The youngest of seven siblings, he started studying classical music at the age of seven at the suggestion of his mother, Elizabeth.
Post, Long Island University, New York, where he studied with jazz pianist and composer Billy Taylor and received a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in music composition.
His vocal trio formed by the three older brothers, Rudolph, Ronald and O'Kelly, subsequently relocated to Teaneck, New Jersey.
While still in college, Jasper, Ernie, and Marvin toured with the older Isley Brothers and played on the earlier recordings, including "It's Your Thing".
Isley-Jasper-Isley was a self-contained, self-produced trio with Jasper as lead singer and continuing his role as a songwriter, producer, and arranger.
Jasper continued on as a solo artist and released two albums on his CBS-Associated label, Gold City Records, including the #1 R&B hit "Superbad" in 1988, a song which emphasized the importance of education, a theme Jasper continues to emphasize in many of the songs he has written since his days with the Isleys.
In April 2018, Jasper pre-released a double-A single "The Love That You Give/It's a Miracle" from his 15th solo CD Dance With You.
Jasper has continued to write, record, and perform all the music on his solo albums and produce artists for his Gold City label, including Liz Hogue, Out Front, and Brothaz By Choice.
The music Jasper worked on for the Isley Brothers has been covered and sampled by artists including Whitney Houston, Aaliyah, Notorious B.I.G., Tupac Shakur, Queen Latifah, Jay-Z, Snoop Dogg, Gwen Stefani, Fantasia, Will Smith, and Jaheim.
In 2015, Jasper received the German Record Critics Lifetime Achievement Award ("Preis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik").