How Being a Fan Got Robert Glasper on Hip-Hop's Greatest Album

Robert Glasper was supposed to play on one song.

The Grammy-winning jazz pianist got the call from his friend Terrace Martin, to come to Dr. Dre's studio, where him and Kendrick were working on something, and they needed some jazz-type piano on a song called "This Dick Ain't Free."

Glasper had previously been obsessed, like the rest of us, as a fan, with good kid, m.A.A.d city. He knew Terrace had a credit on the album so he reached out and said next time they were working on something, he’d love to contribute.

No expectation of when, just an expressed “want” to a friend.

So an ended session and an Instagram post later, Terrace realized Glasper’s in town, the message got sent.

At that exact moment, Glasper had just finished his own session across town. He was supposed to be heading home. But instead, he caught a cab to Dre’s.

What happened next… fandom meets networking makes history in the best ways - I’m so inspired by this one.

When Glasper arrived, Kendrick was there waiting. The irony of the expectation too, as Glasper hears the song for the first time and realizes he’s got to sound jazzier than he was at his own session. He learns the song and lays a take down, prompting an "Oh snap, this is crazy," from Kendrick, who then starts pulling up other tracks for him to add keyboard parts to.

Each time, the same process repeats: Kendrick would play a song once. Glasper would listen, absorb, then lay down his part in a single take. They did NINE songs. In one sitting. No sheet music, no second chances. Skills recognize skills. He just needed to get in that seat.

I’m going to be thinking about him getting in that seat for a long time.

Because yes, there’s magic in the skills he brought to the session too, but the foundation that brought him there? That friendship with Terrace Martin, built over years of mutual respect and shared musical obsessions, with their bond over Herbie Hancock, and so much more, including the type of friend you can send a modern hip-hop record to and agree how cool it is. That’s all part of the reputation Glasper had built that made Kendrick open to working with him in the first place.

The only track they worked on away from the studio that day was the iconic piano solo on "These Walls". But even that - it was a take of him warming up in Terrace's garage. They liked it so much they chopped it into the song. He didn't even know it made the album until the record dropped and he heard ALL OF HIS PARTS with everyone else at midnight on the surprise release.

The lessons in here - they’re so much more than just about talent meeting opportunity.

It's about the compound effect of being genuinely curious about others' work, building real relationships in your field, and showing up when called - even when you're tired, even when it's inconvenient.

Glasper could have said he was busy. Could have rescheduled. Could have phoned it in.

Instead, he jumped in that cab. And ended up on one of hip-hop's most celebrated albums. Because of a buddy. And, so much else has kept coming from there.

Your network isn't just who you know. It's who knows your work, respects your craft, and thinks of you when something special is happening.

Be a fan first. Make friends. The rest follows.

Trust it.

h/t the Talib Kweli People’s Party interview with Robert Glasper, here: