A Freestyle With Robert Glasper

which is a lift disperence. Think you want to revisit? Tell your first take a list at till folks like you slip all folks that we dig it. Hain't no kids do what you do. Hain't no kiss do what you do. I can't no kiss do what I do? No. So my hair is so long and blind. Mh, I'm hind a drunk drunk or something because this head definitely ain't blind. I'm very sober. We're gonna have a great show today. We have a very special guest in house today,

Mr Robert glass Peop will be joining us. But before we get to that, Lauren Hogan, Yes, how is your week? What is oh reconnecting? Um, My week was good. Um, I literally just canceled a work trip because of all of what's happening in um Louisiana with Hurricane Ida. So we just wanted to be safe. So I'm gonna be here for the next two weeks. She's going to be in house in studio. Next Monday is Labor Day. Next

Monday's Labor Day, and we know that. Um, we're not going to be having a show obviously because it's Labor Day. And more importantly, what's happening on September six? It's Labor Day. No aside from that, what else is happening on September six? Chicago? Be in Chicago. We're having in the white party with a splash of Rainbow the list. So I've been getting a bunch of emails. It is a bunch of text message.

It is not you don't have to wear white. It's not mandatory that you wear white, but we are encouraging because it's a white party. It's Labor Day weekend, so you're not supposed to wear white at the labor tell that the white people they waited all the time. So yes, we encourage you that you wear white. You get your tickets on event Bright we are almost two capacity, So yeah, y'all need to get your tickets because we ain't taking the money at the door and you'll be outside. Man.

And I think we need to get people heads up to because you are going to be filming this, so don't show up looking dusty and broken, because you might be a part of something more special. You really might be a part. We do have a camera crew coming, so if you want to be looking cute on camera, then you dress up at home. If you don't want to be looking cute on Cranba standing in the shadows, because yeah, you might be seen by a hundred and ninety countries if I can get Netflix to buy this.

That's real talk, um, Lauren, what else were talking about? We're talking about just so much happening in the world. We signed off the show by saying prayers to T. S. Madison and her mom, Miss Mary Mackins, because they both were fighting with COVID but they are on the other side. I saw the may Maddie posted this morning that she finally got her negative test results. I don't know if Miss Mary get her For prayers to Miss Mary and T. S. Madison.

COVID is real, y'all. COVID is real. I know. We talked a good game on this page, and I talked about what I am going to do, what I'm not gonna do, and I'm never telling you guys what to do. But still wash your hands and wear your masks and follow the precautions because COVID is real. Yeah, And shout out to Haiti because they're not getting a lot of national attention according to the United States News. I don't know what's going on somewhere else, but over here they

had even talking about it. They're talking about Afghanistan, and shout out to them and prayers for them, but mostly prayers right now in the United States for um, New Orleans and all that had been affected by Hurricane Eida. Because i'da did not play with y'all that lady came through. She wasn't as bad as Christians, but actually it did. In retrospect, it kind of looks like she is. It just seems like we as a Yeah, it was like lessons swarn this time. But um, we do know that

they're about a million folks in Louisiana without power. Um. I did see on the news this morning that New Orleans isn't flooded because the levees really held up. But the other surrounding parishes outside um, they are know, the water damage is kind of significant. And I think as of now, there's one person who's confirmed to have died. UM. So we definitely have to keep New Orleans and all of Louisiana and our prayers because they're going to be

without power for about at least three weeks. They said that they're going to try and get essential businesses power within the next seven to ten days. So that's like you know, hospitals, grocery stores, gas stations, those sort of things, um, But everybody else who you know, if you just have a house and those sort of things, you're just gonna

be without power for about three weeks. So shout out to the people that left and get out and have the ability and the finances to get out, because a lot of times people say, oh, I'm just gonna writ it out, it's because they don't have the money. You know, you can't just jump up and go. Sometimes it takes money,

and it's it's just scary. Yeah, And I think that's that's the main thing that people just kind of don't, you know, realize they're like, oh, you need to evacuate, and it's like we'll evacuate, Where where am I going to go? You know, And people don't really take that into it, um and count it all. So you definitely want to keep everybody in um Louisiana and our prayers so you can as we are going to be interviewing Lawrence. Um, what is he to you? He's my uncle uncle. Yeah,

he's my uncle. I love him dearly. I need I need an uncle that's a musician. Yes, yes, he's my dear uncle. Um, I love him dearly. Um. Yeah, he's Uh,

he's quite the talent. I've got to say. You know, sometimes you forget who you're related to and who you know and just you know how great you know some people are in your family and truth be told, Rob was at my house a couple of weeks ago and he made a comment because we were The podcast came up and he made a comment like, so, how many more Grammys do I have to win before I get invited to the podcast? And I was like, I was like, oops,

I kind of you're right. I kind of forgot about you because you know, comment has been on and he works with common and so he kind of felt some type of way. So I was like, yeah, we gotta get you on the show for sure, because it truly wasn't me. It was I don't really didn't realize. So I was like, my fault. Rob, We're definitely gonna have you on the show. Um, he's doing like amazing things.

You know, I sent you some stuff. He's been working with Dave Chappelle and just like scored his movie and he's one of three musicians actually to have a residency at the Blue Note in New York. We're gonna bring Rob on in a minute because Rob is big time. Whenever you're ready and bring him own and Flame. We want you'll have your questions ready because we want you guys to come in and talk to Rob. Please be

respectful because I will block your ass for generations. I have no If you think I'm shady with the blocking, I'm worse. I take that. I'm worse, way worse than me. So Rob, what's up? How are you? What's going down? So I gotta introduce you. This is Flame Monroe. This is my partner. I also manage her, but this podcast is really all about Flame. So Flames is Rob Rob Flame. No today, Rob, it's all about you. Blame Flame like fire? Yes, did you just say flavor? Flame? Don't make me slaps?

So you're already signed off? Cut up? I know what kind of show this is gonna be. Okay, Flames, I got that Flame. Then I'm on Papa duty. At the same time, Lola's there. How Lola why she in a mini jail that looked like a little for a little mini prison for so Rob. I was briefly talking to Flame. I was like, Yo, you're at my house is a couple of weeks ago, and we like the podcast came up and you were like, so, how many more Grammys do I have to get before I get invited on

the show? Like, what the hell is going on? And I was like, you're right, I'm sorry, I'm very wrong. I'm very wrong for this. I forgot it was your niece, Rob. I won't me she could be quite funny acting. Let me just let you know that I wasn't very familiar with you. So I was researching. I was going on Google and looking up some stuff. And the song that you did with Brandy, that's always good Brandy to me.

Brandy's voice is it's underrated, but I hate when they make her when they say that she's the vocal Bible. I do think that she has a great tone, and I love Brandy's voice, but I don't know that I would consider her to vocal bible. But I love that song that you guys do. I love Brandy's voice first of all, but I don't know if it's the vocal bible. But I'm not a singer. Song I think vocal bible, well,

I think it's started out. That term started out with Brandy because in the studio, when she's making a song, she might be the best at it. Okay, yeah, meaning like making the song. Like I've never worked with anybody

as precise as Brandy. And what I mean by that is, um, there's the thing when you're doing vocals and you stack your vocals, meaning you do one track, you do one vocal track, and then they say, hey, do another one, and you put that one on top of that one and that one on top of that one, so your vocal stacking. But she has so much control over her voice because you know, if you hold up, if you hold a note, your vibe brito may come in at

a certain time, or your breath, your breath changes. Nobody can really sing the same note twice, back to back, exactly the same, like technically exactly the same. She's so good that she tricks the computer and the computer when she sings the song. When she sings one note that she's another note on top of that note. Oh, the computer thinks Lolo wants some attention. I knew it wants the attention. Yeah, she wants to be on the live too, Shenna want her whole life, so be ready. Oh she's

like me to. She she literally tricks the computer and the computer that the computer faces it say it phases, that it phaces itself out. Because she was so precise, they think they they mistakenly just put the same thing on top of each other, not her doing another one, you know what I mean. From a technical standpoint, I think people started calling her that, you know what I mean. And she's an amazingly pleasant woman. I met her at Divassembly singing Shirley Ras Big Age benefit, and she was

just the nicest person. She really was just a nice girl. Super a matter of fact, what we did that song she paid for the studio time? Wow, Because because the we're trying to get her in the studio. You know, doing the black radio albums are very hard when it comes to just you know, trying to track down the artist. First, she got tracked on the managers and it's the assistance to go to go through the management, the labels and all these things. And two of the two of the

sessions got canceled and she called me. She called me personally. I didn't even know her yet. She called me, texted me purpose I mean personally, was like, hey, this is Brandy. I'm very sorry. There was a mistake with my team. Can I please have another shot at this song and I'll pay for this time. I'll do it. And if you don't like it, if we don't have to use it. I was like, man, yeah, always she's been such a

good person, you know what I mean. And and enjoy the work with amazing the work with she does it. She does too much in the studio, Like you have to tell her we can stop recording now you everything you did was amazing. You can walk out of the boof now. You know, Rob, I saw that you're an accomplished pianist. So which music do you prefer? Do you prefer classical jazz? So R and B. What is your favorite? Um My, my heart, as far as the piano is concerned,

my heart is in jazz, you know. But I grew up playing gospel music and then from there I'm in the order is actually the order of of of of of the music I was. I've been playing since I was a kid. It's really like R and B music I was learning line, I was learning I needed Baker songs and Luda Vangel songs by myself off the radio. You know. My mom would play that stuff and my dad in the house all the time. Look, don't mention that made the same sittence. They had a horrible feud

all the time. Did they had a tour? I know, I heard, I know, But that's so funny. Those are the two artists of any artists, Those are the two artists that maybe want to play piano more than anybody, because they both used acoustic piano in their music. You know what. My mom and my dad played them all the time in the house, and I kept hearing the acoustic piano, you know, and then I met I met

Um nat Adalaie Jr. Who's the Luther's piano player. Um on all those records you know what I mean, And so it was that first, then it was gospel music, and then it was jazz and was hip hop after that. So I love a lot of it. But my heart, I think I speak. I speak the most personal from my instrument when I played jazz, you know what I mean. So, Job, I know you talked about this great experience as you have with Brandy and tell me to like shut up

if you don't want to talk about this. But like I know, one of your most infamous interviews is when you talked about your experience with Lauren Hill. So how is that? Can we talk about that? Or do I got the glaze over that? Can we talk about what Laura? Yeah? Can we talk about her? I got a glaze over it, like you know what, I've literally never talked about it. Again. I did that one interview, but it wasn't That interview wasn't supposed to be necessarily about her, you know, but

it ended up to asking me a question. I answered the question, and I was very honest about what happened, you know what I mean. I was super honest, And you have to realize, like, after I did that, now this stuff I've never said in public. After I did that interview, so many musicians and artists hit me up, thanking me for being honest, for being honest, saying that because most musicians don't have the platform that I have to speak on the on the level that that I

