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

Let Me In
Robert Glasper Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Lifted expectations at my lowest points (uh)
Bonding shit don't have enough
To roll a joint, I roll the dice
Coming out the closet he no poltergeist
Definitely problematic
They say real niggas multiply
Huh, fake niggas fuck like rabbit's
Twenty-one days that's a fucking habit

Break-fast, like shit coming heavy
Like the steak fries
Glue the pedal to the floor
Cut the break lines
Fuck the medals in the war
It's for a breakbeat
Small circle so we all can hit a beatbox (Uh)
All the memories is keepsakes
Uh, s tand for serving love for pete sakes
Return it (Uh)
Don't even know what I mean when
I tell my niggas be safe
Lifted expectations at my lowest points
One hitter quit it I don't have

Enough to roll a joint (Call my plug)
I got on my (Call my plug)

Overall Meaning

In "Let Me In," Robert Glasper and Mick Jenkins explore the struggles of life and the personal battles that come with it. The opening line, "Lifted expectations at my lowest points," speaks to the pressure that individuals feel to perform even when they are at their lowest. The next line, "Bonding shit don't have enough to roll a joint, I roll the dice," can be interpreted as a reference to the challenges of finding a sense of connection or escape when one's resources are limited. The line "Coming out the closet he no poltergeist" suggests a reference to someone revealing their true identity or sexuality, and the potential for societal backlash.

The lyrics "They say real niggas multiply, huh, fake niggas fuck like rabbits, twenty-one days that's a fucking habit" can be seen as a commentary on the importance of authenticity and the dangers of perpetuating false personas. "Break-fast, like shit coming heavy like the steak fries" could refer to the heavy burden of life's struggles and how it can be difficult to shake them off. The lines "Glue the pedal to the floor, cut the break lines" suggest a willingness to take risks, but also a disregard for safety.

Overall, "Let Me In" speaks to the struggles of life, the challenges of identity and authenticity, and the importance of resilience and perseverance. It is an introspective and thought-provoking commentary on the human experience.

Line by Line Meaning

Lifted expectations at my lowest points (uh)
Even at my lowest moments, I expect the best for myself.

Bonding shit don't have enough To roll a joint, I roll the dice
I don't have enough weed to roll a joint, so I take a chance and roll the dice.

Coming out the closet he no poltergeist
When he came out of the closet, he wasn't scary like a poltergeist.

Definitely problematic
Clearly, there are problems that need to be addressed.

They say real niggas multiply Huh, fake niggas fuck like rabbit's
Real men are productive, while fake men are promiscuous.

Twenty-one days that's a fucking habit Break-fast, like shit coming heavy Like the steak fries
It takes 21 days to form a habit. I break my fast and eat heavily, like steak fries.

Glue the pedal to the floor Cut the break lines
I accelerate with all my might and remove any obstacles that might slow me down.

Fuck the medals in the war It's for a breakbeat
I don't care about awards in a competition, I just want to make music with a good beat.

Small circle so we all can hit a beatbox (Uh) All the memories is keepsakes
We keep a small group of friends so we can all take turns beatboxing. All our memories are precious to us.

Uh, s tand for serving love for pete sakes Return it (Uh)
We stand for showing love and affection. If someone shows us love, we return it.

Don't even know what I mean when I tell my niggas be safe
I say, 'be safe' to my friends without really knowing what it means.

One hitter quit it I don't have Enough to roll a joint (Call my plug) I got on my (Call my plug)
I only have enough weed for one hit, so I need to call my supplier. I'm on the phone with them now.

Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Hipgnosis Songs Group
Written by: CHRIS DAYE, DERRICK HODGE, JAYSON JENKINS, ROBERT GLASPER

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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