4 (57:27):
Let's leave it at that, and I don't think there
were any cell phones allowed that and that's why.
Speaker 2 (57:33):
But this particular singer was also uh uh I had
a church? Was R and B singer? Okay, but was preaching.
I know they had a church or yeah maybe they did,
maybe they didn't don't know.
Speaker 4 (57:52):
And uh, this person was actually on a TV show
I had just saw I was talking about the religious
part of this person's life now, like you know.
Speaker 2 (58:03):
Or religious. Yeah.
Speaker 4 (58:05):
I was like, oh man, that's great. I just saw
it like the night before. So I'm doing this show
and this person shows up to the show. I was like,
oh man, this is great, big fan.
Speaker 2 (58:18):
And so I'm playing the person sitting in the front row.
I'm doing my show.
Speaker 4 (58:25):
So at the end of the show, I hit this
vamp and I kind of sitting to the person like
you want to sing, and they're like okay, sure, and
they come up and they say, everybody's grown in here, right,
oh yeah, yeah, like yeah, And then the first words
the person saying was the first lyrics were I don't
(58:49):
mind hair in my teeth. That's the first who first thing,
mind you. I'm sure everybody in this room knows that
this person is now a preacher, like that was a
it was a thing. So I'm not thinking that's what's
(59:09):
going to come out of this person's mouth. But this
this person continues to talk about uh eating pussy for
about ten minutes in song form. And when that happens,
another person who I didn't know was there that is
(59:32):
in the gospel world big time. In the gospel world,
runs to the stage, jumps on stage, grabs the mic
from that said person and praise for him, no way,
(59:53):
praise for him, gives the mic back, runs back off stage,
and that was end of my show.
Speaker 2 (01:00:01):
It was so amazing. That is great. It will be
more amazing if you you the names but can't say
the name. Not saying the names.
Speaker 4 (01:00:07):
What that's the most recent the recent funny like seriously
funny thing. And the fact that like there were no
phones really so it was even more like you have
to be there. Yeah, it's a urban legend.
Speaker 2 (01:00:23):
Yeah, absolutely, it was great. Don't mind getting hair in
your teeth? The first line, first line, you mind getting
hair in my teeth? Are you biting the is everybody
grown in here? I like to bite it. You never
like a little bite?
Speaker 1 (01:00:42):
Man.
Speaker 2 (01:00:43):
I never met one that is great and then didn't
know bullet.
Speaker 1 (01:00:54):
Man.
Speaker 2 (01:00:58):
Okay, not you. Why I gotta I know a singer
(01:01:23):
that sound like that.
Speaker 1 (01:01:24):
Man.
Speaker 2 (01:01:25):
We ain't saying no name. Brother, Robert Glaser, Yes, man,
we love you, brother. Appreciate you absolutely. Absolutely, We appreciate man.
You appreciate keeping what we love and what we do
(01:01:52):
in the forefront. Yeah.
Speaker 4 (01:01:53):
Absolutely, thank you for having me on there. Thank you
for having us getting it out in the world. Take
I want to do a song with you. What do
you mean as soon as okay? Good letting the world
know this right here. That's because you see it. I'm
saying I would like to grab me. I'm saying I
would like to I don't believe together. Yeah, I think
we could do that. I'm really serious, pretty sure for sure.
Speaker 1 (01:02:15):
No, and and in thanking you brother even for just
being just a solid guy to So for those that
don't know I ran up on Glass, I'm knowing to
run up on people.
Speaker 2 (01:02:29):
It's kind of thing.
Speaker 1 (01:02:31):
If I fuck with you, if I with you, I'm
gonna run up on you. I'm gonna tell you how
dope you are. And I'm going to invite you to
the podcast. So I'm at the you know, the Adam Blackstone,
Miss Diddy shut out, shout out amazing artists that come
up there and perform, and you grace the stage that night,
(01:02:51):
and I was like, and it's funny thing is, yes,
I will run up on people that I know, usually
like you know, if it's my homie.
Speaker 2 (01:02:59):
But we didn't know each other. We didn't know each other.
Speaker 1 (01:03:01):
And I'm like, you know what, I'm gonna say, how
talented this man is for one, which I have no
problem with giving people their problems, but then also I'm
going to say, hey man.
Speaker 2 (01:03:12):
We need you on this podcast. We respect what you do.
Speaker 1 (01:03:18):
BT respect what this man does, and you know, invite
him to the BT Awards and the Soul Trained Awards
and every other award that y'all do.
Speaker 2 (01:03:25):
I have a war and you have one. Yeah, I forgot.
I have one for Black Radio the year where your
docum to the wars to get it, No, man, but
I once radio. I forget what the category was. I
think it was.
Speaker 4 (01:03:42):
I feel like it was Best Jazz Album, but you
know what I mean. But I have the Silver Train,
like the actual award, and it was when Don Liz.
Speaker 2 (01:03:49):
Was still alive. That's the train right there. Yeah, I
forgot about that, man.
Speaker 1 (01:03:56):
But yes, brother, thank you because you know you kept
your word. I ran upon you, I said, a bro.
And the funny thing is when I ran up on
you was like Jay Valentine, I knew you. I love.
Speaker 2 (01:04:07):
I've been wanting to get in the podcast.
Speaker 4 (01:04:09):
I've been with people and they've been telling like I
one time I was with Brian He's like, yeah, I'm
doing the podcast tomorrow R and B. I was like,
one time I was stokely and he literally I brought
him out here to do something, or yeah, okay, he
was performing with me somebody.
Speaker 2 (01:04:24):
So it worked the same time.
Speaker 4 (01:04:25):
Like there have been so many people that are about
to go do you'all podcast, I was like, I want
to do that podcast.
Speaker 2 (01:04:30):
I'm really glad y'all inviting me on here. Thank you,
I appreciate you, thank you for thank you for pulling
up on absolutely.
Speaker 1 (01:04:36):
My name is Tank, I'm Jay Valentine and this is
the Army Money podcast.
Speaker 2 (01:04:40):
The authority on all things R and B and.
Speaker 1 (01:04:45):
Traditional progressive whatever A n B all all R and
B super first grade himself.
Speaker 2 (01:04:56):
I'm not gonna get a shirt that's super first grade.
Speaker 1 (01:05:01):
R and B Money. R and B Money is a
production of the Black Effect podcast Network. For more podcasts
from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever
you listen to your favorite shows. Don't forget to subscribe
to and rate our show, and you can connect with
us on social media at Jy Valentine and at the
(01:05:22):
Real Tank. For the extended episode, subscribe to YouTube dot
com forward slash R and B money
R and B Money, Honey, we are thank take out
the child. We are the authority on all R and B.
Speaker 2 (00:18):
Ladies and gentlemen. My name is Tank Who this the
Army Money podcast exquisite, the authority? Oh what on all
things R and B? Man?
Speaker 3 (00:32):
Uh, your musicianship, your professionalism, and your education is in
question today?
Speaker 2 (00:42):
Yes it is. Because he's here? Who without? Who? Keep going?
Because he's here? Who he's here? Who the fuck is here? Robert?
(01:02):
Rob Ship Robert.
Speaker 1 (01:06):
Let's let's paint the scene before we get into the test.
Speaker 2 (01:09):
Let's paint the scene. Let's get into it. You win a.
Speaker 1 (01:13):
Grabby fitty, right, you win his flip pace, his flowers celebration,
and then.
Speaker 2 (01:30):
You look on social media you're big mangled by Team Breezy.
Speaker 1 (01:37):
They on your shout out to a little brother, Chris
Broun shot the team your ass full transparency. I'm like,
how did Robert and coulds end up in the same
section at the club?
Speaker 2 (01:54):
How does it even happen? And I'm sure Roberts sexual ladies.
What I don't want no bottles. I don't know bottles.
I don't want no bottle. I don't mean no one.
I have no idea I don't have to.
Speaker 1 (02:10):
Give it to that. Explain, explain, explain your yeah, yourself
at the So the funny funny part is so.
Speaker 4 (02:23):
That actually that actually happened with one of your friends
the first time I won R and BR by the year,
because I won it in twenty twelve, So let's just
be clear.
Speaker 2 (02:33):
That's the second time.
