Musicians
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CRT FRSH, Hip-Hop Wired’s playlist where we attempt to showcase music we believe is “Certified Fresh,” is back again! With our latest update of the year, we’ve had a lot of catching up to do so let’s get to the newness.
Disclaimer:
The CRT FRSH playlist is a labor of love. We don’t take payments nor do we do favors. We only add joints to our playlist that fit the theme and vision we’re going for and don’t seek to waste the listener’s time. Further, we don’t stick to one lane of Hip-Hop. We believe that all aspects of the music should get some light, whether it’s young lions in the trenches or those hoping for that one shot to blow up to grizzled veterans puffing out their chests with lots more to say.
I want to explain how I approach curating the CRT FRSH playlist. Most importantly, I don’t segregate my Hip-Hop. Every form of music from the main cultural tree deserves a listen and a look. When I construct the playlist, I want to include all regions across the States and, when applicable, across the globe. I also want to entertain every fan of Hip-Hop, not just those who enjoy one segment of it. Now that we’ve got that out of the way, let’s get to it. — D.L. Chandler
Welcome back to the latest update to your newest and favorite playlist, Certified Fresh (CRT FRSH)! We’ve been MIA for a while so we’ll need to dig deep into the virtual crates as we bring the listeners and ourselves up to speed.
We open the playlist with “NOKIA” from Drake and PARTYNEXTDOOR’s collaborative album, $ome $exy $ongs 4 U, which has been making moves on the charts since dropping earlier this year. Taking it to Montreal, Mike Shabb’s “Crews pop” is one of several standout tracks from his hazy, well-executed album, shabbvangogh. Playboi Carti’s new MUSIC album is doing its numbers and the track “GOOD CREDIT” sounds ready for a stadium performance with Kendrick Lamar appearing for a scene-stealer verse.
MARCO PLUS, one of dopest rappers out of Atlanta, has been on CRT FRSH before and the track “gmfu” is more of his usual strong, hypnotic work. Doechii re-released an extended version of her stellar Alligator Bites Never Heal project and “Anxiety” is one of the bonus tracks of note. We took it back to 2024 and Nappy Nina and Swarvy’s slept-on Nothing Is My Favorite Thing and the track “Omakase” features some extremely dope verses from maassai and Stas THEE Boss.
We want to thank the rest of our CRT FRSH included acts such as GELO, GloRilla, Big Cheeok, Dhani, J. Cole, LORD JAH-MONTE OGBON, Freddie Gibbs, Hidden Renaissance, MACADEN, King Quad, JT, Samara Cyn, Sherwyn, Jack Harlow, Doja Cat, Zelooperz, Real Bad Man, The Alchemist, Wale, IDK, Lil Durk, Jhene Aiko, Pyraminds, Planet Asia, and Guilty Simpson.
We’ll be updating this playlist in two to three weeks with some, ahem, fresh updates and new acts along with a revamped structure to the segment. Stay tuned!
To be considered for inclusion in the CRT FRSH playlist, please email playlist curator D.L. Chandler at: dchandler@bhmdigital.com
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The Alchemist has been on a legendary run with one-off singles, a short EP series, and collaborations like his excellent joint album with Larry June, The Great Escape. The West Coast producer and rapper will reconnect with June along with 2 Chainz for the collaborative Life Is Beautiful project.
2 Chainz and Larry June have collaborated in the past via the song “Still Boomin’ from June’s 2022 Spaceships On The Blade album. The trio just unleashed the potent single and video for “Bad Choices” and it’s a natural pairing as any. June’s motivational get-money bars paired next to Tity Two Necklace’s opulent lyrics sound at home over the soulful production of The Alchemist.
Source: Scott Dudelson / Getty
The announcement came as a bit of a surprise with “Bad Choices” not initially framed as part of a larger project. Chainz sounds in tip-top shape and June is always cool, relaxed, and focused on the end game of keeping his hustle up.
Fans won’t have to wait long to experience Life Is Beautiful in full despite the relatively fast rollout of the “Bad Choices” single. The trio will drop that project on Feb. 7.