can to everybody hears it. You know what I mean. If she does something to a guitar player, if you know a player that was playing with her, no one's gonna hear about it. But but she messed with the wrong one time, she heard about it and then you saw her rebuttal after. Yeah, but I mean, my my, there was no purpose for that. I wasn't trying to, you know, put her under the ground or like do anything me. It was just like this is happening. And

that was the worst. They asked me about my worst musical experience, and that honestly was the worst one because I feel like there's no reason, there's no no accomplishment you can make, you can have that would make you speak people like they're not okay. So now you know, I gotta add because I'm very unaware, like some of the flame it, we're very unaware of the situation. So y'all talking in circles around us. So now we need to know what the meat is in the soup. So

now you gotta give us the meat. Rob okay, So I played so basically, you know, um Lauren. Lauren has been infamous for having for having members and not doing right by her band members, not paying them, not telling them to having the management tell them, tell the band members that you can you you cannot look her in the eye when you talk to her. You cannot look her in the eye when you talk to her. You only call her miss Hill when you talk to you know,

you know what I mean. Like all these things which I'm not even I don't even have a problem with. I don't even have a problem with the miss Hill part, Like that's fine, that's what you want to be called. I don't. I don't mind that, you know what I mean. But the whole don't look me in the eye, don't look her in the eye, don't try to shake her hand, which is fine even if don't try to shake her hand. Thing, I'm not even tripping. We're in COVID now, everybody does it, now,

you know what I mean? But the whole on look me, and then I think I couldn't get up, I couldn't grab my head around, you know what I mean. And then after that, it was it was the mistreatment of funds, like not paying musicians, not want to pay them with they're supposed to be pay coming off of a tour, and you know, she she would literally feel like people should just be happy they went on the road with her, like charge it to that, charge it to you got to be on the road with me. And I can't

pay my eye bills with that. I can't feed my kids with that. Oh my god. But it was just disrespect on those kind of levels where it's like repeatedly those things kept happening. And so many musicians I know have gone through that with her, and you know what I mean. And I had never played with her. I heard about it, but my friend was the mis director at the time, so it was one gig. It was in New York. I live in New York, so I was like, you know what, you know, whatever, I'll see

what see what the deal is. Everything was fine until like four days. No, sorry, everything wasn't fine. Started off pretty bad. My bad. We did speak worth rehearsal, but basically the very last day of the very one week of rehearsals for a show that was twenty minutes long and it was for a special thing from mont Blanc Jury Corporation. You know. Um. The seventh day rehearsal, she come in, she didn't even come in. The management came in and say, you know what, Lawrence not happy with

how you've been rehearsing, how you've been rehearsing. So she wants to cut all your pay in half. The day before the show, all you're paying half. First of all, all the musicians are incredible. She changed the show every day, so it was like, okay, we're just running, you know. And the day before they want to take everybody's paying half. They changed they could everybody's paying half. It sept mind because I left. I said, well, you know what, you're

find another piano player and I'm leaving, you know. So so I walked out. But then they chased me down in the middle of the streets, like what can we do? And I was like, pay me all my money now. Of fact, now before I walked back in rehearsal, I like you. I like you. I will say I did have one great moment with her. Um in the rehearsal right right before there's a song called uh do yeah, the piano, and she had just got through custom. She had just got through cussing out the band for some reason.

That's the one. She had just kept cussing out the band for some reason. I forgot what it was cussing us out, and instead of playing I played the intro of the Joyful Joyful from the movie Yeah Boom boom, and she sung it joy for joy for Lord. We did a verse in the chorus. Felt so good. So she was so she wasn't all bad. Mostly at that point that capped into her her real self. I think something's up with her, you know what I mean. That's why I I haven't talked about it anywhere else. I

wasn't trying to slam. I didn't put it on my Instagram, from my Facebook. I just was honest about my what happened with me. But I think she's super talented. I think she's a great artist, you know what I mean? And I hope she's But I do feel like she just needs some help with whatever. That is what I mean. Let me ask you a question, who's your favorite jazz artists and jazz from from the past, not even now? Because you know who I love Cod Porter's Book of Jazz.

I love music, first of all, and I love called Porteress jazzmin and especially when Ella Fitzgerald sings his music. Ella is one of the Ellis. She's the coldest female. I would say. My my favorite jazz musician overall. Ever, is her be hand cocked. Okay, I thought you. I thought you were going to go for the bias, you know on that. Okay, that was a little surprising. All right, what do you think I was gonna she was gonna say monk, but you know, oh no, not gonna mention

the family member. All Right, that's cool, that's cool. A little shady for that, that's cool, all right. No, No, I just got up her because the way he brought jazz into the modern into the modern day, you know what I mean. And he was able to go even even Herbie had one of the most popular hip hop songs,

Um with Rocket, you know what I mean. So he's the jazz musician that crossed over, and Myles Avis jab musician that crossed over, and and Herbie watched him do it, and Herbie did it and then not because the Herbie, I'm able to do it, you know what I mean. So that that whole thing. Now, are you trained classically trained or professionally trained as a pianist? Spy, go ahead, spit the resume. I no, I mean I went to the High School for Performing Arts. In high school, like so,

I studied jazz there. I didn't really study class I studied classical for like six months. You know. I didn't have the fucking it's it's you know what I mean? And when when you play classical music, for the most part, if you if you have a career in classical music, you're playing other people's music. That's kind of what it is like. To get the big to get the big places to play in the big places, you have to play back and Mozart and like you have, you spend

your life playing other people's music. They don't really love new compositions in the classical world so much, you know what I mean. So I was never like that kind of guy where I was like, I want to do that. So I always wanted to create and create, you know. So yeah, But I went to high school for a first gask and I graduated from there and I went to I went to college, the New School and man uh Salt the New School Music School, and the jazz there for four years, you know what I mean. But

