Robert Glasper’s Collaborations: How He Connected Jazz, Hip Hop, R&B &

Cover photo ©Noam Galai

Exploring His Work With Kendrick Lamar, H.E.R., Common, Erykah Badu, Leon Bridges & More

Few musicians have done more to break down genre barriers than Robert Glasper.

Over the past two decades, Glasper has built a career that exists at the intersection of jazz, hip hop, R&B, soul, and contemporary music. While many artists become known for a specific sound, Glasper’s legacy is defined by connection. He has spent much of his career bringing together artists from different musical worlds and proving that great music rarely fits neatly into a single category.

This ability to collaborate across genres has made him one of the most influential musicians of his generation.

Whether working with Kendrick Lamar on To Pimp a Butterfly, creating Grammy-winning music with H.E.R., reimagining jazz standards alongside Erykah Badu, or helping shape the modern sound of artists like Common, Bilal, Leon Bridges, and Terrace Martin, Glasper has consistently expanded what contemporary music can be.

Understanding Robert Glasper means understanding his collaborations.

They are not simply side projects. They are central to his artistic identity.

If you’re new to Glasper’s music, you may also want to explore:

👉 Who Is Robert Glasper? A Beginner’s Guide to His Music, Albums & Legacy
👉 The Complete Robert Glasper Album Guide
👉 Why Black Radio Changed Modern Jazz Forever
👉 The 20 Best Robert Glasper Songs, Collaborations & Features Every Music Fan Should Hear

Why Collaboration Defines Robert Glasper’s Career

Unlike many jazz musicians, Robert Glasper did not “cross over” into hip hop or R&B later in his career.

He grew up with those influences.

Born in Houston, Texas, Glasper came of age listening not only to jazz legends but also to hip hop, gospel, soul, and contemporary R&B. That musical openness became one of the defining characteristics of his work.

Rather than viewing genres as separate worlds, Glasper has always treated them as parts of the same conversation.

This philosophy eventually led to projects like Black Radio, which brought together rappers, singers, jazz musicians, and producers in ways that felt completely natural rather than forced.

Today, that approach seems obvious.

When Glasper first began doing it, it was revolutionary.

Robert Glasper & Kendrick Lamar

If there is one collaboration that highlighted Robert Glasper’s influence beyond jazz audiences, it may be his connection to Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp a Butterfly.

Widely considered one of the most important albums of the 21st century, To Pimp a Butterfly brought jazz musicians into the heart of a modern hip hop masterpiece.

Glasper contributed keyboards to the project and became part of a creative ecosystem that included:

Thundercat
Terrace Martin
Kamasi Washington
Bilal
Anna Wise
Flying Lotus

The result was an album that fundamentally changed expectations around what hip hop could sound like.

One of the most celebrated songs from the project is:

“These Walls”

Kendrick Lamar feat. Bilal, Anna Wise & Thundercat

The song went on to win the Grammy Award for Best Rap/Sung Performance and remains one of the defining examples of jazz and hip hop working together at the highest level.

Its inclusion on the Robert Glasper x Jeff Staple release reflects its wider significance within the creative world Glasper helped shape.

Robert Glasper & Common

Common has been one of Robert Glasper’s most significant creative collaborators.

Both artists share a commitment to thoughtful lyricism, social commentary, and musical experimentation.

Their collaborations include:

“I Stand Alone”

Robert Glasper Experiment feat. Common & Patrick Stump

and

“All Matter”

Robert Glasper Experiment feat. Bilal & Common

These recordings explore themes of identity, race, inequality, and community while blending jazz, soul, and hip hop into a cohesive musical language.

Why it matters:

The partnership between Common and Glasper demonstrates how jazz can remain culturally relevant without abandoning its roots.

Robert Glasper & Erykah Badu

If there is one artist who perfectly complements Robert Glasper’s musical vision, it may be Erykah Badu.

Their most famous collaboration remains:

“Afro Blue”

Originally composed by Mongo Santamaría, the song was transformed into something entirely new through Glasper’s arrangement and Badu’s unmistakable vocal performance.

Many fans consider it the definitive Robert Glasper recording.

The collaboration works because both artists share a similar philosophy:

respect tradition
embrace innovation
ignore genre boundaries

Together they created one of the most influential recordings in modern jazz.

Robert Glasper & Jill Scott

Another defining Black Radio-era collaboration is:

“Calls”

Robert Glasper Experiment feat. Jill Scott

The track combines Scott’s powerful storytelling with Glasper’s sophisticated arrangement style. What makes “Calls” particularly effective is its emotional depth. Rather than relying on technical complexity, the song creates atmosphere through restraint, space, and subtle musical choices.

For many listeners, it remains one of the standout moments from the Black Radio series.

Robert Glasper & Bilal

Few vocalists appear more frequently throughout Robert Glasper’s catalogue than Bilal.

Over the years, the two artists have developed one of the defining creative partnerships within Glasper’s catalogue.

Bilal’s ability to move between:

jazz
soul
R&B
experimental music

makes him an ideal collaborator for Glasper’s genre-fluid approach.

Their work together spans multiple projects and represents some of the most adventurous music in Glasper’s catalogue.

Bilal’s presence can also be felt within the wider creative community surrounding artists like Kendrick Lamar, further highlighting the interconnected nature of Glasper’s musical world.

Robert Glasper & H.E.R.

One of Glasper’s most successful modern collaborations came with:

“Better Than I Imagined”

Robert Glasper feat. H.E.R. & Meshell Ndegeocello

Released in 2020, the song won the Grammy Award for Best R&B Song and introduced Glasper’s work to a broader audience.

The collaboration showcases everything that makes Glasper unique:

sophisticated musicianship
emotional songwriting
cross-genre appeal
exceptional collaborators

For newer listeners, it often serves as an ideal entry point into his music.

Robert Glasper & Leon Bridges

Leon Bridges represents another artist whose work aligns naturally with Glasper’s artistic vision.

Their collaboration:

“Born Again”

combines elements of:

soul
gospel
jazz
contemporary songwriting

The result is one of the most emotionally resonant recordings connected to Glasper’s wider catalogue.

The song is also featured on the Robert Glasper x Jeff Staple release, helping connect his collaborative legacy to the project itself.

Robert Glasper & Musiq Soulchild

Musiq Soulchild played an important role in some of the most beloved recordings from the Black Radio era.

Notable collaborations include:

“So Beautiful”

and

“Ah Yeah (Alternate Take)”

feat. Musiq Soulchild & Chrisette Michele

Together these songs highlight Glasper’s ability to combine sophisticated harmonic ideas with accessible songwriting and memorable vocal performances.

The inclusion of the previously unreleased “Ah Yeah (Alternate Take)” on the Robert Glasper x Jeff Staple release makes this partnership particularly relevant for collectors.

Robert Glasper, Terrace Martin & Kamasi Washington

If Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp a Butterfly demonstrated the power of jazz within hip hop, artists like Robert Glasper, Terrace Martin, and Kamasi Washington helped build the wider movement surrounding it.

Together they represent a generation of musicians who refused to separate:

jazz
hip hop
soul
contemporary Black music

One of the best examples of this creative philosophy is:

“Answered Prayer”

Dinner Party, Terrace Martin, Robert Glasper & Kamasi Washington feat. Phoelix

The track combines atmospheric production, improvisation, and modern songwriting into something that feels both timeless and contemporary.

It also appears on the Robert Glasper x Jeff Staple release.

How These Collaborations Led to the Robert Glasper x Jeff Staple Project

One of the reasons the Robert Glasper x Jeff Staple release feels unique is that it reflects the wider creative universe Glasper has spent decades building.

Rather than focusing on a single album, the release brings together recordings that showcase different aspects of his artistic world.

Featured tracks include:

“These Walls”
“Born Again”
“Answered Prayer”
“Going Home”
“Ah Yeah (Alternate Take)”
“To You”
“Take It Slow”

Taken together, they illustrate the diversity of Glasper’s collaborations and the breadth of his influence across contemporary music.

The project is therefore more than a vinyl release.

It is a snapshot of the musical ecosystem Glasper helped create.

👉 Explore the Robert Glasper x Jeff Staple collection

Why Robert Glasper’s Collaborations Matter

Many musicians are remembered for their own recordings. Robert Glasper may ultimately be remembered for something larger.

Throughout his career, he has connected artists, genres, and audiences that might otherwise never have met. He helped reintroduce jazz musicians and jazz improvisation into a new generation of hip hop and contemporary music. He introduced jazz audiences to contemporary R&B. He showed that collaboration can be a creative force rather than a commercial strategy.

That influence can be heard across countless recordings, from Grammy-winning songs to underground jazz sessions and culturally significant collaborations.

The artists may change. The genres may change. But the underlying idea remains the same: great music happens when boundaries disappear.

FAQ: Robert Glasper Collaborations

Who has Robert Glasper collaborated with?

Robert Glasper has worked with a wide range of artists including Kendrick Lamar, Common, Erykah Badu, H.E.R., Bilal, Jill Scott, Leon Bridges, Musiq Soulchild, Terrace Martin, Kamasi Washington, Yasiin Bey, Norah Jones, Killer Mike, and many others.

Did Robert Glasper work with Kendrick Lamar?

Yes. Robert Glasper contributed keyboards to Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp a Butterfly, one of the most influential hip hop albums of the modern era.

What is Robert Glasper’s most famous collaboration?

Many fans would point to “Afro Blue” featuring Erykah Badu, while others would highlight “Better Than I Imagined” featuring H.E.R. or his work connected to Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp a Butterfly.