Robert Glasper was raised in Houston, Texas. His mother was his first and s… Read Full Bio ↴Robert Glasper was raised in Houston, Texas. His mother was his first and strongest musical influence. Mrs. Glasper not only played piano and sang gospel music in the family's church, she led a band that worked the city's jazz and blues club circuit as well. By the age of twelve, young Robert was playing piano in that church. "Gospel music is built on emotion and spirituality; you go to church and leave crying," he smiles. "It definitely just gave me that sensitivity and knowing how to reach people and knowing how to be in tune with your feelings and the emotion of the music. My thing is, it helps me relate to the audience 'cause they're gonna give you what you give them. When you bring the crowd into your world, you can do anything you want."

By the time he reached adolescence, Robert knew his destiny was to be a jazz musician. He was accepted to the Houston's famed High School for the Performing Arts ("Jason Moran went there before me."). Post-graduation, Glasper enrolled at New School University in Manhattan. Soon after arrival, he hooked up with future bandmember Reid and vocalist Bilal, an old schoolmate. As an undergrad, Glasper gigged with Christian McBride, Russell Malone and Kenny Garrett. Professional life after the New School was even sweeter: stints with Nicholas Payton, Roy Hargrove, Terence Blanchard, Carmen Lundy, and Carly Simon.

The Bilal connection brought the pianist back to hip-hop. Glasper's contributions to Bilal's debut and subsequent tour brought him to the attention of Q-Tip (A Tribe Called Quest). "Tip would come hang out at my shows, and one day he called me and said, ‘I'm doing this tour and I need you to play keys. Can you do it?’” He's also since played with Mos Def, and is featured prominently on Bilal's forthcoming sophomore release.

In 2003, Glasper's first album Mood was released on indie label Fresh Sound New Talent, and two years later, Blue Note came calling. At Blue Note, Glasper joins a jazz piano legacy that stretches back to 1939, beginning with Albert Ammons and Meade Lux Lewis, and continuing through Thelonious Monk, Bud Powell, Herbie Hancock, McCoy Tyner, Chick Corea, Andrew Hill, Cecil Taylor, Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Jacky Terrasson, Jason Moran and Bill Charlap. Undaunted, Glasper reflects, “I’m just happy to be a part of the Blue Note family and its rich history.”

-- From Glasper's Official Website

Afro Blue
Robert Glasper Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Dream of a land my soul is from
I hear a hand stroke on a drum

Shades of delight cocoa hue
Rich as the night, afro blue

Elegant boy, beautiful girl
Dancing for joy, delicate whirl

Shades of delight cocoa hue
Rich as the night, afro blue

Two lovers dance face to face with undulating grace
They gently sway then slip away to some secluded place

Shades of delight cocoa hue
Rich as the night, afro blue

Dream of a land my soul is from
I hear a hand stroke on a drum

Shades of delight cocoa hue
Rich as the night afro blue

Elegant boy, beautiful girl
Dancing for joy, delicate whirl

Shades of delight cocoa hue
Rich as the night afro blue

Two lovers dance face to face with undulating grace
They gently sway then slip away to some secluded place

Shades of delight cocoa hue
Rich as the night afro blue

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "Afro Blue" by Robert Glasper feat. Erykah Badu are a beautiful ode to blackness and African heritage. The song opens with the words "Dream of a land my soul is from, I hear a hand stroke on a drum." Here, the artist talks about the how their soul belongs to a land that their mind cannot remember, and the only clue they have is the sound of a drumbeat, which is a symbol of African music and culture.

The song then goes on to describe the beauty of blackness through the use of the metaphor of “cocoa hue” which is “rich as the night” – a tribute to the diverse shades of blackness. The verses also describe two lovers dancing with “undulating grace” – a reference to the diverse and dynamic rhythmic movements that are a part of African dances. The use of the word “whirl” further emphasizes the idea of the dancers’ unrestrained movements.

Throughout the song, there is a sense of nostalgia and remembrance for an ancestral land, as well as a celebration of the beauty and richness of black culture. The lyrics are complemented beautifully by the soulful melodies and Erykah Badu’s haunting voice.

Line by Line Meaning

Dream of a land my soul is from
The singer longs for a place they feel a deep connection to, on a soulful level.

I hear a hand stroke on a drum
The singer senses the presence of musical rhythm and beats, perhaps symbolizing the heartbeat of the land they dream of.

Shades of delight cocoa hue
The singer describes the beauty of the many different shades of brown skin, using the color cocoa as an analogy for its richness and warmth.

Rich as the night, afro blue
The beauty of blackness is compared to the richness of the night sky and given the name Afro Blue as a tribute.

Elegant boy, beautiful girl
The artist admires the grace and beauty of two dancers, using gendered terms to describe them.

Dancing for joy, delicate whirl
The dancers move with joy and grace, embodying the beauty the singer sees in them.

Two lovers dance face to face with undulating grace
The singer imagines a romantic and sensual dance between two people, moving in harmony with one another.

They gently sway then slip away to some secluded place
The dance ends with the two lovers slipping away to a private space where they can continue their intimacy.

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Mongo Santamaria

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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