I took pian lesson here and there. But for the most part, I think it's just more so. A guy was like, hey, there you go. Yeah, because whatever your playing is, God's playing is always different from yours. You just absolutely yeah, you know. When I'm a musician as well. But I didn't play the piano. I played the oboe. But my my favorite classical era is the Baroque around because that's my favorite music era. You didn't know. I didn't know that. It's a lot of things about me,

she said, musician. I said where where? And when I gotta? I got a scholarship, but don't cook when I graduated, but I put on a dress and some hey, and I was like, I'm not doing that. So many people, there's so many people who don't know classical music. Watching they're probably like the Broke era. Girl, I said, broke. That was funny. Rob. So Rob, let me ask you because I know, I don't know if I've gotten the

fullback story. But you are a part of a group called August Green, which is with Kareem Kareem Riggins excuse me, and Common or as Rashid as you would call him. So, how did y'all even form that group? Because I actually got the privilege to sit in studio while you guys were creating your first album, which was so dope to see. So how did you guys even form the group? Like?

How did that happen? Um? I met Rashi Um like Common Sorry, it's okay, So you know I met him in UM, but I introduced me to him because he was blast friend that we meet below common Erica lived like a few blocks of each other in Brooklyn, Um, and he was like, Yo, my boy, who's a rapper and needs a He's trying to learn piano. Can you give him piano lessons? I didn't know anything about common I know who he was, but I was like all right, So I started going over his house giving piano lessons

because he had a keyboard. He had the Roads a Roads keyboard at his crib. So I used to do that and then from that we became cool to him. A blow would hang out, you know what I mean. I would go to studio sessions with them, and I watched him make some of the black water for chocolate, you know what I mean, and and some other things and some other things like that. So I've known Raschi for for a long time. Then I started recording. We started really recording together, um Um when he can but

I don't know. Two Tops and twelve Black Radio two he did I Stand along with me the song I Stand Alone. And then from that after that I started coming in and producing something something, some songs for his record along with Kareem. So he would call me the studio and me and Kareem would kind of produced the songs together for Commons record that started on his album called um Black America Again. Common is these people we

don't like. Common is Tipty Pattish is our executive producer here at the podcast, and you know they're dating and so we always played cards. He gave me a birthday party in his mane at his house in Beverly Hills last year. But then then he can't play in those spaces that tears that ass up and space. But we have the best time. He's a nice man, really play man. But he need a bigger pool. You said that pool. I didn't think that was a pool. I thought that

was just like a little a little wade pond. You just walked through. Oh, for something like yeah, like that's the ankle pool. He just put your feet into the really nice person though, and just very literally, very down to earth treated me from day one just like what's the flame? Like cool and just just a nice guy overall. So I'm glad you worked with him because he good people. Good people always should work with good people. I'm sorry that you didn't work with that, but he let me.

Let me go back to Lauren Hill for a second, because Lauren Hill is to me was a musical genius with the miseducational. That album that would can go in, can go into a time capsule for three thousand years and still be relevant. Don't have people coming to you, damnself. Look at her. She ready get your name. The other peals. That was the other piece of the puzzle when we was talking about Lurena earlier. The other piece was, Um, there are a plethora of musicians writers who wrote on

that album that didn't get credits for it. There are a lot of things that say written by Lauren Hill that were not written by Lauren Hill. Um. What I'm fine with if you just get the credit where its due, you know what I mean? Because musicians and producers eat off of that. If they if you if you produced a song on the Miseducation album. If you produce a song on the Miseducation album, um, you're set to work

for years to come. It's like somebody who it's like somebody who produced a song on Thriller or something, you know what I mean. Like you're set. So those credits mean something, you know. So if you take credit from someone, sometimes that's all they have is the credit, you know what I mean. And to be a great artist, you don't have to write. You don't have to write and

produce everything. Michael didn't write and produce everything whenn't Houston did write and produce everything, But just give the credit where it's dude. That's where I had a problem because some of those people were my personal friends. They had a lawsuit and she lost. There was a lawsuit. Some people actually have to have the balls to sewer, you know what I mean. But there are some people who I know, we're just friends with her and felt bad

if they didn't want to sew her. But there are people who suit her that these two producer guys did it for like like four million. You can literally google it. Calm Calm is something though, because her success has never been to the since after. You can't you can't do people dirty, especially when they come to money, because money

come and go absolutely. And then if you think about it too, My thing is if you do a record like that, and if you did do everything like it, says, if you didn't really write all that, where's the next one? Where's the next one? Where's the next one? Even close? She did the TV un blood thing that wasn't close at all, you know what I mean, like, where's the next album? If if that's what if if you did all that stuff, where's the next one? And that's and

their lives the problem, you know what I mean? What's next for you? But says being daddy, how many babies you got? You got? You got a son? You have a son and a daughter? Yeah, yeah, I got son and daughter. Uh Riley he's twelve, he's about to be thirteen. And and Lola she's one. Right, Oh, she's so high, she's beautiful. So I have a story, right, I'm gonna put myself out there because I know, Robber, you don't want to tell it anyone. You know what she's thinking

in her head? Oh that's a man, I can tell. I can hear what she's saying. Oh, I could read a man. She said, that's the man that's little. I'll fight you, little girl. You better go. So I do have a funny story that I will share. Is that So I was the first person to ever baby sit Riley, my baby cousin. Right, I was the first person to every baby. So Riley would cry a lot right while I was baby sit him. And the only thing that would get him to stop crying as if I saying