Speaker 4 (02:34):
So eleven years ago I won for Black Radio one
and I was up against Tyrese and I heard he
wasn't too happy about that. Somebody told me they were
with him at the Grammys and before they announced who
the winner is, he stood up, And that was before
(03:03):
I was on. I wasn't I didn't get on I
g T twenty sixteen or something like that. I wasn't
even on Twitter and stuff. But you know, but I'm
used to that makes sense, you know. Tyresee sings slow,
sultry music. He does implore the great musicians to do,
you know, have them with his thing.
Speaker 2 (03:22):
You're you're in that. So here's the thing. So here's
the thing.
Speaker 4 (03:27):
Me and Chris Brown were in the in the traditional
R and B category, right, that was that was a
category tradition.
Speaker 2 (03:33):
He should have been in the progressive. He doesn't even
know what he wants. He's like, I think, what what?
Speaker 4 (03:37):
No, because I have no because my other two, the
other the other two that are in R and B
are both R and B songs. So I still have
two R and B song Grammys, and one of them
is a credit progressive and one of them is traditional.
Speaker 2 (03:50):
Of course, so I wasn't trying to do a bar.
I was just saying I have always have them. So
my brother, technically, I think we were in the tradition category.
Speaker 4 (04:01):
Chris should have been in the progressive category, you know
what I mean, because if you're really doing traditional, my
album had all real instruments, yes, no attitude.
Speaker 2 (04:11):
Yeah, I was traditional traditional. Now technically people are like,
you shouldn't have been in the category.
Speaker 4 (04:16):
You shouldn't have. I should have because that's the album idea.
I didn't R and B record, you know what I mean. Now,
I'm a jazz musician also, so when I do a
jazz record, unfortunately I'm not. Unfortunately, I go and it's
a big house, and I go black music is a
big house, and I like to go room the room,
you know what I mean. And so sometimes I like
to go into the jazz room. Sometime I like to
go into the hip hop rooms. Sometimes I like to
(04:36):
go into the R and B room, you know what
I mean. So these records are like R and B records,
you know what I mean. Now, So it's more I
feel like in that sense, Chris should have been in
the in the more progressive R and B. You know
what I mean that in that sense, you know what
I mean. So when I saw I was in the
category with him, I also was like, oh, snap, you know.
(04:57):
And I also was like, oop, I'm not winning, you
know what I mean? No, but true transparency, I thought
Mary was gonna win.
Speaker 2 (05:04):
I was.
Speaker 4 (05:05):
I was prepared for Mary to win because her album
was a good record, and I feel like the campaign
behind the record was very very very very strong, and
she's Mary, you know what I mean, And I just
felt like she was going to win. I didn't write
no thank you speech, no nothing, because I just knew.
I even made a video saying all right, y'all, I'm
gonna lose, watch me lose.
Speaker 2 (05:25):
That's probably what you want, you know what I mean.
I just to make sure whenever I get nominated, that's
what I do, you know.
Speaker 4 (05:33):
No, Honestly, like even when I won for Black Radio
one back in two thousand and twelve, I didn't think
I was gonna nominated. For Me and my record company
got into argument because they wanted me to put it
in the jazz category. Case, you know, you put your
album where you think it's supposed to be. They wanted
me to put it in jazz category cause they said
that the jazz people know me and you know that
I was a Jeniat beforehand in jazz records, but I
(05:54):
purposely went on to it with Maxwell for three years
before that record and did the dance with you know different.
I was in the R and B room for a
long times. I was also Bellows mus the director for
nine years since he started. We were the Calls Together. Yeah,
so me and with the Calls together his first songs.
We rolled him in my dorm room for his first album.
You know allows my longest, my longest collaborator, my favorite
(06:16):
and longest collaborator, you know what I mean.
Speaker 2 (06:18):
So here's the question. Have you won a Jazz Grammy. No,
I've been nominated for Jazz Album of the Year. I
wondered about this.
Speaker 4 (06:26):
I've been nominated for Jazz Record of the Year, but
I've never won the first Grammy I ever won, no
I've I've also been nominated for Best Progressive.
Speaker 2 (06:38):
Alternative.
Speaker 4 (06:39):
When there was an alternative it was called Urban Alternative
in two thousand and nine.
Speaker 2 (06:43):
There was an Urban.
Speaker 4 (06:44):
Alternative before they put out because you know, the progressive
the progressive category came after Black Radio. When I won that,
then they made a progressive category R and B progressive, you.
Speaker 2 (06:53):
Know, so you made them.
Speaker 4 (06:55):
I pretty much opened that door. Yeah, just me trying
to keep throwing bars. But that's what happened. Boy, that's
what happened, you know what I mean. Sean's also Michelle Decachello, Yeah,
because she really it was the reason why there was
an alternative Urban Alternative category because she went in there
campaigned for it because of her music. That's why there
(07:15):
was an urban alternative category. And I was in there,
me and Belada the song called All Matter on my
on one of my records, do it in that time
in two thousand and nine. That that was my first nomination.
And then that was basically out of the box R
and B for bot people, you know what I mean,
because we were always putting a certain box. If you
want to do R and B if it don't sound
like this, then you you can't Winogrammy.
Speaker 2 (07:34):
You know what I mean. That's a big reason why
we wanted you here.
Speaker 1 (07:36):
Yeah, because you also represent other side of contemporary are
more popular R and B in that space, pop R
and B or hip hop r and B. Like you said,
you know, they they were in a sense creating and
finding sub genres of R and B for you to
(08:03):
fit it absolutely the music that you were making and
what you were bringing to R and B.
Speaker 4 (08:08):
Because if you listen to it, it's not necessarily jazz.
Because they want to make everything I do jazz because
my first few records are jazz record so they tend
people tend to think everything I do is jazz. It's like, no,
everything is not all the way jazz. I'm a jazz
musician as well. But I can make an R and
B album. I can produce an R and B record.
Speaker 1 (08:24):
But also then I think that you know, I think
the Grammys are working on it, trying to figure out
how to identify all of these things, because R and
B at this point is so many things, and it
should be and it just is.
Speaker 2 (08:43):
And so the.
Speaker 1 (08:46):
People who are figuring out these these categories have to
be very well versed in understanding what the difference is,
what the very differences are. You have a full live
R and B album that is as traditional as it gets,
it gets p J.
Speaker 4 (09:06):
Mortin's album Live Musicians. I'm not the only one in
the category that's like that exactly.
Speaker 1 (09:12):
So it's like with you two in the category is
like that makes sense absolutely, But then you have Chris Brown.
Even even Mary I wouldn't put so much in that
traditional space because she didn't make a traditional R and
B album.
Speaker 2 (09:26):
She made R and B as we know it. But
it's still progressive for.
Speaker 4 (09:29):
Us because technically Mind is progressive too, because it because
what would you when you listen to the album, it's
in a sense it's progressive because it's not. It's also
not a traditional record with the hip hop stuff I'm
mixing in there and how you know.
Speaker 2 (09:44):
Yeah, but it's it's it's it's hard to it's still
traditional though. I hear what you're saying. That's why I wasn't.
That's why I feel like if anybody because.
Speaker 1 (09:52):
Because if we're calling Chris Brown progressive, then your albums
are like our nine Day.
Speaker 4 (09:59):
I feel like it's progressive because most of its AutoTunes.
Also because of the production. It is more progressive, you
know what I mean production production. First of all, let
me be clear, not that he needs it needs altitude,
but I know you said it's the texture, the sound
more progressive for sure in that sense, you.
Speaker 2 (10:17):
Know what I mean. But but it's it's so sonic.
It's the drums used. It's huge. But people the way
we're talking, people in those rooms don't know how to
do that.
Speaker 1 (10:27):
But people in those rooms should know. It should if
it's those rooms, tasted room for me in those rooms, sorry, camera,
(10:50):
we'll spilled over. It's spilled over, spilled over exactly. The
people in those rooms these are and and and maybe
they are and we don't know what the rooms, but
ultimately they change over time, and they have to change
through us and through.
Speaker 2 (11:10):
Us promoting membership and being a part of it.
