February 16, 2024
Halle Bailey, Erica Campbell, George Clinton, And More Celebrate Black Music During Grammy Week
The Recording Academy celebrated Black artists, creators, and executives in a series of events leading up to music’s biggest night
The culture showed up and showed out at the 66th Grammy Awards earlier this month.
Held at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, on Feb. 4, the annual award show featured captivating performances from legendary singer-songwriter Tracy Chapman, R&B singer SZA, who walked away with two Grammy wins, and singer and actress Fantasia Barrino, who paid tribute to rock icon Tina Turner.
Another highlight of the night was Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter’s acceptance speech for the Dr. Dre Global Impact Award when he unabashedly called out the Recording Academy for snubbing his wife, Beyonce Knowles Carter, for album of the year.
However, in anticipation of music’s biggest night, The Recording Academy, the institution that produces the Grammy Awards, held a series of events that celebrated Black artists and music executives throughout Los Angeles. Here’s a roundup of some Grammy Week events.
Masterclass with Halle Bailey
GRAMMY U® partnered with MasterCard to present a masterclass featuring six-time Grammy nominee Halle Bailey in an insightful conversation moderated by singer and songwriter Muni Long. During the hourlong discussion, Bailey opened up about her creative intuition and the versatility of her artistry, from starring in blockbuster movies to earning her first solo Grammy nomination. She also talked about becoming a new mother.
“I feel like I’ve reached this new level of maturity,” said the 23-year-old singer and actress. “Especially being a mother now, which is so crazy to say! But I feel like I’ve learned how to balance it by shutting the world out. That’s the first thing. I have to shut out the opinions of other people when it comes to social media, Twitter, Instagram. I just have to not read anything. I have to turn it off.”
After concealing her pregnancy, Bailey and her longtime boyfriend, YouTuber and rapper DDG, announced the birth of their son, Halo, last month on Instagram. According to the new mom, motherhood has opened up a new “can of worms.”
“I feel like I have such a greater purpose and so much more to do for him, and so much more that I want him to be able to experience,” she said during the masterclass. “It gives me a new motivation and drive and passion for myself, for my family, for my life, for everything.”
Bailey and her older sister, Chloe, were signed to Beyonce’s Parkwood Entertainment record label in 2016 when they were 15 and 17, respectively. Since then, the Bailey sisters have released two albums while Halle made history as the first Black woman to star as Ariel in the live-action version of Disney’s The Little Mermaid. She also played Nettie Harris in the 2023 remake of The Color Purple. Yet, despite her success, the actress told BLACK ENTERPRISE that she was nervous about performing “Angel,” her debut single as a solo artist, for the first time at a public event.
“This is my first song that I put out on my own. And so, I was really nervous going into it, but I love this song. It’s always been so close to my heart,” she told BLACK ENTERPRISE exclusively before taking the stage.
She said she wrote the ballad while she was struggling with the public scrutiny that comes with growing up in the limelight.
“I had just come home from filming “Mermaid,” and I remember there was a lot of chatter around my casting and a lot of chatter about my personal life,” she told BE. “I had never felt like there were so many eyes on me before. I was always used to being in it with my sister,” she continued. “This was my first time I was hearing critique about myself on my own.”
Yet, she leaned on her faith for hope and strength.
“I felt like God was truly with me throughout my journey of learning who I am and going on this journey of independence. And so, the song really became that love letter to myself to my younger self, to my future self to motivate me to keep going.”
She added that transitioning into a solo artist has made her stronger and more confident.
“The best part of being on this new journey of mine, I think, is surprising myself every day. I think that I did not realize what I can do, how much strength I do have,” she said. “I didn’t know I had it in me.”
The Recording Academy Honors Presented by The Black Music Collective
The Recording Academy honored Mariah Carey and Lenny Kravitz at the annual Black Music Collective Ceremony, one of the most anticipated events of Grammy Week.
“To be here to celebrate with my peers, my friends, people that I’ve seen from afar, it’s always cool,” Grammy Award-winning Gospel artist Erica Campbell told BE on the red carpet of the event. “Sometimes we only see each other in these environments, but it’s always love and connection. So, I’m really honored to be here tonight…to celebrate those that have persevered all the challenges [in the] music industry.”
Both Carey and Kravitz shared heartfelt stories about their journeys while accepting the Global Impact Award in recognition of their exemplary careers in the music industry. They were also honored by musical tributes performed by legendary singers like Stevie Wonder, George Clinton, H.E.R., Quavo, Busta Rhymes, Babyface, Erica Campbell, and Yolanda Adams.
“So many geniuses in so many genres informed my spirit,” said Kravitz while accepting the award. He went on to reminisce about being inspired by a Jackson 5 concert at Madison Square Garden when he was six years old. “My head exploded,” said the four-time Grammy winner. “I fantasized that I was their long lost brother and turned the Jackson 5 into the Jackson 6.”
The legendary rock singer was also honored by a performance of his 1998 classic “Fly Away” featuring Clinton, Quavo, and Earth, Wind & Fire’s Verdine White.
Meanwhile, Carey was serenaded by Wonder and BabyFace who each delivered memorable speeches and impromptu performances. “I thank you for your heart [and] consistent spirit of love that you show. I’m here because I do love you, forever, and I just want to say this to you,” said Wonder about Carey before singing “Knocks Me Off My Feet.”
The Clive Davis Pre-Grammy Awards
Carey, Kravitz, Megan Thee Stallion, Chloe x Halle, and a host of A-list stars flocked to Clive Davis’ annual Pre-GRAMMY Gala on the night before the big award show.
“This is one of the most legendary nights in all of music and I’m so over the moon. I’m so excited. There are so many incredible people here,” belted 23-year-old up-and-coming British singer Aiyana-Lee enthusiastically on the red carpet. “There’s a different energy in the room.”
For nearly 50 years, Clive Davis’s Pre-GRAMMY Salute to Industry Icons has been a star-studded celebration for music industry giants at the iconic Beverly Hilton Hotel.
“We’re glad to be here at Clive’s party,” legendary singer and funk pioneer George Clinton told BE before heading into the event. “He always has a hell of a party.”
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