red Light Special by TLC to him. Mind you and I can't sing, and I can't say, but it works to a newborn. I was seeing red Light Special to a newborn. But that's how I got He ever make it to a strip club, we'll here about one and they put that on. Whoever doing nothing now, But she's gonna get all here. It traveled with you over over the years. He gonna have all that. Remember who I love that? So I remember my Auntie thinking that. So Pandemic basically kind of shifted some of what you had

going on. So you're basically scoring music now like you did the photograph which was with Easter Ray, And I know you just scored something with Dave's Chapel. So how are you liking that? And how is that different kind of from what you've been doing? I love it. Yeah. It allows me to be home, you know. It's a way, it's a way that you know, make money and not

have to leave the house. But I've always even before I started scoring, everyone's always said my whole career, like your music is so cinematic, you know what I mean, you should you should score movies. So once I got that,

once I got the opportunity. My first opportunity in the real way was with um don c though for that Miles David's movie, UM Miles Ahead, and and then from there once I moved out here during the past mic it kind of started snowballing because I also scored um this series car Bro that's on starts and then Run the World. Oh that's the new one with is that the Vivocado point appreci Yeah? Yeah, yeah, she had a

pretty girl too, yeah, and um yeah. So it's been snowball and into into more things and we got I got a movie on the on the on the line happening, and a few more, a few more series, you know, So it's it's been great. It's been great with Riley. I was on the world all the time. Ye remember, I missed a little little milestones with Riley. You know, I will come back home and be like, oh, yeah, he's he's walking, he's running. Do you miss do you

miss live theater? Do you miss the stage in the audience? Absolutely? So I did a few shows. I did a few shows like last weekend and and I did some shows in New York and June at the who know, and it was amazing. But then you really, really, you really realize how much you missed the audience, how much you missed the people when you play. Because I've been doing all this streaming stuff during Quarantine, doing Screaming Show, I did a lot with with Common, you know, doing just

streaming things, and it's not the same at all. That energy is gone, it's missing. You know, I'm gonna drop a little plug because, um, I know, you're doing a residency at the Blue Note in New York City and you're like the third artist to ever be able to do this. So the dates are like October one through November nine, right October one, I think November seven, so we're actually about I already already dropped something, saying I'm doing it, but now I think later today we're gonna

drop what I'm doing each week? Right, Who's special guests? Get special guests too? Yeah, that's what I do. Yeah, that every every time. So that was like different, yes, different weeks. Really like every week. I break it up in two. What do you want? Wants to be in the cameras? Let my cousin in the camera. What's the kid network? What's the Kids Network? Baby Nickelodeon? She says she needs her part on TV. She ain't playing with you, Rob.

Let me ask you a question, which which artists would you would you be your dream artist to work with? Now that's relevant. Now, who haven't you worked with? Is a better question? That you would like to actually in the studio together. A matter of fact, he just asked me personally the other day, Stevie, wonder, wow, that would be dope. I think that. I think that cancer benefit with Common um stand Up for Cancer a few days ago,

and Stevie was our specially guest. It's a song I wrote um Stevie played harmonica on it on the recording. And then there's another song that I wrote for Common called black America. Again, he sung. He sung on the end of it, but I wasn't there when he sung, so I've never got the chance to really collapse read with him, you know what I mean? Like, do you wanna come up with something? Definitely that's gonna be let me tell you something. Stevie Wonder is. Oh my god,

it's such a phenomenon. But you know what I love about Stevie's music, like, don't you worry about the thing? And um at the end when they're doing that jam session, it is a jam session that I'm like, I wish I could have been sitting in on that because they let it fade out, but you know, they went on for about twenty more minutes at least for sure. Definitely, that's the same thing with you know, um to digress. How does it feel? Yeah, you know how it cuts

off at the end. Yeah, that's because they ran out of tape. Well, let me be honest with that video. I broke about four TVs trying to look down. I'm just gonna be honest. That was Hotel TVs, but they were still TVs. I was trying to look down in there. I couldn't see and I might as well just ask you because somebody in the comments just brought up Maxwell. So I actually got to see some of you like you were his musical director for a couple of years.

So how was that experience? It was great. Actually, Derek Hives was the music director Maxwell just had. It was it was like my band. The band that was my experiment band at the time was Chris Dave. Derek had me. So I was playing piano, you know what I mean. And that was like four years or two thousand nine to two thousand, you know what I mean. It was great, amazing, that was that was a really good time, you know

what I mean? Because it was It was great for R and B. Maxwell came back, the songs were dope, and musicians were excited to see us play with Maxwell. Normally, you go to Maxwell shows, it's ninety nine percent woman. If that's a guy there, he took a woman. There's a guy that he is a woman, all right, right exactly, it was still ninety now that you know now the other guy. Other people are coming just to see the music,

aren't like the musicians play. It was still not the eight point five All Women, the best tour I've ever been on in my life. It was now you said you started with gospel. Have you ever worked with a gospel artist now that's rather than down to do or would you like to go back and work with the gospel artists since you was started in gospel music as a piano player. Yeah, I mean I'm gonna, I'm i'm um. One of my boys, Jonathan McReynolds. You know Jonathan, I

know Jonathan Butler. I don't know that. I don't know mcgolds. No, I know Jonathan Butler. I know Jonathan Butler. Yeah, falling in love with Oh, I love that song very sounds. Yeah, but I think I'm gonna definitely do something with Jonathan mcgrendall's at some point. I mean, there's a lot of gospel hours. I would love to work for John p. Keys on one of my albums. You can make me fair for me Lola one of the fans, one of flamemates. Want to know have you ever worked with Sean Patterson

ras Sean passion has a beautiful voice too. Oh my god, he's a big can sing his face on. I never worked with him, but I'm sure I will at some point, for sure, for sure. Right. Another thing I want to ask you to Um, your Emmy that you won with Common for doing the Thirteenth with Aba Duferne. How special was that to you? And just what was that? Like?

