Lil' John Roberts

Lil' John Roberts is one of the most sought-after drummers working across jazz, R&B, and contemporary music today. A Philadelphia native, Roberts became a child prodigy early on, playing alongside Christian McBride and Joey DeFrancesco at just 16 as part of Wynton Marsalis's Duke Ellington Orchestra. After earning a full scholarship to Berklee College of Music in 1991, he launched his touring career with DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince (Will Smith), and went on to become the drummer for Janet Jackson for two decades, touring with her starting at age 23. His résumé reads like a who's who of music legends—Stevie Wonder, George Duke, Herbie Hancock, George Benson, and countless others have sought him out for studio sessions and live performances.

Beyond his work as a session and touring musician, Roberts is deeply committed to giving back to the next generation of musicians. He's been teaching at Berklee College of Music for several years, where he leads ensemble courses and mentors private students with the goal of developing them into sought-after session players and touring musicians. Roberts has also pursued his own creative projects, including his band the Chronicle and solo albums like *The Heartbeat* (2014) and *Elevation* (2024), which explored new age ambient production aimed at helping listeners find peace.

Genres