Speaker 4 (11:14):
Now they just added another category. I believe it's for
me again. It's literally this new category just came, just came,
it's starting now. It's it's a category called.
Speaker 2 (11:26):
What is it called I'll turn into something something something.
Speaker 4 (11:30):
Basically, the category says a category that mixes jazz, hip hop,
R and B with vocals or without vocals, and basically
that that's what I am.
Speaker 2 (11:42):
You it's me they that's what that's what it is. Section. Yeah,
so that team breezy because then it really don't jump you. Yes,
in that scenario though, I should have been on the
losing end of that. I should have been the one like,
why am I in? You know what I mean? Well,
we can't call that because Grammys is as we're you know,
(12:02):
as as we had.
Speaker 1 (12:03):
To learn, you know what I mean and doing the
education of it. It's like some of it is impact,
some of it is success, and in these in these
different occasions, it's not any of that, right, very true,
none of it where a bass player can take album
(12:24):
of theater and you're like, who's Robert? You see what
I'm saying. So there are those moments. But I think it's,
like you said, representing in those rooms. And I think
the responsibility is on us as well, because our participation
is needed in terms of trying to to help. They
(12:44):
would welcome our voices in our and our opinions, you know,
and obviously that's a that's part of our job. That's
part of our job. Even with this this podcast, yes
to you know, like I run into people on the
streets every day. Literally that are just you know, I
learned this from the podcast. I learned that from the podcast.
Hopefully they learned from the podcast. Listen, join the Grammys
(13:06):
if you have you know what I mean, if you
know anyone that is actively in the music business and
you can get you know, not what is it, I
don't know the term of it is slipping my mind
right now. But when someone gets you an invite, and
if you can figure out a way to get you
an invite and become a member of the Grammys, you should,
(13:27):
and now your voice will be heard and you can
start running for positions within the Grammys to you know,
to help and be on the boards and all these
other things. Like it's it's a job, so you can't
be mad at the people who actually do the job.
Speaker 2 (13:43):
Absolutely, and that's a good problem to have. That means,
that means the music is changing, it's moving, it's growing,
it's breathing, you know, it's not staying still.
Speaker 1 (13:50):
Yeah, but you know, I've been in the musicment it's
a really long time, and probably the last four to
five years is when I was really introduced to Neris
and the Grammy boards and the committees and that whole
thing and how to get how to be a part
and how to really have real membership in the last
four or five years of my career, which is crazy.
Speaker 2 (14:10):
I've been in this shit a long time. So because
we didn't have platforms like this that were telling us
like no, no, no, no, no, you can go there
and be, you know, absolute part of it. So did
you ever talk to Chris? Yeah, so we we.
Speaker 4 (14:24):
He sent me a message really nice, you know, apology.
I think he posted on this thing too, but apology.
And then we talked a little bit after it and
he was like, man, you know, you know, he's like
I was. He basically said he was down to work
and I would love to work Chris super talented, you know.
Speaker 2 (14:38):
I mean, I would love to work with Chris Brown.
Speaker 1 (14:41):
You know. So I think his fans would love it too.
And I think that you know, it was you were
right here in the middle. Yeah, you know, of his kids,
of him being overlooked a whole lot.
Speaker 4 (14:54):
But the funny thing is I didn't have my phone
on me because my in real life, I didn't try
on my tuxedo for the Grammys till the morning of
the Grammys m because it was the Taxila that water
a year before at the Oscars, and you.
Speaker 2 (15:07):
Thought that you were in the same Boom shade. There
we go, but I actually lost weight. Oh that's what
I'm I like that dude. The pants were too big. Wow. Wow.
He always loves to.
Speaker 1 (15:23):
Go back to my Steve Harvey suits every time he
gets a chance. Every time he gets a chance, keep going, Robert,
disrespect is gonna it's gonna stop.
Speaker 2 (15:32):
It was just a family feud. So look, my pants
are too big.
Speaker 4 (15:45):
So we ended up having to clip paper clips on
the side of my pants to go to the Grammys.
When I ended up winning, I jumped up and the
paper clips went their way. So I'm running up to
the stage. As soon as I get up there, I said,
I'm sorry, y'all my pants my paper clips fell out,
not paper clips, what do you call them?
Speaker 2 (16:03):
The safety pants?
Speaker 4 (16:05):
And I had to hold my pants up the whole night,
literally keep one hand like in my pockets.
Speaker 2 (16:09):
Didn't look cool. You look like a nigga who was
ready to fight. Boom Exactly. I put it up his
fans exactly. You know about having it, But what do
you say.
Speaker 1 (16:24):
So? Because if you get the slacked in between your thighs,
you really can't get your stance right.
Speaker 2 (16:34):
Black people love to adjust when we're about to fight,
when we adjust everything anything. You taking all that stuff,
getting the away, getting to see those.
Speaker 4 (16:51):
Jacket didn't have pockets, and I couldn't hold my pant
the phone in my pockets because I had to hold
them up. It's too heavy for my pants. So I
had like my assistant holding my phone the whole night.
I didn't even know none this was happening until I'm
during the actual Grammy doing the televised portion and some
people were like, yo, you're trending, and I was like what,
And then I was like, yo, get my phone.
Speaker 2 (17:12):
Then I saw all the text and all the things
and what it was. I was like five number five
trending on Grammy night. I was like, oh my god.
I was like, this is a blessing. I was happy.
I was like, this couldn't have worked out.
Speaker 1 (17:23):
Take it.
Speaker 2 (17:25):
This worked out?
Speaker 1 (17:26):
Ever.
Speaker 2 (17:26):
Make the t shirts? Oh, absolutely sold out. I need one.
I sold out of it. But I just made some
more from my festival than Napoo that I do on July.
Because I do a festival. Yeah, I do a festival.
We never get host host. Oh you'll be invited now
and y'all should do the R and B. Did she
do the podcast there? I like, Naple, I'm like, let's.
Speaker 4 (17:49):
Do you're from the bank, y'all heard it first. I'm
gonna ask next year. You know you just asked jazz Nap.
Speaker 2 (17:55):
Now what you meant year? It's in July July? What July?
Speaker 4 (18:00):
Well, normally it's like twenty nine thirty, okay, so it
just passed. We just said the next year.
Speaker 2 (18:04):
Okay, boom. I would love that anyway. So let's get
into let's get into who where in the where the
who issues? What the fuck? I'm from Houston, Texas. Yeah,
born and raised and love. Yeah.
Speaker 4 (18:22):
I was raising watching my mom do that. She had
the rehearsals at the house with the with the with
the cats and the musicians and stuff. So I was
just all the ways around music all the time. I
went to the High School for Performing Artists where I
met be Cos. You know, I actually met be Cocks
before that. We're in the competition together, but were in
high school together too. We're in high school together, but
I met him in eighth grade at a at a
talent competition. He had a band hit, a group called
(18:44):
business or pleasure.
Speaker 2 (18:47):
Whatever you want. Okay, business in the front, yeah, pleasure. No,
shout to becots.
Speaker 4 (19:08):
But we met in the talent competition that he told
me at that time, Yo, you should come to the
high school performing Arts.
Speaker 2 (19:13):
I didn't even heard of it. In the audition and
I got in me because Beyonce was there with us.
Yeah yeah, you know, and you know pros time.
Speaker 4 (19:27):
So it was fun because I used to pick Brian
up for school every morning, Me and Brian and my
boy Troy pick him up for school every morning. And
I'll be playing my jazz stuff, my Herbie Hancock, my career,
you know, my JA in high school and Brian would
be playing the R and B stuff and tell me
what's new coming out? And he was a line of
note freak, you know what I mean. So even back
then in high school, read the line of note of
this that. So that's where our music things like, you know,
(19:48):
co existed, you know, and that's where I learned a
lot of R and B stuff and understanding this and that,
and you know, one to the studio with him, and
in high school and Greg Hurtis, you know, we're at
high school, you know, shout to Greg. So yeah, man,
I had a that was pretty much the fruit of everything.
Speaker 2 (20:04):
What is your intro into professionalism?
Speaker 1 (20:06):
For you?
Speaker 4 (20:07):
The intro to professionalism, I'll tell you my very I
don't think I've ever said this out loud and not
on the podcast anyway. Uh, I was in eleventh grade
and I'm in school. Uh, these people come to me,
they come into the classroom. That Robert the people. I
would need you to get out, go go on the hallway.