That was amazing. You know, as a musician, you really don't think outside of Grammy kind of thought, like Grammy is kind of only what you kind of aimed for if you aim for anything as far as the award goes. So they get it in me, it kind of opened my. It kind of like got me outside of the box, like, oh wait a minute, I could do more things, you know what I mean? And so that was that was

That was That was amazing. That was I was. I was in Europe um literally about to walk on stage for a show, and Eva du Rene texted me congratulations on your Emmy nomination and I was like, wow, you know what I mean. It's like, oh my gosh, you know what I mean. So it was that that that was that was That was a good one. And speaking of expanding the career, didn't you just do a couple of acting debuts and a couple of different things I have I'm out on the streets. Um Yeah I did,

Uh yeah, so I did. I played a little part in Nertha documentary in the in the Aretha series with the one I played. I played a piano player in Art Tatum, who was a blind piano player that used to go over to her house and her dad had those parties and used to go there and play with Dina Washington, all kinds of people Art Tatum is. I mean, he's the king. You have class room. You ain't had that beard either. Yeah. I looked like Stephen A. Smith for a minute. My hairline was all back, and then

I just did uh. I did a few episodes of Black Monday with Don Cheeto. Um. He hit me up like, yeah, we got this little party if you wanted, and he's trying to do some acting. So I was like, oh, I'll do it. You know what I mean, what are you saying? She's saying she wants her camera tan camera now, as long as you go ahead and can focus. She good. See, we see, we see you love the girl. You beautiful. Oh my god, that hit, Oh my god, the eyes, Oh my girl. You better stop it, girl, I see

it already, the little boys already at the dough. Don't say that. I'm trying to read some of these comments too, because people have a lot of questions for you Rob, So, how was your collaboration on Butterfly between you and Balao? Oh? That was dope. That that actually, um, yeah, the Butterfly song before we played it, because if you listen to the song, there's a lot of outside like ambience, like

artists going and buying this this. So we took a microphone from the studio and walked around the block just to pick up the sounds of the city. And we do we do you want to do one? I know you can go and you can get it. You know, you can go on. You can get sounds of the city from anywhere. You can download them, you know what I mean. But we wanted to have a real sound of the city where we were, so we walked them.

I can't wait, I can't wait. We walked around with a microphone and then we recorded on top of that, on top of the sounds of the city, you know what I mean. So, and I believe it was like one one take this one time round, you know what I mean. So it was special, a lot of a lot. He's my favorite artist in general, like to work with and just as talent and how Dobe is you know, And I've been collaborative without you since we got to college, you know what I mean. So he's definitely one of

the most underrated and dopest artists. That's a great compliment. See this forever since Rob literally changes the energy in every room. Love it, Bro. They love you. Love it Bro, Love it Bro. They want to know about the collaboration with you and Esperanza Spalding. Oh um on her Oh

I did something over with her on her seven. She has a project seven seven seven that was like she did like a whole album on Facebook Live and it was like literally three days straight and you got to watch her collaborate with these people and watch her write the songs in real time. Longen, you have such a talented family. I didn't know. I was just all this talent. I'm bringing the mom um. It's town that dad is. Oh my God, so many towns people. You know what, Rob,

you know what I know. I'm going back to gospel because you said you started off with God. You know who I would love to see you collaborate and bring her out of retirement. Who is one of my favorite gospels is Tremaine Hawkins. Let me tell Tremaine came in right before um yellin the Adams became this superstar, but Tremaine set it up for for l Adams, Tremaine was dynamite and still is probably dynamite. I would love to see somebody do something with her. The whole Hawkings family

is yeah, yeah, it's it's just it's crazy. No, but she's amaze a matter of fact, Am I wrong? I feel like, tell me if I'm wrong? Didn't she sing that? I might be wrong? I think that was Vanessa bell Armstrong. Who's something the amen? Oh the I don't know who's saying I'm a heathen. I'm not a good person to ask that what that was? That was Vanessa Bael? That was That was Vael. That wasn't Tremaine. But no, but

she's from my hometown. I absolutely adore Landa. But before Yolanda hit a lot of people forget about Tremaine, Tremaine was the gospel for her. Shirley c I still love Shirley Seesar too, But it looked like Yolanda got all the sham, all the start them, all the big fame for the name. But before her was child Tremaye Hankers, Trema Hankers was everywhere. Shirley like she never ages. She just she was old when she first started. And one

is she about too, honey? I know he we look at the early showy season videos, she looks like she does now. That is funny, as he were just joking, girl, I love you. It's amazing. It's amazing. Like she just don't she don't age. She's just like, I mean, you know what I'm gonna I'm gonna start off at this age and I'm gonna stay there. So let me ask

you too. I know you kind of like talked about it a little bit before when you and I were together, but Dave Chappelle like just literally Dave came to the Blue Note, you had Chris Rock come out and like he basically emceed your show for you, and you were just talking about how it was interesting to look at

their creative processes in real time. So can you like kind of touch on that a little bit because I thought it was amazing to hear you talk about Yeah, So Dave behind backstage of the Roots show, I was playing with the Roots, I don't know, probably like old something oh five or something, and Dave was there and he asked me to help him play around Midnight The Lonest month too, So I gave him to less play

