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 AKAI Music (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 a talented American musician. He is also a rapper, singer, and record producer. He is well-known for creating music for many famous artists. These include Kendrick Lamar, Snoop Dogg, and Stevie Wonder.

Terrace Martin plays many instruments. His music mixes different styles. These include funk, jazz, classical, and soul. He released his sixth album, Velvet Portraits, on his own label. This label is called 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.

Terrace Martin's Music Career

Terrace Martin became known in Hollywood and the music world. He also gained respect in the jazz community. He played 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 with 213's song "Joysticc." He then became a popular producer for Snoop Dogg. He worked on Snoop Dogg's albums R&G (Rhythm & Gangsta): The Masterpiece and Ego Trippin. In 2007, he signed a record deal with Warner Bros. Records.

Early Albums and EPs

In 2010, Martin released his first album, The Demo. On this album, he was both a rapper and a producer. It featured 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 it was "Roll Up Another One." It featured Wiz Khalifa. The EP was inspired by Marvin Gaye's 1978 album of the same name.

In 2011, they released their second project together. It was called The ... EP.

3ChordFold and Velvet Portraits

In 2013, Martin released 3ChordFold. This was a mix of different music styles. He followed it with 3ChordFold: Remixed in December 2013. Then came 3ChordFold: Pulse in Spring 2014. This one featured live performances with guests like Robert Glasper.

..... On April 1, 2016, Martin released his sixth album, Velvet Portraits. .....

Velvet Portraits also connected to his family roots. His father, Curly Martin, played drums on the album. The legendary soul group, The Emotions, also appeared. Velvet Portraits was nominated for a Grammy Award. It was in the "Best R&B Album" category.

Terrace Martin has also produced 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. They called themselves Dinner Party. They released a song called "Freeze Tag." Their first album came out on July 10, 2020.

Musical Inspirations

Terrace Martin looks up to many great musicians. These include jazz legends like Miles Davis and John Coltrane. He also admires hip-hop producers like Dr. Dre and DJ Quik.

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 (with Murs) (2011)
• The 4 Luv Suite (2012)
• 3ChordFold (2013)
• 3ChordFold: Pulse (2014)
• Times (2014)
• Velvet Portraits (2016)
• Sounds of Crenshaw Vol. 1 (with The Pollyseeds) (2017)
• Dinner Party (with Robert Glasper, Kamasi Washington and 9th Wonder as Dinner Party) (2020)
• Drones (2021)
• Enigmatic Society (with Robert Glasper, Kamasi Washington and 9th Wonder as Dinner Party) (2023)
• Fine Tune (2023)
• Curly (2023)
• I Left My Heart in Ladera (with Alex Isley) (2023)
• Come As You Are (with Kenyon Dixon) (2025)

Remix Albums

• 3ChordFold: Remixed (2013)
• Dinner Party: Dessert (with Robert Glasper, Kamasi Washington and 9th Wonder as Dinner Party) (2020)

EPs

• 808s & Sax Breaks (2010)
• The ... EP (2011)
• The ... EP 2.0: Cease & Desist (2011)
• Northside of Linden, Westside of Slauson (with Salaam Remi) (2019)
• Sinthesize (2020)
• Soul Juice (2020)
• Conscious Conversations (2020)
• They Call Me Disco (with Ric Wilson) (2020)
• Impedance (2020)
• Village Days (2020)
• NOVA (with James Fauntleroy) (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) (with Denzel Curry, Daylyt, G Perico and Kamasi Washington)