Trashed and Treasured Feels
Robert Glasper’s new mixtape, F**k Yo Feelings, sounds like he’s opened the door to an intimate dinner party with all his friends. Each song is a new dish of laughs, insults, and vows. This project, advertised as a “Black Radio Production,” presents a witty off-kilter approach to vulnerability. As brash as the title appears, this might be his richest, most thoughtful project yet. Accompanying a month-long residency at the Blue Note in New York, this 72-minute album drips with a star-studded guest ensemble. Perhaps its length is a reaction to the fast-paced metabolism of Soundcloud rap or younger jazz proteges like Standing On the Corner. Six years have passed since Glasper’s last Black Radio album, and during this hiatus he’s worked nonstop: He produced Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp A Butterfly, recorded an album for a Miles Davis biopic, and spent last summer leading the supergroup, R+R=Now. This new project feels like an anticipated return home after a long tour.
Amidst the inside jokes and giggles, F**k Yo Feelings sounds unexpectedly unfiltered, human, and endearing. From Chris Dave’s scattered drums to the unusual patches of dense lyrics among endless instrumental jams, each song unfolds with surprises. On songs like “All I Do” and “Daf Ftf,” Glasper presents soulful meditative eulogies for lost love. The title track features superstar singer YEBBA pouring out her feelings: “One more sip of this vodka, I might be baby blue. But if I change my hue, bitch I ain’t over you.” However, no song takes itself too seriously. The first track features comedian Affion Crocket playfully dissing every member of the band — a lighthearted variation of the timeless mic checks and meandering piano that began 2012’s Black Radio.
Glasper showcases a multigenerational cast, and the youngest guests stand out. Even with rap legends like Yasiin Bey (previously known as Mos Def) and Bilal, 24-year-old Denzel Curry and 22-year-old YBN Cordae deliver the most ambitious and promising verses. Glasper also pays tribute to his mentors, including Herbie Hancock. Glasper explains in a burning mini-documentary about the studio sessions how Hancock swung through the recording session by surprise to “mingle with mortals.”
Throughout the playful and sometimes snarky laughs of this delightful dinner party of an album, Glasper remains noble and genial. Even when the band indulges in far-out drum loops and retro synth sorcery, songs like “In Case You Forgot” ring like a victory lap. Glasper’s unique vocals and arrangements easily make him, along with collaborator Terrace Martin, one of the best pianists alive. What other artist can masterfully layer warbly vocoder over Derrick Hodge’s moody basslines? The album’s wizardly sonic range meshes marvelously with religious and bumptious lyrics, raps, and even spoken word.
The emotionally raw project depicts loss and trauma as much as redemption and celebration. F**k Yo Feelings gives us space to dive into the complex layers of the lyrics while cozying up to lavish grooves. Luckily for us, Glasper invites us to hear him rearrange his approach to music like furniture before the dinner party begins. When the last track ends, you’re sure to go back for seconds.