round midnight. That's how we started. Every time I was seeing they were happily at Agano somewhere backstage, I would help you to figure some stuff around midnight, and we just became cool. So now everything after my residency is like the last time I didn't Regency, he came out, he brought to Yeah, he brought. Now he brought, I mean, he brought Sarah Silverman. Now he brought. I mean everybody came. You know. It was right after he won that award,

the the Tom Sawyer Uh Comedy Award. UM. But anyway, so uh yeah, now man, it's just a thing. Man. He just loves the music and and we have such a good a good report. You know. That's my bro. So now whenever I play, you know, and in the Vicinity or not even the just making his business to fly out. Wait, you gotta you want to say how he showed up to your show with Susan Surrandon, just

just casually. That's now. Yeah. In June. In June, UM the UM they debuted the documentary Dave's Documentary, UM that I just scored it. Um. It closed the Tribeca Film festival and and they did that Radio City Music Hall, the radio scene. He's gonna open back up so Dad could do to show his film there. And um so that week was trying to make a film festival. The same week I was in New York. So Dave came by like a few nights and like yeah, like you said, you know, Chris came by with him a few times.

They opened up like just one night. One night they at the garden as Square Garden with the food fighters. Brought them to my show after you know what I mean, went to the brand and that was that night. You never know who's gonna be for days. Anybody loves it. I am so looking forward to working with him and meeting him one day very soon. He knows who he's been talking to Ida Aboutrikas about me, So I'm hoping that he Dave called me. I'm ready, ready, I'm ready,

trust me, I'm ready. And he's such a nice, just a dope dude man. Like for Mother's Day. Look, it was Mother's Day was Sunday in May. We were here Friday, and he I talked today Friday night and he was like, what a y'all doing Mother's Day? I was like, oh, we're just here. We probably go up the street half some food, Like no, you're gonna come, no how and you're gonna private jet and pick me a little ung gg up. And lewis to Ohio to have Mother's Day dinner at his crazy and a mother's day. This is

a awful don't happen, you know? And and uh and in in in that documentary, like I was saying, I was telling Lauren, like, you got a chance to see so many artists, including stand up comedians and everything kind of struggle to get their flitting because they haven't performed it so long because of COVID, you know, and if so inspiring these amazing people like do that, like you know, just like get up there, Like even Chris Rock was up there like this. And the dope thing is about

all these people. They're super fearless and some of it wasn't funny, and some of it started to be funny. But you can even see the comedians like, man, I'm sorry, I'm working it out, you know what I mean. It was inspiring to see people at that level still have to work stuff out. You know. Let me let me ask you a question, right because you're to me like, right in the middle of the old school and the new school, which which music, John Brod, do you like

the best? Not? And I'm not talking about jazz alb. I'm talking about the old school music versus the newer stuff that's out now, because I think the newer stuff that's out now, this is my opinion, is promoting not love and affection. And it's kind of grab about a hair, throw it down the stairs, put up on the airplane. You know that. Don't do nothing to me. That's not a turn on. Um No, I think I think, you know. I think it's the it's the it's the it's it's

it's history. It's what history is supposed to do. Music comes around, your parents are playing their music. You're like, oh that's for old You start playing your music and they're like, oh, you don't know none about music back in my day, you know. So I respect that the music is changing, and I know that I'm not gonna like all of it. But I'm not supposed I'm not supposed to be the messages in the music. Sometimes the messages, the messages, most of the messages are missing about are

are missing loves? You know what I mean? They aren't missing the positive things about it, you know what I mean? For sure? For sure, Also because I feel like, you know, after you know, after a certain era, live musicians in the studio stop being a thing. People started making music

on their iPhone, you know what I mean. So when you stop, when you don't have when you can make music that fast on your iPhone, it stops being about it stops being most of the time, not everyone, but most of the time, it stops being about the music. And it's kind of just about what idea cannot put out there that everybody else is gonna grab onto and love. So everybody's kind of pickyback. Not everybody else. What's cool. I'm gonna do that. I'm gonna do what everybody else

is doing. Nobody's being an artist because they really want to be an artist. Not nobody. Some people are, but most of them, what I see, they're not. You're not gonna remember them next year, like you know, it's like it doesn't matter for a lot of people. But but again, I'm not saying all your music is like terrible because I'm an older guy, you know what I mean, So I respect that that's what it is now, you know what I mean something, but I like, you know what I mean, but a lot of it I don't so

really quick because we're almost at our hour. What are some upcoming projects that you can talk about? I know you said that, like Stevie Wonders like personally reached out to you to work on some things. And what other projects do you have coming up? Because people are in the comments impressed by Black Radio three. Just just letting you know, so that's happening, that's definitely happening. I've already I've argue I'm done with Black Radio three. Yeah alright,