Source: Julia Beverly / Getty
Check out a trailer for the album featuring The Alchemist, Larry June, and 2 Chainz below.
LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL. A new album by @2chainz @LarryJuneTFM & @Alchemist 2/7/25 pic.twitter.com/ctaMD8M4wV
— Alchemist Type Beat (@Alchemist) January 29, 2025
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Personally can’t wait to hear a lot of “Tony!” and “Good job” adlibs all over this album. Color us excited.
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CRT FRSH, Hip-Hop Wired’s playlist where we attempt to showcase music we believe is “Certified Fresh,” is back again for 2025! Now that we’re nearing the end of the year, we’re trimming down the CRT FRSH playlist and updating the concept with our latest drop which we hope you all enjoy.
Disclaimer:
The CRT FRSH playlist is a labor of love. We don’t take payments nor do we do favors. We only add joints to our playlist that fit the theme and vision we’re going for and don’t seek to waste the listener’s time. Further, we don’t stick to one lane of Hip-Hop. We believe that all aspects of the music should get some light, whether it’s young lions in the trenches or those hoping for that one shot to blow up to grizzled veterans puffing out their chests with lots more to say.
I want to explain how I approach curating the CRT FRSH playlist. Most importantly, I don’t segregate my Hip-Hop. Every form of music from the main cultural tree deserves a listen and a look. When I construct the playlist, I want to include all regions across the States and, when applicable, across the globe. I also want to entertain every fan of Hip-Hop, not just those who enjoy one segment of it. Now that we’ve got that out of the way, let’s get to it. — D.L. Chandler
Happy New Year, Hip-Hop Wired Nation! I’m glad to be back to curating what’s about to be your new favorite Hip-Hop music playlist! Since the year is new, we’ll be featuring quite a bit of music we missed over the past year.
Opening the playlist this weekend is Lil Baby’s “Outfit” from the Atlanta rapper’s new WHAM album, and he invited 21 Savage along for the ride with a verse that some believe was in support of frequent collaborator, Drake. We follow that up with Redman’s “Dynomite” from his fantastic new album, Muddy Waters Too with Sheek Looch of The Lox on the feature.
Offset’s “Swing My Way” sees the Migos artist back in top form. Smoke DZA, one of our favorite rappers, delivered a couple of projects in 2024 and his You’re All Welcome deluxe drop with DJ RELLYRELL had several standouts, including “Another Full Tank In The Bronco” featuring Westside Gunn and Stove God Cooks.
We’re still enjoying CHROMAKOPIA, one of our top albums of 2024, and the track “Thought I Was Dead” featuring ScHoolboy Q and Santigold. That’s followed by Mike Shabb’s “Free Jesus” from the Montreal artist’s Sewaside III album featuring the talented Navy Blue. We slept on that one, our fault.
We want to salute all of the entrants on this week’s playlist and thank you for your contributions to the art.
We’ll be updating this playlist in two weeks, so live with these songs a bit and stay tuned.
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Lil Durk is currently behind bars awaiting trial for his role in a murder-for-hire plot that targeted Quando Rondo but instead left the rapper’s cousin shot and killed in 2022. In new court documents that were recently filed, Lil Durk’s trial has been postponed until October of this year as officials will comb through 230 gigabytes of digital evidence.
As shared by independent legal reporter Meghann Cuniff, Lil Durk was slated to go on trial next week as seen in the filing made on Dec. 31 to the United States District Court, Central District of California. Cuniff combed through the filing and discovered that Durk’s new trial date will be Oct. 14 as the state continues to examine its haul of evidence as prosecutors continue to build out their case.
Cuniff shared that Durk’s co-defendant Asa “Boogie” Houston is opposing the trial postponement while another co-defendant Deandre “DeDe” Wilson appears to be seeking a plea deal after requesting a pre-plea sentence report.
The discovery portion of the matter focuses on “approximately 230 GB of digital evidence such as audio/video recordings and surveillance footage, and approximately 20,000 pages of reports concerning murder and other violent acts, photographs, witness statements, and medical documents.”
It is expected that Lil Durk will remain behind bars until the trial after being denied bond due to a potential flight risk. The Chicago star was arrested while en route to a Florida airport that was reportedly heading to Europe before he was cornered and arrested.