(20:28):
Jennifer Holiday is performing in Houston. Her piano player missed
the flight. She's performing in Houston that night. Piano player
missed the flight. They came and got me out of
school to go play with Jennifer piano with Jenma Holiday.
Speaker 2 (20:42):
So we noticed kid. Yeah, literally, that was my first
eleventh grade that can what to learn the show? Learned
the show. That was my first professional like on a
big scale.
Speaker 1 (20:54):
Hold on j Holliday, Okay, because she's not singing fifteen minutes, Nay,
she doing about hour and a half two hours a show.
You had to be reading music. Absolutely, you were reading
music at that level.
Speaker 4 (21:11):
And eleventh grade I had to play, to play in
big band, to play and all the things I was
in in school. My school is it's super high level.
You had to the test and everything. You had to
be at it. So when I got into college, it
was a joke. College honestly was was funny. I just
went to college just for because we had to know
so much in high school. Bro like seriously, So yeah,
I read, I read the show I did. We did this,
(21:32):
we did a sound check.
Speaker 2 (21:33):
Hold on, he's getting all my motherfucking mass this is yeah.
Speaker 4 (21:43):
I called my mom was like mo from the office
of school because there's no cell phones. So I was like, Mom,
I'm not coming home after school because I'm going to
play with Jennifer Holliday.
Speaker 2 (21:53):
She was like, first of all, my mom's a singer. Yeah,
so you know.
Speaker 1 (21:58):
What.
Speaker 2 (21:58):
Yeah, and the mess of thing is she had a
gig already that night, so my mom couldn't come.
Speaker 4 (22:02):
You know, my mom's work. She worked five days a week. No,
I'm sorry, six days a week and sometimes on Sunday nights,
but not really. But yeah, And that was my first
that was my first real like hello, you know, this
is it?
Speaker 1 (22:17):
This is it?
Speaker 4 (22:18):
And then I got I got a full scholars with
the Berkeley in eleventh grade and the New School in Manhattan,
so I chose the New School because it's in New York.
Speaker 2 (22:41):
So what is the New School? Like, we're very.
Speaker 4 (22:44):
The New School is a it's a conservatory in New York,
and it's the New School is the umbrella. And under
that they have a liberal arts school called Eugene Lane,
and they have an art school called Pratt and then
and then they have the New School, which is sorry, man,
It's College of Music, which is the music part, and
it's pretty much a jazz conservatory. That's where I met
(23:06):
bala our first day of school. He was there for
jazz voice, for jazz vocal and uh, and you were
studying I was studying jazz pan jaz. And then the
first day of school, they put all the freshmen in
the room and they put you on stage based upon
your scores when you auditioned.
Speaker 2 (23:24):
And they put me in.
Speaker 4 (23:24):
Balaoup together on stage the very first day of school
and we did the song together.
Speaker 2 (23:29):
And after that it was like, I'm sure you and
I had the highest school.
Speaker 1 (23:33):
And after that, let's put the exceptional people and then
are you like whoever was in the crowd, he probably
wasn't you know what whatever, And it was like oh, oh, oh, okay,
so soon if one of our guests comes on, they
were like, yeah, I once in a new school, and
yeah I watched.
Speaker 2 (23:54):
You weren't were your scores were scoring? The scores weren't
scoring or snoring scoring with snoring.
Speaker 1 (24:08):
That I'm so tripped out right now about that eleventh
grade two hour billy holiday show.
Speaker 2 (24:14):
Jennifer Holliday, I'm sorry that the chart after chart. Yeah,
that's great. That's crazy when I am telling you all
the things.
Speaker 4 (24:24):
But the good thing about it is, since my mom
was a singer, I didn't heard all these heard before.
Speaker 2 (24:29):
So here's the other part.
Speaker 1 (24:30):
To the people you know, as you're as you're a
learned and study musician, you also.
Speaker 2 (24:34):
Play by ear.
Speaker 1 (24:35):
Absolutely started off because because that's because there's a difference, right.
I know a lot of guys who have the studied information,
but when it comes to feel.
Speaker 2 (24:46):
It's gone, it's not there. It's just you don't believe them.
I don't believe that. I don't believe you. So did
you play for extra credit or did you get paid?
Speaker 1 (24:54):
Oh?
Speaker 2 (24:55):
The gig they called me from school, but now were
out of school with the gig is a gig. I
got paid.
Speaker 1 (25:00):
It's very few guys that I've seen with the education
and the feel like Tim Carmon in the field is
one of the first guys because we're all out of
the DC area that I saw that was like extremely studied,
Like you know, we're doing that dream Girl soundtrack and
(25:21):
he's like, okay, yeah, I'm ready.
Speaker 2 (25:25):
Yeah, when you're ready.
Speaker 4 (25:27):
That's what I tell all the cats from church, just
so many, so many incredible, incredibly talented people. But if
you don't know how to read, you reach a certain feeling,
a certain ceiling, and that ceiling you can only reach
a certain amount of money. M you can't call yourself
the music director of this and that. If you don't
know how to read, pick up a book, you know
what I mean? You know I mean, now you can
(25:49):
finagle it. And if you know, if you got your friend.
Speaker 2 (25:51):
That know how to write, you know right now to
transcribe for youscrib about thank you AI.
Speaker 4 (25:59):
You know what I mean, certain things, You got a
certain certain situation. You gotta know how to read, you
gotta know how to write, You got to know how
to do these different things, you know. So so yeah,
it's important. It's like I said, it doesn't ceiling your
reach where you just become the killing musician. Everybody's killing
now what everybody's good?
Speaker 2 (26:16):
You know what I mean? What else you got? You
know what I mean? What else do you have? It
is my thing, wow, because if you don't even have
your own.
Speaker 4 (26:23):
Sound, you just sound good. That goes with singing and playing.
You know, everybody sounds good now, that's the standard. If
you don't sound good, it's your fault. Now, especially with
all the information out there, all the tools out there
and just all the lessons you need are online. If
you suck, it's your fault, you know. But after you
learn the tools into your camera.
Speaker 2 (26:43):
If you suck, you.
Speaker 4 (26:44):
Suck, it's your fault. All the tools are out there
for you to be good at your instrument. Whatever youment
is your throat, your hands, whatever you do, all the
tools are out there. So if you're not at least good,
it's your fault.
Speaker 2 (26:57):
Period. That's it.
Speaker 4 (27:00):
Now that you can go further and everybody doesn't have
a sound, And that's what I look for when I
hear musicians or I hear singers, or like, what do
you what story are you telling? I've heard that story
before totally better than you, you know what I mean.
But if you're telling your own story, I can't hear
that before or like, that's your story to you. That's
why I I'll take a singer who's who's who has
(27:20):
something to say, versus the greatest singer who's sing what's
already been said. I don't care about that sounds the same,
you know what I mean that that that sound? You know,
that's what I was telling them about talking about you.
Why you wait trying to tell you Tank, that's one
of my favorite bro. That that that's just you and vocals.
Speaker 2 (27:41):
That's it.
Speaker 4 (27:42):
No auto tune, no producers messing it up, no sounds,
no nothing, just you and the keys, pure talent, pure
honest story. Every song's amazing. The singing, the songwriting, every
the plan, the plan, it's all great.
Speaker 2 (28:01):
Bro, Yeah, it's incredible. I didn't want, you know. J
J forced me to do it good. Absolutely, that's what
That's the thing that nobody can't do that.
Speaker 1 (28:10):
You called me one morning said, listen, Bro, this was
like the eighteenth idea because he's gonna get me with
twenty five singing.
Speaker 2 (28:17):
The morning He's like, Bro, and you should do like
an EP you piano, like just.
Speaker 1 (28:24):
Just rocket EP right, just right, now while the world
is down and everybody trying to figure it out. I said, Jay,
I don't feel like doing the EP. I'm just chilling,
relaxing in the house, like I ain't bother nobody. No,
So I said no to like all eighteen ideas, right,
I'll call you late, all right, So we get off
the phone and I just.
Speaker 2 (28:41):
Walk over to the piano.
