In a 2012 interview with Jazzweekly.com, when asked: "What's with the weird and wonderful hat?" Porter replied: "I've had some surgery on my skin, so this has been my look for a little while and will continue to be for a while longer. People recognize me by it now. It is what it is."

What is on Gregory Porter's head?

Gregory Porter wears a unique brimmed balaclava hat that frames his face and his beard in a circle. He says he had facial scars from when he was 7 or 8 years old, but the better story is that it's his jazz hat. Before his music career took off, he saw it in a store, put it on and he loved it.

How was Gregory Porter discovered?

He announced his arrival by picking up a Grammy nomination for his 2010 debut, Water. After signing to Blue Note, he gained even wider notice for his third album, 2013's Liquid Spirit, which hit number two on the jazz charts and won the Grammy for Best Jazz Vocal Album.