Meghann Cuniff’s thread from X regarding the matter can be viewed below.
Rapper Lil Durk is looking at a new trial date of October 14 in his murder-for-hire case in Los Angeles, according to a stipulation today from federal prosecutors and the defense. pic.twitter.com/XtMjADEOPd
— Meghann Cuniff (@meghanncuniff) December 31, 2024
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Kendrick Lamar put the entirety of the greater Los Angeles area on his back with the track “Not Like Us” which was largely a diss of Drake and a call for West Coast unity. Leading this charge, Kendrick Lamar and a collective of other West Coast Hip-Hop artists are enjoying a resurgence that has put the culture at large on notice.
To best examine how the West has won in 2024, or at least why we believe they’re poised to do so, one only needs to look back to Future and Metro Boomin’s “LIKE THAT” single released in March from the pair’s WE DON’T TRUST YOU project that started the mudslinging between Kendrick Lamar and Drake, reaching a culture-shifting zenith by way of K-Dot’s explosive “Not Like Us” track.
The runaway success of “Not Like Us” remains a case study in timing, impact, and the power of directedness. There is no mystery in Lamar’s verse, no esoteric lines to parse, or prose that goes over the head. It is beyond clear that K-Dot’s Canadian rival was his target and that his relentless attacks dug into Drake’s character and image, with some in Hip-Hop crowning Lamar an absolute winner in their feud.
Adding to the layers, the video for “Not Like Us” was another celebration of greater Los Angeles with YG, Dot’s former boss at TDE Anthony “Top Dawg” Tiffith, Mustard, and DeMar DeRozan showing off regional pride via their appearances. It has come to the point that listening back to the relatively light jabs thrown on “LIKE THAT,” it remains baffling that the beef reached the heights that it did.
All of this has naturally overshadowed other crowning achievements from West Coast artists, and we’ll do our best to examine the year that was.
Groovy Q
Source: Billboard / Getty
ScHoolboy Q also dropped in March with his sixth studio album, Blue Lips, an album that we at Hip-Hop Wired reviewed and enjoyed immensely. To date, no other major Hip-Hop release has taken as many risks sonically as Blue Lips and further cements the legend of ScHoolboy Q as a streetwise but spiritually grounded lyricist. And as much as the production stood out on Blue Lips, the maestro in the middle of the maelstrom was always Q.
Vince Staples Continues Strong Run
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The buoyancy and chaotic energy of Blue Lips is not overtly present on Vince Staples’ sixth album, Dark Times, another example of the Long Beach native’s ability to find a reflective thread in even the starkest details surrounding his upbringing and rise to fame. Dark Times is not an overjoyous album, at least not overall. As the album reveals, Staples consistently presents himself as an artist who isn’t interested in being dissected or even understood. The album is an audio missive of someone who hopes to exist on their terms without the weight of expectations.
T Says He’s The Biggest Out The City Since Kenny
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Tyler, The Creator —no longer just the talented, if foul-mouthed, producer-rapper that fronted the sprawling Odd Future crew — is now a veteran act and eight studio albums deep. His latest, Chromakopia, is an audio hodgepodge of all of Tyler’s sounds from rapping, singing, jazz, rock, you name it, it’s here. Continuing some of his chest-out rapping that appeared on CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST, T acknowledges K-Dot on “Rah Tah Tah,” signaling that the coast is unified. Chromakopia follows a concept that aims at rabid fans, tackles the abortion debate, and bashes the upkeep of fame. Some have crowned the record as the best to release this year.
Soul-O Hoe!
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Ab-Soul’s sixth studio album, Soul Burger, was seen as a surprise considering the staggered release schedule that TDE typically employs. Dedicated to his good friend Doeburger, who passed away in 2021, Soul Burger finds the “Martin Luther King of Carson” paying homage to his friend and his roots while once again showing why he might be the strongest lyricist to emerge from the Top Dawg Entertainment camp.
New Kung Fu Kenny!