Speaker 1 (28:44):
And I just start playing music and I called Jay
back about fifteen minutes. I was like, Okay, I'm gonna
do it. I hear, I hear whatever you said. Jumped
into the universe and ran over to my house and
hit me over the head and said.
Speaker 2 (29:03):
Yeah, yeah, that's how I felt about Jamie Fox. I
want him to do that too. I said that for years.
Oh no, he would love to. I've never met him.
I just he would love to do that. He should do.
Speaker 4 (29:13):
That's where he lives, that's where he lived in his
comedy shows he was doing because I remember the first
time he did when I saw him do that, and
he imitated blow at one one of those things. He
did a prince thing and then he went into a
blow yeah thing, and I called aloud, like, yo.
Speaker 2 (29:26):
Jamie Fox is imitated He's like what I was like,
I was like, you made it. He's like, why that's
his voice? Boy? But when Jamie would do that the shows,
I'd be like, oh man, that's that's like, couldn't be
it's real. That's just that was his separation too, literally,
(29:49):
the separation from everybody because everybody's using the same tools
to make the same songs.
Speaker 4 (29:54):
You're hearing the same songs over and over again, and
the same tools. When you're sitting at the pian just
you and your voice, you can't hide behind nothing at all,
none at all, nothing at all.
Speaker 1 (30:05):
Okay, So Billy, I mean, Jennifer Holiday, the first gig,
your first big check, yep.
Speaker 2 (30:13):
What's next after that? What does that lead you to?
Speaker 4 (30:16):
So that led me to I mean, I still you know.
When I was high school, I was playing three churches.
I was playing seven Da Adventist Church on Saturdays Saturdays,
Catholic Church early Sunday morning, and then Baptist Church around
the corner from the Catholic Church at eleven.
Speaker 2 (30:28):
How different is each church musically? Well, lucky for me,
all those three churches I played for were super hip.
It was like a movie.
Speaker 4 (30:40):
The Catholic Church Saint Mark's shout out Kim Roych she
passed away, who's the choir director. She was a jazz
singer and the preacher, the priest love jazz, so we
would go in and switch up all the stuff into
jazzy stuff. So was it your normal kind of Some
things were normal Catholic church. Some of the hymns they
(31:01):
want to keep sacred, but most of the stuff we
tore it up.
Speaker 2 (31:05):
Man.
Speaker 4 (31:06):
And we would get invited to like different like you know,
choir choir, choir days or you know, choir concerts.
Speaker 2 (31:11):
Will be the only Catholic church there. Wow.
Speaker 4 (31:14):
And then they were selling them like next Saint Mark's
Cothlic church. I'd be like Catholic church and we go
up there and get crazy.
Speaker 2 (31:21):
And her husband was amazing bass players, Dereck royight Man,
he was oh man, we would kill him. It was
it was. It was crazy.
Speaker 4 (31:26):
So anyway, that was my situation there was. It was
Dough and be Cox. I had him singing in every church.
He was in the choir at every church I played that.
Speaker 2 (31:34):
He was in the choir. Say, he was every every church.
Speaker 4 (31:37):
And his first gig on piano was because I couldn't
do the at his first gig on piano was at
my Catholic church because I couldn't do a Christmas program,
so I had to teach him Hallelujah, the Christy Jones version, whatever,
the well, all the different parts, you know, all that.
(31:58):
I have to teach Brian that on piano. Yeah, so
you can learn it and do the thing. So he
sucked for me. Yeah, sell from your church. That's a
hard song, it absolutely is. It's a lot, there's a
lot going on. It took yeah, so we worked on it.
It's a it's a monster of a song.
Speaker 2 (32:13):
Absolutely, so we worked on that. I'm going to google it.
We worked on that.
Speaker 4 (32:18):
But anyway, Yeah, I ended up going to New York
for college and then, like I said, me and Balad
on those stage the first to work together. I mean
to do a song together in college. And then right
after that, one of the one of the professors, just
like you guys, they would see us in a practice
room all of the time working together. Me and but
I started writing songs and stuff and you're like, yo,
you should do a demo. My friend has a studio,
(32:39):
so we started going up this guy's studio house around
the corner and we let a demo do a demo tape,
and allows management at the time took it to Jimmy
Ivan and they played them.
Speaker 2 (32:50):
One of the songs we wrote in my dorm room,
a song.
Speaker 4 (32:52):
Called what will You Call Jimmy I being played a
verse in the chorus of that signed him sign.
Speaker 2 (32:59):
That's it. That was it. So he didn't come back
to sophomore year to school. So at that point we did.
Speaker 4 (33:05):
His first album came out, and I was his music
director from that point on until like till I got
signed to Blue Note. I got signed to Blue Note
Records in two thousand and five.
Speaker 2 (33:13):
Did you do any any songs on his albums? The
very first album? Yeah, I wrote. I wrote like two
or three songs on there, yep. And then yeah. Then
after that, you know, I got.
Speaker 4 (33:25):
Signed started doing my own things around two thousand and
seven when I stopped paying below, but I kept playing
for a while.
Speaker 2 (33:30):
You know what I mean?
Speaker 4 (33:31):
And that was my chewing all over the world with
touring all over the world below opening up for Erica
I do in common because I was during the time
of the Neil Soldier.
Speaker 2 (33:41):
This is like, yeah, this is likeety nine, you know
what I mean.
Speaker 4 (33:44):
He took me to Jay Dilla's house when you know,
when Firs his first album, that was one of the
first person people they had him work with for his album.
So I got to go to Dila's house and work
with him on that and all that stuff. And and uh,
I used to go to the jam sessions with him,
the Roots, you know, play with the roots, you know,
because the Roots was in these jam sessions every week
at the spot called the Black Lily in Philadelphia. That's
(34:05):
kind of where that neo soul sound was born, you know,
in the Black Lively and Philly is this where Jill
Scott was the host yep, she would host it. That's
where I saw jazz intel of them. She was like
fourteen years old in the club smashing, smashing, smash. Who's
this little girl in here?
Speaker 2 (34:22):
While she in here? And why she singing like that?
Speaker 1 (34:25):
You know what I mean?
Speaker 4 (34:26):
Smashing, you know, and uh, you know music soul child,
all the all the Philly you know. And I started
playing with the Roots from that because I used to
sit in and jam and they knew me as Bellows
jazz friend. You know, where's your jazz friend that you know?
So Amir started quest Love started, you know, calling me
to do shows with the Roots. So I started playing
(34:47):
with the Roots a lot, you know, cutting my teeth
with them. So that's kind of where I learned how
to play hip hop. So did you finish at the
new school or no? Did you leave too by the
skinning by the by barely finished? I finished, I wasn't there.
Speaker 2 (34:58):
So you have a degree in piano. Yeah, but it's
it means nothing. No, no, no, you mean nothing. You
don't need it. Explain that, well, it's a bachelor's degree.
So with that, he just had a Mike Tyson moment. Scott,
it means nothing. It means nothing. I just metto.
Speaker 4 (35:21):
Yeah, yeah, I mean it's a bachelor's degree in jazz piano.
So it's like you're hung up at the house now.
I don't even know where it is. I've never touched
it except the graduation I touched it. I think my
dad has it somewhere. But it's you know, you don't
need it to do anything.
Speaker 1 (35:38):
Because before you alluded to that college was just like
by the time you got to college, it was like
I was in my last.
Speaker 4 (35:44):
Year of everything when I got to college because I
cancel it out of everything they had. So when you
give you the test as a freshman, to give you
a test for your placement, to see where they're going
to put you.
Speaker 2 (35:52):
And I can't. I can't sit it out of everything
my first year. So I just I know all this. Yeah, literally,
So I just took a bunch of like film classes.
Speaker 1 (36:00):
What is this?
Speaker 2 (36:02):
Get this side of him? This is beneath me, This
is beneath me.
Speaker 1 (36:10):
Whenever you need, you have to go into your African
when everything you're Royal African man.
Speaker 2 (36:19):
Whenever something is beneath you can bring this to me.
This is you at at.
Speaker 1 (36:26):
This is.
Speaker 2 (36:28):
New school. Yes, this is a new school. You must
be new. This school is never going to let us.
