Sonic Innovator
Casey Benjamin was a Grammy Award–winning musician, vocalist, songwriter, producer, and founding member of the Robert Glasper Experiment whose fearless creativity resisted easy definition. Raised in Jamaica, Queens, in a first-generation Caribbean American family with Grenadian and Panamanian roots, Casey developed a musical identity shaped by the sounds, cultures, and creative energy of New York City.
Known for his unmistakable vocoder vocals and dynamic work on saxophone, keytar, keyboards, flute, and other woodwinds, Casey moved freely across jazz, hip-hop, R&B, rock, soul, and fusion. He was also part of Heavy, an influential group within New York’s underground music scene whose album Jazz Money blended genres and reflected the adventurous, boundary-crossing musical community that helped shape his artistry.
As a founding member of the Robert Glasper Experiment, Casey helped create a genre-defying sound that expanded the possibilities of contemporary Black music. His artistry also brought him into collaboration with an extraordinary range of musicians, including Common, Q-Tip, Bilal, Lalah Hathaway, Patrick Stump, Roy Ayers, and many others.
Fearlessly Himself
Casey’s creative expression extended far beyond music. His bold fashion, love of vintage muscle cars, and instinct for bringing seemingly different worlds together were all part of the same artistic language. Whether performing onstage, working in the studio, or developing his own music, he approached creativity with curiosity, humor, individuality, and an unwillingness to be placed inside a single category.
Over the course of a decade, Casey worked to create his first solo album — a deeply personal project reflecting his musical range, cultural influences, and determination to define himself on his own terms. When he passed away suddenly on March 30, 2024, at the age of 45, he left the album unfinished.
Casey’s life and work continue to resonate through the music he created, the artists he inspired, and the family, friends, and collaborators carrying his vision forward. The documentary about Casey celebrates the full complexity of an artist who lived between genres, cultures, and creative communities and whose legacy is still unfolding.