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This brings us to the surprise release on Friday (November 22) of Lamar’s latest album, GNX, a body of work that seems to be a continuation of the sound examined on “Not Like Us” and features the full version of “squabble up,” a track we only heard as a snippet previously. GNX, at least on our first listen, doesn’t stick to a theme or sound and will take some time to take in all the finer points. That said, K-Dot shows off his extraordinary abilities, and the autobiographical “The Heart Pt. 6” is a highlight. And yes, there are shots at Drake, mentions of the Super Bowl, and maybe even a dig at Lil Wayne? You be the judge.
Other standout albums that highlighted the West Coast’s dominance this year include the likes of Jay Worthy and DāM FunK’s funky Magic Hour collaborative album, Tha Dogg Pound’s We All We Got, Larry June’s Doing It For Me, Big-Hit, Hit-Boy, and The Alchemist’s Black & Whites, and JasonMartin (FKA Problem) and DJ Quik’s Chupacabra.
We also got potent bar work from Planet Asia and his Trust The Chain II EP with 38 Spesh on production. TiRon and Ayomari’s The Adventures of TiRon & Ayomari, Thurz’s Yannick Koffi: In Time, and Casual’s Starbuster EP should all be included in this concise roundup.
Regional biases and arguments aside, it will be determined over time if the West Coast can sustain its momentum into 2025. But if 2024 is any indication, the West had a lot more than just something to say. It appears that the entire coast is ready to move together as a cohesive unit, and as the smoke continues to clear, any challenge to the respective thrones will be sufficiently met.
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CRT FRSH, Hip-Hop Wired’s playlist where we attempt to showcase music we believe is “Certified Fresh,” has been on a far longer hiatus than intended. Now that we’re back, we’re trimming down the CRT FRSH playlist and updating the concept with our latest drop which we hope you all enjoy.
Some readers might remember I used to deliver a disclaimer before each playlist and I’ll do so again. The point of this disclaimer is to effectively share with you all the aims of CRT FRSH and how I want to stay true to the vision.
Disclaimer:
The CRT FRSH playlist is a labor of love. We don’t take payments nor do we do favors. We only add joints to our playlist that fit the theme and vision we’re going for and don’t seek to waste the listener’s time. Further, we don’t stick to one lane of Hip-Hop. We believe that all aspects of the music should get some light, whether it’s young lions in the trenches or those hoping for that one shot to blow up to grizzled veterans puffing out their chests with lots more to say.
I want to explain how I approach curating the CRT FRSH playlist. Most importantly, I don’t segregate my Hip-Hop. Every form of music from the main cultural tree deserves a listen and a look. When I construct the playlist, I want to include all regions across the States and, when applicable, across the globe. I also want to entertain every fan of Hip-Hop, not just those who enjoy one segment of it. Now that we’ve got that out of the way, let’s get to it.
It’s been a long time, I really shouldn’t left you, word to Rakim. Life got in the way of keeping the playlist updated but I’m back to try and enlighten not just the listeners and readers but also myself. As a longtime Hip-Hop supporter, I have serious FOMO when it comes to all the constant drops, and curating this playlist helps me to feel, ahem, fresh.
Unlike before when I would break up the list with “mainstream” or acts that are more established and follow that up with “underground” or little-known acts, I’m taking a new one-for-one approach to not bury anyone’s art and divide the sound. Like I say in the disclaimer, I don’t segregate my Hip-Hop.
We open up this week’s playlist with “HOLLON” from GloRilla, who just dropped her debut studio album, Glorious. Next up, Boldy James and Conductor Williams dropped a masterful project in Across The Tracks and we added their stellar “Flying Trapeze Act” track. We keep the Conductor Williams train rolling, pun very much intended, with “FEELINGS ON SILENT” featuring Wale from Leon Thomas’ latest album MUTT.
Taking things up to Harlem, 100GrandRoyce teamed up with producer Dame Grease for their The Fix 2 project and the intro track is an absolute banger. We then return to The D and share Tee Grizzley’s “Blow for Blow” featuring J. Cole from Tee’s new Post Traumatic album that dropped earlier in October. Australian producer SB11 dropped a fresh platter of heat in his Heavenly Unknown album and “Silent And So Cold” features the heavy-duty bar work of Flashius Clayton, Planet Asia, and Defcee.
We round out the rest of the CRT FRSH playlist with tracks from Ransom, Conway The Machine, Doechii, Hus Kingpin, REASON, Rod Wave, Future, Powers Pleasant, and more.
Peep the playlist below.
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Nancy Black might not be a name known to many outside of the Roma community, but the rapper is using her voice and platform to call out the injustice faced by her people. In a new profile, Nancy Black is using Hip-Hop as a vehicle for change and to support the recognition of all Roma people.
Nancy Black, real name Gilda-Nancy Horvath, was featured in a profile from the AFP centered on her still-growing career as a rapper and the motivations behind her art.
Horvath first began her rapping career about eight years ago, creating what the profile referred to as an “angry rap” song or protest song titled “Trushula,” which has a video with English subtitles where one can read exactly who she is targeting with her bars.
The profile goes on to note that Horvath was inspired by the development of far-right groups across Europe, especially in her home country of Austria. There, the Freedom Party (FPOe), which reportedly had Nazi ties, led in polls for the country’s national elections and this has Horvath’s attention.
Beyond tackling anti-Roma racism in verse form, Horvath also raps in Romani in part to keep the language alive and to “stop the suffering” as she told the outlet.
“With the death of this language we are also forgetting a large part of our history,” Horvath said.
The Roma people, who number around 14 million, are burdened with discrimination across the realms of education and employment, along with struggling with poverty per the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA).
Check out Nancy Black’s “Trushula” track below
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Photo: AFP/Getty
This past Labor Day Weekend, the rolling hills of Napa, Calif. were filled with fans in town to attend the Blue Note Jazz Festival’s Black Radio Experience festival, curated by Robert Glasper. The iOne Digital team was on the grounds to take in the Black Radio Experience, and we were moved by the display of music, art, wine, and culture.
The Blue Note Jazz Festival’s Black Radio Experience kicked off on the first day of Labor Day Weekend and was held at the Meritage Resort and Spa. The BRE team did an excellent job of transforming the sprawling resort into a welcoming performance space, complete with brand installations, a wine garden, food trucks, VIP experiences, and plenty of seating for fans to take in the performances.
On the first day (August 30), vibraphonist Joel Rosshas’ Joel Ross’ Good Vibes got the festival going at the Blue Note Stage, with producer Madlib and drummer Daru Jones taking to the Black Radio Stage. Madlib also brought out guests on his set such as his Loot Pack band member Wildchild, who some might know as the father of actor Miles Brown, vocalist Stacy Epps, and rapper Your Old Droog.
Source: Black Radio Experience / BRE
Source: Black Radio Experience Content Team
Terrace Martin rocked the Blue Note Stage, taking listeners through his wide musical journey while picking up a variety of instruments and also sharing humorous bits about himself throughout his performance. Common and Pete Rock, who are currently on tour in support of their new album, The Auditorium Vol. 1, put on a spirited performance of their classics along with tracks from the new project.
Source: Marc Fong / Still Harper
Source: @sandrajamphoto
At the resort’s Estate Cave, André 3000 held three separate performances titled “New Blue Sun Live” which featured him performing with a backing band and using several wind instruments much like he did on his latest album of the same name. Three Stacks’ held three shows daily across the span of the festival at the Estate Cave. Golden Globes winner and singer Andra Day was another early highlight with a passionate performance that had attendees on their feet.
Source: Todd Cooper
The first night concluded with the legendary Jill Scott and she proved once more why she is in demand as a performer, running through just about every song you’d want to hear, including the sultry “Crown Royal,” and the Go-Go-tinged “It’s Love” among other hits.
Source: Marc Fong / Still Harper
On the second day (8/31), drummer Kendrick Scott set things off on the Blue Note Stage with an energetic set that displayed his mastery of the sticks. DJ Jazzy Jeff was slated to perform on the Black Radio Stage but DJ Premier of Gang Starr fame gamely filled the slot with a crowd-pleasing set full of grooving soul tracks and R&B from the 1970s and beyond.
