August Greene is a collaborative jazz-hip-hop supergroup formed in 2018 by Common – rapper, writer, actor; Robert Glasper – Grammy-winning jazz pianist/producer; Karriem Riggins – acclaimed jazz drummer/producer. They originally connected while working together on The Roots’ annual “Tiny Desk” collaborations and on the soundtrack for the 2016 film 13th. Their sound blends socially conscious hip-hop with modern jazz, neo-soul, and groove-based improvisation.
Debut Album (2018) - Their self-titled album August Greene was released independently and features: “Optimistic” (ft. Brandy); a re-imagining of Sounds of Blackness; a warm, organic mix of live jazz instrumentation and reflective rap; and themes around resilience, community, social justice, and inner strength,
Their musical style includes jazz-infused chord progressions & improvisation (Glasper); deep, pocket-centric drumming & inventive production (Riggins);
lyrical poetry focused on empowerment and humanity (Common).