Speaker 1 (36:42):
Man, this is this is what we want to come.
We would love to go because we have no we
don't know what we knows. We don't we haven't canceled
out of anything.
Speaker 2 (36:52):
We haven't canceled out of ship. I mean he's been canceled.
But I need your help take my kids maybe like
a week?
Speaker 1 (37:04):
Oh man, Wow, okay, so you plan will blow your
cutting your teeth. You're meeting everyone, but you still haven't
done a record for yourself. And this is you said
like a nine year seven seven nine year, I said, So.
Speaker 2 (37:20):
I played this about seven years.
Speaker 4 (37:21):
So I played with Bloud started, you know, we're in college,
and he got signed like ninety nine. Album came out
like two thousand and two thousand and one. Matter of fact,
it's right after d'angelo's album, the untitled. Right after that
come me and Bellowed snuck into the studio to watch
them make that because we were in the same and
we're at all that electric Lady blows the studio the
(37:44):
top of the cdoc Erica was doing Mama's Gun studio
B and d Angelo's at the bottom studio a recording. Yeah, absolutely,
So we used to go down and you know, sneak
in there and watch some of the recording sessions and
stuff while we were working on his record, you know,
finishing up his record. So it was around there, and
then I did a demo in like two thousand and two,
(38:06):
demo album called Mood, and then Blue Note signed me
in like two thousand and five, and then from there
I've been I was on Blue Note for to like
twenty sixteen.
Speaker 2 (38:14):
And you put out your first album one year two
thousand and five, first major album, was it? So was
that the demo you turned in or was it the
demo was it was on.
Speaker 4 (38:24):
Another label from Spain called Fresh SAMs, another label from Spain.
It was called a label from Spain because they were
signing new artists. It was it was a jazz label
and they would come to New York and find young
artists who wanted the record and they'll pay you nothing,
barely anything, but they would You could do a record
and they'll distribute it and do the whole thing. Yeah,
So it was just like, oh, that's a business card.
Speaker 1 (38:44):
I'm glad you. I'm glad you mentioned that. Give us
the rundown of new artists new record deal in the
jazz space, is there is initially? Is their money there?
Speaker 4 (39:01):
Hell no for three hundred police, Uh no, there's no
money in jazz, there's no. But there's barely a budget
to do the damn record really, so it's like it's
literally for the love, there's no there's no budge because
jazz musicians don't make people don't buy jazz even before
streaming and stuff, you know what I mean. Jazz was
such a small part of the of the whole pile
(39:21):
of music, you know what, I'm such a small part,
so you don't make a lot of money, and jazmugicians
weren't making a lot of money. There was a very
few who cut through and make a decent living, you
know what I mean. You know, but other than that,
you kind of like check the check and trying to figure.
Speaker 2 (39:36):
That shape, you know what I mean. So, so it's
really about gigging. It was really about gigging a lot
as much as you can get that. That's what it's
about and the love of music. But you know, after
a while, you got kids, so do you have So within.
Speaker 1 (39:49):
Those deals though, the way they're structured, are they are they?
Are they more artists friendly?
Speaker 2 (39:54):
Though? Since there's no upfront money or is it still
a bad you know, royalty rate.
Speaker 4 (40:01):
It's a terrible deal, bro It's nothing. It was, especially
back back then when you're first getting signed. Most jazz
musicians are just happy to get signed. You're just happy
somebody's gonna put your record out and distribute the distribute
that joint.
Speaker 2 (40:16):
You know what I mean.
Speaker 4 (40:16):
Like literally to make a jazz record back then in
two thousand and five, for sure, you know you're lucky.
If your budget's like twelve thousand dollars, what maybe fifteen
thousand dollars. I think my first my first budget to
make the album, to make the whole album, because you
make an album in like a.
Speaker 2 (40:34):
Day, maybe two days.
Speaker 1 (40:36):
And to survive too though, Yeah, that's all, that's everything,
because you gotta have gigs.
Speaker 2 (40:39):
You got to.
Speaker 4 (40:40):
That's why most jazz musicians it's hard to rise to
the top because when you when you do get a
record deal, they don't give you money to sustain your life.
They just give you money to make that record. So
and your record doesn't crack off all of a sudden
your tour in the world, that's not how it goes.
So you still plan side man gigs with different other
artists that already have gigs, you know what i mean,
(41:01):
trying to figure it out. So it's hard to become
famous in jazz because people keep seeing you with other
people as a side man. It's like being an artist,
but you keep having to sing background for these other people.
But you are an artist too, and you have a
record out, but if they keep seeing you singing background,
it's hard for them to see you as a as
an artist artist, you know what I mean. Ever, like
most people, that's a lot of people's way. You go
(41:22):
through background everybody done it, you know, but in jazz
you kind of never stop doing background stuff. Kind of
everybody plays with each other, you know what I mean.
That's kind of how it was. I didn't want to
continue to do that, you know what I mean. I
wanted to just now I want to do that.
Speaker 1 (41:35):
So is there a different cachet when you walk into
the jazz clubs, like, oh, I'm signed to Blue Note. Yeah,
that does give you a difference.
Speaker 4 (41:43):
Yeah, okay, yeah, absolutely, And you know for festivals and
things like that, it's a big brother, you know, like, oh,
you sign a Blue Note, okay, because Blue not has
they have marketing money, they can they can promote you
to a certain extent, you know what I mean.
Speaker 1 (41:58):
The cool thing about jazz though, is that it's global,
like you play, I mean music too. Yes, but the
average R and B singer is not playing in Brussels, No, true,
you're right, right, But the average now I want to
say average, the new are established.
Speaker 2 (42:17):
Either one can catch a gig in Norway playing jazz bro.
Speaker 4 (42:23):
I went to Europe with So I've been touring for
years with other musicians and you know, doing jazz tours
around the world since two thousand nineteen ninety eight.
Speaker 2 (42:33):
You know what I mean.
Speaker 4 (42:35):
When I started playing Maxwell in two thousand and nine,
he was my whole band. Like that was when he
came out Pretty Wings and all that. That was my
band he was using. So I toured with Max and
on our days off we would do it. I would
do gigs with my band, you know what I mean. Yeah,
his first time going to Europe was when I was
on tour with him, like twenty ten. That was his
first time going to Europe first time. And you have
(42:57):
been going to Europe since.
Speaker 2 (42:57):
I've been going to Europe for twelve years before that. Yes,
that's crazy.
Speaker 4 (43:03):
Also because you think about it sometimes it's it's the
language barrier too. When you're playing instrumental music, there's no
language barrier. M when you're an R and B singer,
it's all about what you're saying, you know what I
mean a lot of times and it's you know, it's
it's it's that. So I think a lot of people
maybe get scared of that, or or also you have
to cut your teeth. You have to really tour places
(43:25):
over and over again to build an order out there.
Speaker 2 (43:28):
You have to you have to do that.
Speaker 4 (43:29):
People don't understand how important that is unless you got
a record where it's like, Okay, I could tour the
world off this one record because it's connected everywhere, connected
so much. Other than that, as an artist, you kind
of got to keep going to London there unless you
got pony.
Speaker 2 (43:45):
Yeah, you can kick you off. Quit. I'm just a bachelor.
Speaker 4 (43:49):
Yeah, you know, like certain places I know I can go,
and I know I can clear four thousand people one show,
five thousand people, one show, just.
Speaker 2 (43:56):
Me ticketed, not festival.
Speaker 4 (43:58):
Yeah, but because I kept going one of the country
so many times, so much, and I tweed it the
right way, you know what I mean.
Speaker 2 (44:05):
I know I can do that. Not twelve Oh that's
not a tune.
Speaker 1 (44:22):
Oh man. People don't really know where I got that from.
But you picked it out immediately and it thinks which
are super.
Speaker 2 (44:42):
Superman. He knows his music. He may not know it's mad.
That is crazy because I played this every time you
with the super first grade.
Speaker 1 (45:00):
What is the bird?
Speaker 2 (45:02):
It's a fine. Robert O. Man, we want some information
from your brother. Don't bring me some tissue.
