Terrace Martin facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Terrace Martin
Martin performing in 2017
Background information
Birth name	Terrace Jamahl Martin
Born	(1978-12-28) December 28, 1978 (age 46) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Genres	Hip hop jazz jazz-fusion pop
Occupation(s)	Musician rapper singer record producer songwriter
Instruments	Vocals saxophone keyboards drums guitar
Years active	2004–present
Labels	Sounds of Crenshaw Ropeadope AKA (current) Warner Bros. BMG Rights Management EMPIRE (former)
Associated acts	9th Wonder Kamasi Washington Kendrick Lamar Murs Problem Robert Glasper Snoop Dogg

Terrace Jamahl Martin (born December 28, 1978) is an American musician, rapper, singer, and music producer. He is well-known for creating music for many famous artists. These include Kendrick Lamar, Snoop Dogg, Stevie Wonder, and Charlie Wilson. Martin can play many instruments. His music mixes different styles like funk, jazz, classical, and soul. He released his sixth album, Velvet Portraits, on his own record label, Sounds of Crenshaw Records.

Early Life and Musical Start

Terrace Martin's dad, Ernest "Curly" Martin, was a jazz drummer. His mom was a singer. Growing up, Terrace listened to many kinds of music, from John Coltrane to Parliament. He started playing the piano when he was six years old.

At 13, he began making his own music tracks. He used a Casio CZ-101 keyboard and an E-mu SP-1200. He then taught himself to play the saxophone. Later, he went to Santa Monica High School to improve his music skills. He moved to Locke High School to study with Reggie Andrews. There, he became the top saxophone player in the All-State Jazz Band.

As a young talent, TV host Jay Leno noticed him. Jay Leno gave him a scholarship and bought him his first professional saxophone. After high school, Martin went to CalArts. But he decided to leave school and started touring with Puff Daddy and the gospel choir God's Property.

Music Career Highlights

Terrace Martin became known in Hollywood and the music world. He also played jazz with Billy Higgins' World Stage All-Stars. His big break came when he produced a radio jingle with Snoop Dogg. He had a small hit song called "Joysticc" with the group 213. After that, he became one of Snoop Dogg's most wanted producers. He helped create Snoop Dogg's albums R&G (Rhythm & Gangsta): The Masterpiece and Ego Trippin. In 2007, he signed a record deal with Warner Bros. Records.

Martin's first album, The Demo, came out in 2010. On this album, he showed off his skills as both a rapper and a producer. It featured beats and guest verses from artists like Snoop Dogg and Wiz Khalifa. On September 28, 2010, Terrace Martin and radio host Devi Dev released an extended play (EP) called Here, My Dear. The first song from the EP was "Roll Up Another One," featuring Wiz Khalifa. This EP was inspired by Marvin Gaye's 1978 album of the same name.

The 3ChordFold Project

In 2013, Martin released 3ChordFold, a mix of different music styles. He followed this with 3ChordFold: Remixed in December 2013. Then came 3ChordFold: Pulse in Spring 2014. This album included many live performances with guest artists like Robert Glasper.

In 2015, Martin played a big part in creating Kendrick Lamar's highly praised album. On April 1, 2016, Martin released his sixth album, Velvet Portraits. It came out on his Sounds of Crenshaw label through Ropeadope. This album featured Kamasi Washington, Lalah Hathaway, and Robert Glasper. It was recorded in Los Angeles and Omaha, Nebraska. The album also featured his father, Curly Martin, on drums. Velvet Portraits was nominated for "Best R&B Album" at the 59th Grammy Awards.

Besides his own projects, Martin produces albums for other artists. These include Herbie Hancock, YG, and SZA.

On June 25, 2020, Terrace Martin, Kamasi Washington, Robert Glasper, and 9th Wonder formed a supergroup called Dinner Party. They released a song called "Freeze Tag." Their first album came out on July 10, 2020.

Musical Influences

Terrace Martin looks up to many great musicians. Some of his role models include Miles Davis, Charlie Parker, John Coltrane, and Herbie Hancock. He also admires hip-hop producers like Dr. Dre, DJ Quik, and Pete Rock. Martin has said that he started making hip-hop music because it was popular at the time. But he always kept his love for jazz music.

Discography

Studio Albums

• Melrose (2011)
• The 4 Luv Suite (2012)
• 3ChordFold (2013)
• 3ChordFold: Pulse (2014)
• Times (2014)
• Velvet Portraits (2016)
• Sounds of Crenshaw Vol. 1 (2017)
• Dinner Party (2020)
• Drones (2021)
• Enigmatic Society (2023)
• Fine Tune (2023)
• Curly (2023)
• I Left My Heart in Ladera (2023)

Remix Albums

• 3ChordFold: Remixed (2013)
• Dinner Party: Dessert (2020)

EPs

• 808s & Sax Breaks (2010)
• Northside of Linden, Westside of Slauson (2019)
• Sinthesize (2020)
• Soul Juice (2020)
• Conscious Conversations (2020)
• They Call Me Disco (2020)
• Impedance (2020)
• Village Days (2020)
• NOVA (2023)
• Her Thoughts (2024)

Mixtapes

• Signal Flow (2007)
• Locke High (2008)
• Here, My Dear (2010)
• Hard Drives: Instrumentals Vol 1 (2011)
• Locke High 2 (2011)
• Thoughts From Detention (2011)

Singles

• "Pig Feet" (2020)