I can't. I can't say who's on it yet because I don't have all the t's crossing eyes dot it yet. You know what I mean. She wants to be honest. She she needs the part of that. She just your daughter. She just don't you hear talk And that's what she's saying, the baby talk don't forget about me on the album? How How was it working with um with Don Cheetah? I love Don Cheeto. I've never met him, but my favorite movie he ever did was talk to Me. Oh my god, I love him and talk to me. That

is that's me to me. I'm Pete Green. I'm Pete Green with titties, but I love him and talk to me look with most We did a whole with most depths back in when you talk to Me came out. We did a whole like concert based on Pete Green with most depth and using that down Cheeto movie and using some clips from that, and we called it the Watermelon. We called it, though I forget, like the watermelon something something about the watermelon. Pete Green was describing how you

put a little salt on the water and the whole thing. So, yeah, but do dot amazing. He's one of my favorite actors and a good friend, good dude. Question musician too. Yeah, he got a full scholarship to college for like vocal jazz and and saxophone. Ask that question. So we're gonna take this last question from the comments whout people. Someone asked, how do you pick a band when there are so

many great musicians that you know? Um, Well, the bands I have I kind of just let the sorry, I kind of I let the universe kind of do what it does. You know what I mean? Um, the guys that the guys that I can sit are in my band are people that I have kind of been around for years somehow, So like, for instance, Derek Hodges, my bass player, I met him in two thousand and six. Once you meet somebody and they played the way they do and the musicality at a certain level and their

person is a certain level. I hold on to those people and as much as I can, if I work enough to where you don't have to work with anybody else, cool, you know what I mean. But then it's like even and Chris Dave one of those guys too, you know what I'm saying. And then it's like they get to a certain platform and out there off on their own with their own bands, which is amazing. So then it's like we get to play in spots when we can. Yeah, And then I love the loyalty. I like that too.

I like when I get familiar. I'm stuck with a person. You know me, We know each other, you know, even if it's a riff, we already know each other, so we know we can fix it. Well. I will say, part of the music is what's off the stage for me, you know what I mean. If I have a good report with you off the stage, it feats the music

and it makes it that much better. Well, what I will say to the add to that is what Rob, But I think it's so like special about you, is you really want your people to catapult and to like step away from you at one point and do their own thing, like you encourage that, you know. I remember you had somebody that was like your lead singer, and you're like, why aren't you doing your own things? Like this is like get out of my band, go do

something else, you know what I mean. So I think I think that that's just so special about you because everybody doesn't feel that way. People don't want, you know, others to succeed, and you do, you know, So that's just why you're so special. Yeah, I think it's important. I think it's important to do that, you know what I mean. It keeps the music alive. You know, we'll Rob. I want to say this because Lord's gonna close out the show. I got a two o'clock zoom meaning that

I have to make. It was a pleasure talking with you. Let me tell you something, if you weren't a musician, you could damn show be a comedian because you're funny as hell. Oh, you know what you gotta do before we close out? Rob, you gotta do a quick freestyle. People in the comments that that when we first started the show, So come on, hit one, you need to beat what come on? We gotta Oh damn okay boom boom Wait wait, wait a minute, I had went way back. Okay,

ready boom bump boomp, bump bump bump. Yeah, boom boomp. Look I take freestyle than free uh because you got to pay me boom. My name the E R T. And I'm wrapping you feel me. I just wanted to take this last because I'm laughing at lower lamping. I love you so much, Rob, Thank you on the show. Thank you. We're gonna hang out. We're gonna hang and make sure we hang out long for sure. For sure, I'm looking forward to me to you and thank you for doing the show for with us today you and

Loland on us. Forget LOLd of Sheep at the time, Lolo might be in the title of the show, to be honest. Where can they follow Rob it? Oh? So you can follow Rob obviously at Robert Glassfer on Instagram. Like y'all heard Rob said he's black Radio three is and done any other thing out you want to promote Rob before we ring Off jects nothing. I can actually say everything else like I know that would tell me that again because my big man fans always telling something.

She yes, flamed us talk a lot, so yeah, but just be on the lookout to say the least. You know. Robert's got a lot of projects coming up. So thank you. I love you so much. Thank you, and thank you for being such our hands on dad. I appreciate that more than anything else. We need great black fathers in this world. We need to see more black representation of black dads that love their children unconditionally different ways. But thank you for that. I'm looking. I'm already late for me.

Before we close our way, Lauren, before we close out, Thank you, guys. Please um follow Lauren Armani h on Instagram and on Facebook and Lauren Hogan on YouTube. Subscribe to my YouTube page, but just flaim on ro Please also subscribe to our our friend Nick Smith Nick Smith News on all social media platforms. This will be uploaded Wednesday night on I Heart, Apple, Spotify, Amazon, wherever you listen to your podcast at unto the Black Effect Network.

Thank you kind to our camera guys. Get your tickets next monthy I'll be in Chicago, and I won't look like this. You might see this head with it be calm next week because I just threw them, and I'll be some lotion on your face and I have a little moisturized on my tickets to be shiny. All that, yeah, all that. Tickets for DC Comedy Off at DC Comedy Lot September nine through the twelfth. We appreciate you, guys, We thank you. Next weekend is Labor Day weekend. Next Monday.

We will not go coming right because we will be accelebrating Labor Day, of course, and I'll be in Chicago, and Lauren be eating barbecue and Kimda will be somewhere of beating up people and stuff, you know it, kind of real violence. He pulls my wig off right at the show him. Oh my god, y'all have no idea. No. Thank you Robert Glas for for joining us, for laugh and learned today, and thank you famous for joining us.

We came in on Lauren our money h page. We're gonna hoping to save and we appreciate you guys again at laft and learn. What is it, Lauren? We're not trying to get anybody to usually to I'm sorry what is it. We're not trying to get anybody to change their mind. We are simply trying to get you to use your mind, because why critical thinking belongs to you. You need to look in the mirror and like the decisions that you made. So go look in the mirror and ask the person that's looking back at you, are

you happy with the decisions that you make? Now they reach out the reflection, reach out and slap the ship out of you. That means they're not happy, But right now I'm happy. I love you guys, Thank you so much for joining us today. Laugh and Learn is a production of The Black Effect Network and I Heart Radio. Our executive producer is Tiffany Hattish. The show is produced by Triple Our theme music is by Chrissy Paine.