Speaker 1 (45:16):
Musical journeys, all the music you've heard, all the music
you've covered, you've got to have some favorites. I do, Robert,
(45:39):
we want to know y'all. Top five, Yeah, your top.
Speaker 2 (45:47):
Five, say it again?
Speaker 1 (45:50):
Top five.
Speaker 2 (45:54):
Your top ORANGEB singer? What else? R and B song?
Speaker 1 (46:04):
Come with you?
Speaker 2 (46:04):
You got to you got your show. I know you do,
and I want to top Yeah.
Speaker 5 (46:28):
Your sex A chocolate says so beautiful?
Speaker 2 (46:44):
Don't you agree? Oh? Glass?
Speaker 1 (46:47):
Oh?
Speaker 2 (46:48):
Your top five R and B singers, Top five R
and B singers. So you said the R and B.
So we're talking about R and B.
Speaker 1 (46:59):
We're tall talking about R and B, but we are
also talking about those singers who are influential and instrumental
to you, to you, to Robert, Robert. Okay, I like,
do we get to safely say Robert's great.
Speaker 2 (47:21):
Top five singers all time, dead or alive? Yours? Stevie
half of the top Donny mm hmm, Kimberell, Yes. Blow.
Speaker 1 (47:43):
Oh this is really hard, Layla, Layla's a savage list, Laylasten.
I mean it's and I've seen blow terror room apart art.
He woldn't even stage that long. No, he's incredible, bro.
(48:07):
Most people haven't seen what I've seen because I've known
him for so long. I knew him when he was
kind of still saved.
Speaker 2 (48:13):
You know what I mean? However, because I used to.
Speaker 4 (48:16):
You know, his dad was a Muslim, mom's Baptist, so
he knows the Koran and and he was he used to.
I have seen the video knocking people out of church.
He's eleven.
Speaker 2 (48:28):
He was a healer. Yeah, he was an evangelist and healer.
Like it's deeper than most people know, got it, most
of God, most people? It makes sense.
Speaker 4 (48:37):
He used to be god man. He was Derek Holey
two point oh when I met him, he was eighteen,
Like it was crazy.
Speaker 1 (48:45):
Grade five, Yes, Top five Army songs your whole while
we wait album next, We'll make that.
Speaker 2 (49:01):
We'll make that one. That one just what you gotta cover.
Work around that.
Speaker 4 (49:05):
But you know, getting out of here Army song, a
lot of it, and for me is nostalgia because growing
up what my mom was playing and stuff, you know.
So I would definitely say one of the one of
the songs that made me want to play piano is
giving you the best that I got. M I need
a baker, Yeah, give you best I got. I had
forty five, I was in third grade, fourth grade.
Speaker 2 (49:27):
Wore that out. I can't help it. Michael Jackson, written
by Stevie Wonder. I wanted to that's another one.
Speaker 4 (49:35):
When I was in third grade, I used to unfold
the Off the Wall album and play it back forward
back for hours to sit there reading the line of notes.
I knew who Greag Philly Games was when I was
in third grade, and now he's my uncle grade game.
You know what I mean, Uncle Greg, Great Feeling Games.
I didn't know what that instrument was, but I knew.
I loved the roads. I know what it is now,
but I didn't know what it was. But that, bro,
(49:57):
you're not playing at this point. Oh no, no, we
didn't get to what age did you start playing? I
started playing with one finger Happy Birthday at church when.
Speaker 2 (50:04):
I was eleven.
Speaker 4 (50:04):
You just start playing to your eleven eleven and you're late,
super late. Another song from my childhood Isley Brothers smooth Sailing.
Speaker 2 (50:13):
That's Angela Wimbush wrote it smooth Sally anything that you
know from me? I love that song. It takes you
back to a place immediately. Don't listen to they know
about I don't know.
Speaker 1 (50:33):
Come on, Oh my god, that song is such a
good something man, Jesus, I'm like, what a song.
Speaker 2 (50:40):
That song will never get old.
Speaker 1 (50:41):
It will.
Speaker 2 (50:44):
So it always feels like a first listen, like, alright, man, it's.
Speaker 1 (50:49):
That was yeah, bro, let's create a vultron this oh
musical vultron. All Right, your super your you're super R
and B artist, Right, We want to know who you're
going to get the vocal from.
Speaker 2 (51:00):
Mm hmmm.
Speaker 1 (51:00):
Who you're going to get to performance style from, who
you're gonna get the styling from. Who are you going
to get the passion of the artist, the heart of
the artists?
Speaker 2 (51:08):
Right? Mm hmmm mm hmm. And who's going to play
for that artist? Hmmm?
Speaker 1 (51:15):
Who's going to m d that band? Empty the band?
So let's start off with the vocal. You get one
vocal to build your super R and B Stavis.
Speaker 4 (51:25):
You know why because like when you say Stevie, it's
like which Stevie, because there's a million of them.
Speaker 2 (51:30):
He doesn't have one Stevie voice. There's a million. He
misses it. He misses it. No tempo, no year, no
year period.
Speaker 1 (51:38):
Okay, performance style Michael Jackson, see Michael Jackson.
Speaker 4 (51:45):
Okay, just purely when you walk out on stage going crazy.
No one has the Michael Jackson effect.
Speaker 2 (51:55):
No, you stand there and watch them.
Speaker 4 (51:56):
You just fucking stand there before you even do anything.
You stand there and then you start doing stuff. We
all got to stand there. And from Michael Jackson.
Speaker 2 (52:06):
Absolutely, it doesn't always go the way he went with
Michael Jackson. But but come on, I haven't seen a
couple niggas standing there and be like, have you ever
seen his life? It's the styling of the artists, like
what they're wearing.
Speaker 4 (52:19):
Ye can't do Michael twice, I like, you can't whatever
you want just just for the sake of just just
for the sake of, like, you know, just some different ship.
Speaker 2 (52:30):
Let me just see, let me see. That might be fun, Prince,
might be fun. Me, Michael, Prince, that might be fun.
Speaker 1 (52:40):
That could be fun. This is great, Now, this is great.
It's great because of because of because of the first two.
You don't to accept whatever he has that for sure,
whatever whatever, that level of talent, and.
Speaker 4 (52:55):
He's going to bring his guitar and you don't even
know what part of what it's going to be when
he shows up.
Speaker 2 (52:59):
You have no idea, Michael, you kind of know what
the vibe is. Yeah, Prince, you don't Prince gonna bring
to work with him too. He's gonna bring them. He's
gonna bring to you. Feel me here. Ain't got a
couple you feel me with him? No, he's not ice.
You gotta have some of your feel me. He keeps me,
Apo keeps you know, I mean, you know what I mean.
(53:19):
And Lisa I met him, want Sheila. He had like
eleven your filmies. Yeah, and it all had on yellow Yeah. Yeah, yeah,
my tay you feel Yeah, it's all ly here.
Speaker 1 (53:32):
You know what I mean.
Speaker 2 (53:32):
I got on your and you feel me right now?
I have one of your feel you feel me? Yeah,
I like that. The passion of the artists, the heart
of the artists who mean it. James Brown.
Speaker 1 (53:46):
A man this my no, no, no, I'm not even
my You got the an alphol five, I mean both
round of all times. Yeah, Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, James Brown,
all all pioneers, absolutely, all changed the game, all some
(54:09):
point change all pioneers. Who's the m D for this artist,
who's making.
Speaker 2 (54:15):
It all go?
Speaker 1 (54:16):
Right?
Speaker 2 (54:18):
I might the m D might be Earth Winding Fire.
Have them do the music? Oh my god, because I
just it's Adam Blackstone, you know, going in fire show,
you know how to do a show. Yes you feel me.
First time I saw earth When the Fire Alive, I
(54:39):
was like, what the fuck is going on?
Speaker 1 (54:46):
How many members are in earth Winning Fire? It's only
but it's only four though, something like that.
Speaker 2 (54:54):
Like Maurice he was he was the the little Verdine
Philip Philip, And then I think it's just yeah, that
was but.
Speaker 4 (55:10):
On, Yeah, they're on, that's everywhere. That was my second
concert ever. Michael Jackson was my first. I was seven.
I was twelve when I saw Earthline Fire. My mom
made me go see them. She said, you want to
be a musician.