Source: Marc Fong / Still Harper
Source: Marc Fong / Still Harper
Bassist Derrick Hodge rocked Blue Note Stage shortly after and pulled double duty on Saturday with a following set with the Color of Noize Orchestra. Around the same time, Tank and The Bangas were torching the Black Radio Stage and as we’ve seen before, Tarriona “Tank” Ball gave it her all on the stage with a mixture of poetry, rapping, and singing.
Source: Marc Fong / Still Harper
As this festival was created from the mind of Robert Glasper, the talented musician made his rounds during several sets throughout the weekend and hosted his first full set with special guest, Marsha Ambrosius.
Source: Marc Fong / Still Harper
Source: Marc Fong / Still Harper
John Legend closed things out on Saturday with all the style and professionalism one can imagine. At one point during his set, Legend explained to the crowd how he came to work with Kanye West, now known as Ye, and the origin of his stage name among other anecdotes. Based on our observation of the crowd, this was another standout moment of the festival.
Source: Marc Fong / Still Harper
On the final day, we spent much of our day in interview mode so we regretfully missed several sets such as RC & The Gritz, Christian McBride, Cimafunk, and Eric Roberson. However, we did get to sit down with Erro and we’ll be sharing more from our chat in later posts. In between the busy interview schedule, we did get to see some of Ledisi’s set from the Pattern Beauty suite — more on that later — and we also got to catch the “New Blue Sun Live” experience in person.
Source: Marc Fong / Still Harper
Source: Marc Fong / Still Harper
Source: BRE / Still Harper
The final sets of the night were Niles Rodgers and CHIC, and Glasper alongside Musiq Soulchild, capping a weekend full of music, wine, and several examples of Black elegance and excellence.
The iOne Digital team also attended some of the on-site experiences, such as the JAM Session with Robert Glasper & Chef Ken L. Polk from Chicago, with Glasper serving as his sous chef.
We also checked out the Ladies First Power Hour: Cocktails & Conversation with Kendra Anderson & Imane Hanine and had the pleasure of interviewing the pair after the experience. We also got to get some brunch in among the elevated vineyard grounds via the “For the Love of Jazz” Soul Brunch by Chef Jay Foster & DJ Mara Hruby, featuring John Legend’s LVE Wine.
Source: @sandrajamphoto
In the coming weeks, we’ll be sharing some of the content we captured from the grounds, including the aforementioned interviews. We interviewed Andra Day, Derrick Hodge, Frankie Zombie, and more so please stay tuned.
Once again, the iOne Digital team owes a great deal of gratitude to the Black Radio Experience team for the hospitality and assistance in allowing us to experience the festival as intended.
To learn more about the Blue Note Jazz, click here.
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Photo: iOne Digital/BRE
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Frankie Beverly, long known as the frontman for the soul and funk band Maze, has died according to a statement released by the family. Beverly began his career as a teenager before eventually honing his sound which later became one of the foundations of modern R&B.
Beverly was born December 6, 1946, in Philadelphia, Pa., and lived in the East Germantown section. Beverly began singing in church and joined his first band at the age of 13. At 16, much to the dismay of his father who wanted him to take a more traditional route, Beverly formed an acapella group known as The Blenders. While still trying to find his signature sound, Beverly formed a new band known as The Butlers, who cut their first record in 1963.
In 1970, determined to make it in music, Beverly formed the band Raw Soul and moved west to San Francisco to pursue a career in the industry. A chance meeting with the sister-in-law of Marvin Gaye at the time led to a fruitful connection leading to opportunities for the band. The group toured with Gaye as his opening act and according to several accounts, the legendary R&B star urged Beverly to change the band’s name from Raw Soup to Maze.
Through the late 1970s and mid-1980s, Maze notched several hits that charted on Billboard’s Hot 100 and U.S. R&B charts, including “Joy & Pain,” “Southern Girl,” “Back In Stride” and the backyard two-step classic, “Before I Let Go” which was covered in 2019 by Beyoncé.
In the world of Hip-Hop, Maze has been sampled by a few notables of the genre including 50 Cent, T.I., Tha Dogg Pound, Rob Base & DJ EZ-Rock, 2Pac, and more. Maze was also a huge touring act, which featured Beverly in his signature all-white attire complete with a white baseball cap.
