Robert Glasper Experiment and Wyclef Jean

Glasper grew up in Houston, Texas, US and was raised in a musical family. His mother was a professional jazz and blues singer, and her music deeply impacted Glasper’s passion for music. Glasper first started to play the piano in church and it was in church where he would begin to develop his sound. Glasper would later attend the New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music in New York City where he developed his techniques as a jazz performer. While attending the New School, Glasper met the neo-soul singer Bilal and began collaborating with him regularly. As Glasper’s music started to gain recognition in the community he soon ended up collaborating with recognizable artists like Q-Tip, Kanye West, J Dilla, Erykah Badu, Talib Kweli, and Jay-Z.

In 2004 Glasper released his debut album “Mood”. The album featured some of Glasper’s original music as well as renditions of jazz standards such as Herbie Hancock’s “Maiden Voyage”. In 2005 Glasper released his major label debut “Canvas” through Blue Note Records. The album featured Bilal on vocals and all original music except for a cover of Herbie Hancock’s song “Riot”. The album was presented in a progressive jazz and post-bop format, which incorporated complex time signatures and chord progressions. The album also contains the smooth sounds of the Fender Rhodes piano, which has a bell like quality.

In 2006 Glasper released his third album “In My Element”, which was a commercial success reaching the No. 9 position on the Billboard’s US Top Jazz Albums. The album showed Glasper performing another cover of “Maiden Voyage”, but this time it segued into a cover of Radiohead’s “Everything in Its Right Place”. In 2009 Glasper released the album “Double-Booked”, which consisted of one half of the album being performed by an acoustic piano trio and the other half of the album being performed by a band that used electric instruments. The album contained a diverse range of songs that were presented in a traditional jazz format as well as songs that were presented with funk elements. The album contained a cover of Thelonious Monk’s song “Think of One” and also contained guest appearances by Mos Def and Bilal. The album also received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Urban/Alternative Performance for the song “All Matter”.

In 2012 Glasper took a step back from traditional jazz music and released the album “Black Radio”, which combined jazz elements with hip-hop, soul, and R&B. The album contained guest appearances from many soul and hip-hop artists like Lalah Hathaway, Lupe Fiasco, and Mos Def. The album also contained mostly original music, but also a diverse selection of cover songs such as David Bowie’s “Letter to Hermione” and Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit”. The album reached the No. 1 position on Billboard’s US Top Jazz Albums chart and the No. 15 position on the US Billboard 200 chart. The album also won a Grammy Award for Best R&B Album and received a Grammy nomination for the song “Gonna Be Alright (F.T.B.)”.

In 2013 Glasper released the album “Black Radio 2”, which followed in the same musical format as “Black Radio”. The album also featured many guest appearances by artists like Antony Hamilton, Norah Jones, Snoop Dogg, and Common. “Black Radio 2” also did well on the charts reaching the No. 1 position on Billboard’s US Top Jazz Albums chart. Robert Glasper is well regarded for his live performances and has played in the bands The Robert Glasper Trio, which is an acoustic jazz trio, and The Robert Glasper Experiment, which is an electronic act. Glasper has performed many headlining shows and has also played notable jazz festivals as well as other large music festivals such as Bonnaroo.

Though Jean was born in Croix-des-Bouquets, Haiti and had lived in the country since he was nine, he spent most of his childhood and formative years as a musician in the United States. Jean cites reggae and Bigga Haitian as his earliest musical influences but since his move to the States he developed a love for hip-hop music.

One of Jean’s first professional musical endeavors and undeniably one of his most successful was the formation of the Fugees. The group formed in South Orange, New Jersey in the 80s, initially under the moniker Tranzlator Crew. During their assimilation to Ruffhouse and Columbia Records they altered their name to the Fugees and put out their studio debut “Blunted on Reality” a year later. This album did relatively well on the charts, but did not come close to achieving the success they reached with their sophomore release “The Score”. This album topped the US Billboard 200 and has since obtained Platinum status six times over. The Fugees disbanded in 1997 with only two albums under their belt, but left an indelible impression on both hip-hop and pop culture.

Jean was the first member of the Fugees to start a solo career and wasted no time in doing so. The year the group broke up he released his debut studio album “The Carnival”. The album contained over 73 minutes of material and featured guest spots from Lauryn Hill, Celia Cruz, John Forte, and even the Haitian politician/ former musician Michael Joseph Martelly. The album hosted the three singles “Guantanamera”, “Gone till November”, and “We Trying to Stay Alive” (the latter an ode to the Bee Gees). Additionally the album garnered praise from more underground critics like the Village Voice and excelled commercially, placing at No.16 on the US Billboard 200 and selling over 5 million copies since it’s release.

Jean’s next studio album also sported a hefty list of guest artists spanning from pioneering funk troupe Earth, Wind & Fire to actor/pro-wrestler Dwayne Johnson (aka The Rock). His 3rd studio album “Masquerade” was issued on 18 July 2002 and out performed his previous two releases, peaking at No. 6 on the Billboard 200. Prior to the release of this album Wyclef suffered the loss of his father and pursued a career as an actor making an appearance in the film “Shottas” (a Jamaican gangster movie). These events (particularly the loss of his father) influenced the tone of “Masquerade” and contrary to his past works he included surprising reworking of songs by Bob Dylan and Frankie Valli and also included a guest spot for Tom Jones on his rendition of “Pussycat”.

Not even three albums into his career Jean issued a Greatest Hits compilation in 2003 and followed it up the same year with his studio LP “The Preacher’s Son” (an obvious self-reference as his father was a Nazarene pastor). Jean’s 5th studio album “Welcome to Haiti” marked a drastic alternation in style as every song was performed in a foreign language and was heavily influenced by Caribbean culture.

Jean’s sequel to his debut “Carnival Vol. II Memoirs of an Immigrant” was released at the close of 2007 and was chalked full of differing guest musicians: Serj Tankian, Shakira, Paul Simon, Mary J. Blige, Norah Jones, Lil Wayne, Akon etc...

Jean’s next full length release “From the Hut, to the Projects, to the Mansion” is a concept album based on the Haitian revolutionary “Toussaint L’Ouverture”. He followed up this album with yet another Haitian themed release “If I Were President: My Haitian Experience”. As the title suggests this recording is influenced by and coincided with Jean’s decision to run for president of Haiti.

Outside Jean’s solo career he is heavily involved in politics and charity work, particularly in regards to his home country Haiti. He has also established himself as a highly sought after songwriter and has composed material for Destiny Child, Sublime, Simply Red, Whitney Houston, Cypress Hill, Michael Jackson, Mya, Santana, Mick Jagger, and Sinead O’Connor among others.