Speaker 2 (55:23):
Right.
Speaker 4 (55:24):
It was Saturday morning. She woke me up, Come on,
we're going to see Earthlin the Fire. That the Houston Rodeo.
And I was like, Mom, sleep, I don't want to go.
Stay boy, get your ass up. Then goes the Earthly Fire.
Momm good, you want to be a musician. She almost
spanked me for not wanting to get up and go.
Speaker 2 (55:40):
She made me go shout out to your mom. Absolutely,
but all right, Rob, we can't let you leave this. Ye,
yeah we can't. We can't. Yeah, We're gonna give them.
Ain't saying no Nick, ain't saying no name, no names.
(56:07):
Don't say I ain't saying.
Speaker 1 (56:18):
Whoa Oh my god, so right now, very important segment
of the show. Yeah, I ain't saying no names.
Speaker 2 (56:29):
Right. Will you tell us a story funny or fucked up?
Are funny and fucked up? Yes? You know what I mean?
Speaker 1 (56:38):
These travels, Yeah, these jazz, R and B travels, hip hop,
hip hop, be bop by dibbity bop, all of that,
all of every genre.
Speaker 2 (56:49):
Everything you got to Grammy.
Speaker 1 (56:54):
Of Robert Glasper, the things you've seen, things you might
have experienced that was and fucked up.
Speaker 2 (57:05):
Don't rule to the game. You can't say no name,
no namest rule to the game. Gotcha? Okay, So I'm
gonna and I guess this point there was no cell
phones allowed maybe, but I was doing a gig. I
(57:25):
was doing a gig.
Speaker 4 (57:27):
Let's leave it at that, and I don't think there
were any cell phones allowed that and that's why.
Speaker 2 (57:33):
But this particular singer was also uh uh I had
a church? Was R and B singer? Okay, but was preaching.
I know they had a church or yeah maybe they did,
maybe they didn't don't know.
Speaker 4 (57:52):
And uh, this person was actually on a TV show
I had just saw I was talking about the religious
part of this person's life now, like you know.
Speaker 2 (58:03):
Or religious. Yeah.
Speaker 4 (58:05):
I was like, oh man, that's great. I just saw
it like the night before. So I'm doing this show
and this person shows up to the show. I was like,
oh man, this is great, big fan.
Speaker 2 (58:18):
And so I'm playing the person sitting in the front row.
I'm doing my show.
Speaker 4 (58:25):
So at the end of the show, I hit this
vamp and I kind of sitting to the person like
you want to sing, and they're like okay, sure, and
they come up and they say, everybody's grown in here, right,
oh yeah, yeah, like yeah, And then the first words
the person saying was the first lyrics were I don't
(58:49):
mind hair in my teeth. That's the first who first thing,
mind you. I'm sure everybody in this room knows that
this person is now a preacher, like that was a
it was a thing. So I'm not thinking that's what's
(59:09):
going to come out of this person's mouth. But this
this person continues to talk about uh eating pussy for
about ten minutes in song form. And when that happens,
another person who I didn't know was there that is
(59:32):
in the gospel world big time. In the gospel world,
runs to the stage, jumps on stage, grabs the mic
from that said person and praise for him, no way,
(59:53):
praise for him, gives the mic back, runs back off stage,
and that was end of my show.
Speaker 2 (01:00:01):
It was so amazing. That is great. It will be
more amazing if you you the names but can't say
the name. Not saying the names.
Speaker 4 (01:00:07):
What that's the most recent the recent funny like seriously
funny thing. And the fact that like there were no
phones really so it was even more like you have
to be there. Yeah, it's a urban legend.
Speaker 2 (01:00:23):
Yeah, absolutely, it was great. Don't mind getting hair in
your teeth? The first line, first line, you mind getting
hair in my teeth? Are you biting the is everybody
grown in here? I like to bite it. You never
like a little bite?
Speaker 1 (01:00:42):
Man.
Speaker 2 (01:00:43):
I never met one that is great and then didn't
know bullet.
Speaker 1 (01:00:54):
Man.
Speaker 2 (01:00:58):
Okay, not you. Why I gotta I know a singer
(01:01:23):
that sound like that.
Speaker 1 (01:01:24):
Man.
Speaker 2 (01:01:25):
We ain't saying no name. Brother, Robert Glaser, Yes, man,
we love you, brother. Appreciate you absolutely. Absolutely, We appreciate man.
You appreciate keeping what we love and what we do
(01:01:52):
in the forefront. Yeah.
Speaker 4 (01:01:53):
Absolutely, thank you for having me on there. Thank you
for having us getting it out in the world. Take
I want to do a song with you. What do
you mean as soon as okay? Good letting the world
know this right here. That's because you see it. I'm
saying I would like to grab me. I'm saying I
would like to I don't believe together. Yeah, I think
we could do that. I'm really serious, pretty sure for sure.
Speaker 1 (01:02:15):
No, and and in thanking you brother even for just
being just a solid guy to So for those that
don't know I ran up on Glass, I'm knowing to
run up on people.
Speaker 2 (01:02:29):
It's kind of thing.
Speaker 1 (01:02:31):
If I fuck with you, if I with you, I'm
gonna run up on you. I'm gonna tell you how
dope you are. And I'm going to invite you to
the podcast. So I'm at the you know, the Adam Blackstone,
Miss Diddy shut out, shout out amazing artists that come
up there and perform, and you grace the stage that night,
(01:02:51):
and I was like, and it's funny thing is, yes,
I will run up on people that I know, usually
like you know, if it's my homie.
Speaker 2 (01:02:59):
But we didn't know each other. We didn't know each other.
Speaker 1 (01:03:01):
And I'm like, you know what, I'm gonna say, how
talented this man is for one, which I have no
problem with giving people their problems, but then also I'm
going to say, hey man.
Speaker 2 (01:03:12):
We need you on this podcast. We respect what you do.
Speaker 1 (01:03:18):
BT respect what this man does, and you know, invite
him to the BT Awards and the Soul Trained Awards
and every other award that y'all do.
Speaker 2 (01:03:25):
I have a war and you have one. Yeah, I forgot.
I have one for Black Radio the year where your
docum to the wars to get it, No, man, but
I once radio. I forget what the category was. I
think it was.
Speaker 4 (01:03:42):
I feel like it was Best Jazz Album, but you
know what I mean. But I have the Silver Train,
like the actual award, and it was when Don Liz.
Speaker 2 (01:03:49):
Was still alive. That's the train right there. Yeah, I
forgot about that, man.
Speaker 1 (01:03:56):
But yes, brother, thank you because you know you kept
your word. I ran upon you, I said, a bro.
And the funny thing is when I ran up on
you was like Jay Valentine, I knew you. I love.
Speaker 2 (01:04:07):
I've been wanting to get in the podcast.
Speaker 4 (01:04:09):
I've been with people and they've been telling like I
one time I was with Brian He's like, yeah, I'm
doing the podcast tomorrow R and B. I was like,
one time I was stokely and he literally I brought
him out here to do something, or yeah, okay, he
was performing with me somebody.
Speaker 2 (01:04:24):
So it worked the same time.
Speaker 4 (01:04:25):
Like there have been so many people that are about
to go do you'all podcast, I was like, I want
to do that podcast.
Speaker 2 (01:04:30):
I'm really glad y'all inviting me on here. Thank you,
I appreciate you, thank you for thank you for pulling
up on absolutely.
Speaker 1 (01:04:36):
My name is Tank, I'm Jay Valentine and this is
the Army Money podcast.
Speaker 2 (01:04:40):
The authority on all things R and B and.
Speaker 1 (01:04:45):
Traditional progressive whatever A n B all all R and
B super first grade himself.
Speaker 2 (01:04:56):
I'm not gonna get a shirt that's super first grade.
Speaker 1 (01:05:01):
R and B Money. R and B Money is a
production of the Black Effect podcast Network. For more podcasts
from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever
you listen to your favorite shows. Don't forget to subscribe
to and rate our show, and you can connect with
us on social media at Jy Valentine and at the
(01:05:22):
Real Tank. For the extended episode, subscribe to YouTube dot
com forward slash R and B money
Hosts And Creators
Tank
J. Valentine
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