The statement from the Beverly family was shared on Instagram and reads as follows:
Grieving the loss of a loved one is a deeply personal and emotional experience. During this time, as we are navigating feelings of sorrow, reflection, and remembrance we kindly ask for privacy and understanding, allowing us the space to grieve in our own way. This period for is one of healing, and your respect for our need for solitude is appreciated as we honor the memory of our beloved Howard Stanley Beverly known to the world as Frankie Beverly.
He lived his life with pure soul as one would say, and for us, no one did it better. He lived for his music, family and friends.
Love one another as he would want that for us all.
On X, formerly known as Twitter, fans of Beverly expressed their sorrow and celebrated the life and legacy of the singer. We’ve got those reactions below.
Beverly was 77.
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For all of his musical accomplishments, Robert Glasper stands as one of the most versatile yet accessible musicians of his generation. In a recent chat, the Grammy Award-winning pianist and composer shared with Hip-Hop Wired his vision of The Black Radio Experience and bringing the soulful vibes to Napa Valley for Labor Day Weekend.
Robert Glasper has over a dozen releases that span the audio expanses of Jazz, Soul, R&B, Funk, and Hip-Hop. By way of the world-famous Blue Note record label, Glasper released Black Radio in 2012 and it was true to his interpretation of what a Black radio station under his watchful direction. The initial concept led to a Black Radio trilogy that concluded in 2022, and he’s still reinventing himself as an artist by way of his latest project, Let Go.
Source: Marc Fong / Marc Fong
Anyone who has ever attended a Robert Glasper show learns swiftly that he is, without doubt, a masterful yet playful showman whose dexterity as a pianist allows him to open his musical sandbox to a wide tapestry of sounds. In our talk with Glasper, we asked him what The Black Radio Experience means to him and how he intends to bring those ideas to life in the Wine Country of Northern California.
“The Black Radio Experience, just like you hear on my albums, it’s just that vibe and you can see the festival will feature artists that have appeared on the Black Radio albums like Common, Jill Scott, Ledisi, Terrace Martin, Derrick Hodge,” Glasper explains.
“It’s not about having the hottest song out or anything but a collection of artists that make songs that bring those good feelings out. These are artists who promote real music, love, honesty, and all of that from a Black and soulful perspective. That’s what The Black Radio Experience is and always will be,” Glasper added.
Glasper shared that while the theme of the Blue Note Jazz Festival in Napa has maintained that creed for the past three years, this year’s festival widens the scope with a focus on Black wine brands, chefs bringing curated menu concepts to light, and making the festival a safe space for celebration of the wide scope of Black creativity that includes the arts and dance as well.
“The festival is just an extension of the love I have for the music and the people and what I set out to do on the first Black Radio album, which is to say this is what Black radio stations could be,” Glasper said.
“When I made that first album, I was already immersed in different styles of music and playing it but committing it to wax was the next step, and over the years with the festival, we’ve been able to bring my vision of Black Radio to the stages and show that there is so much to us as a creative people,” Glasper shared.
Source: Blue Note Jazz Festival / Blue Note Jazz Festival
Among the headliners for The Blue Note Jazz Festival Presents: The Black Radio Experience, which includes the aforementioned acts from the albums, is André 3000. Three Stacks has famously moved on from the rapping portion of his career and leaning into instrumental music by way of his latest album, New Blue Sun. Glasper says that he found the Atlanta artist’s choice to try something new inspirational and that was his thought in creating his latest body of work, Let Go.
“I had so many people tell me that they listened to New Blue Sun and mediated to it or cleaned their house to it, hell, even I did the same,” Glasper said. “I had people tell me that they would do the same to some of my music and that was the reason why I partnered with Apple Music to drop Let Go. I wanted to give listeners something to reset their day to and even to inspire myself to take it slow.”
Robert Glasper will be in Napa, Calif. this Labor Day Weekend for The Blue Note Jazz Festival Presents: The Black Radio Experience.
To learn more about the festival, click here.
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Photo: Marc Fong/Blue Note Jazz Festival