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Black Sounds Beautiful: How Quincy Jones' Stratospheric Career Has Shaped And Celebrated Black Music
Quincy Jones

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Black Sounds Beautiful: How Quincy Jones' Stratospheric Career Has Shaped And Celebrated Black Music

Explore Quincy Jones' impactful, seven-decade career in this episode of Black Sounds Beautiful, which details how the industry mogul helped define and promote Black music worldwide.

GRAMMYs/Jun 20, 2022 - 05:34 pm

Ever since his earliest career moves as a teenage trumpet player working with a then-rising performer named Ray Charles, Quincy Jones has gone on to impact nearly every aspect of the music industry. 

In this episode of Black Sounds Beautiful, revisit the storied, seven-decade-long career of the Chicago native who rose to prominence as a musician, songwriter, arranger and producer of records, film and TV. Jones began his work in the jazz format but soon expanded his reach into a wide array of genres, producing 1960s pop hits like "It's My Party" for Lesley Gore and, the following decade, working on three cornerstone records -- Off the Wall, Thriller and Bad -- for Michael Jackson. 

Even in his early decades, Jones' reach was dynamic. He used his talents to mount one of the most well-known philanthropic efforts in musical history, conducting the global charity single "We Are the World," which raised funds for famine victims in Ethiopia. (The star-studded track went on to win three GRAMMYs — including the coveted Record Of The Year — at the 1986 GRAMMYs.)

Meanwhile, he was also making his imprint in the business side of music. In 1964, Jones was named a vice president at Mercury Records, becoming one of the first Black label executives at a major American label. In 1968, he was the first Black artist to ever be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song, for "The Eyes of Love" from the soundtrack of Banning. Three years later, in 1971, he became the first Black musical director and conductor of the Academy Awards.

At the GRAMMY Awards, Jones is one of the winningest creators of all time. Quincy Jones has won 28 GRAMMY wins and has received 80 nominations overall, plus he also received a Recording Academy Trustees Awards in 1989 and a GRAMMY Legend Award in 1992. Additionally, he is an Honorary Chair of the Recording Academy's Black Music Collective, and, at age 89, continues to be an active proponent for Black music across the world today. 

"Black music is always gonna have a very special, strong, powerful place in the culture," Jones once said. "It's amazing what its history is all about. So powerful, man."

Watch the video above to revisit Jones' diverse impact throughout the years, and keep checking GRAMMY.com for more episodes of Black Sounds Beautiful. 

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GRAMMY Rewind: Michael Jackson Wins Best Recording For Children, The Award He Was "Most Proud Of" At The 1984 GRAMMYs
(L-R) Michael Jackson & Quincy Jones at the 1984 GRAMMYs.

Photo: Michael Ochs Archive/Getty Images

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GRAMMY Rewind: Michael Jackson Wins Best Recording For Children, The Award He Was "Most Proud Of" At The 1984 GRAMMYs

Michael Jackson took home eight golden gramophones at the 1984 GRAMMYs, but felt most rewarded by his win for his audiobook and soundtrack companion album for 'E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.'

GRAMMYs/Dec 1, 2023 - 06:00 pm

Michael Jackson made history with his groundbreaking album Thriller in 1982. But while the icon was smashing pop records, he was also venturing into a new avenue: narration.

Jackson was the voice of the audiobook and soundtrack companion album for Steven Spielberg's groundbreaking 1982 classic, E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial. The album won the King of Pop one of his eight GRAMMYs in 1984 – and it may have been the most important win of his career. 

In this episode of GRAMMY Rewind, relive the night Jackson won Best Recording for Children with Quincy Jones, who produced the LP, at the 26th Annual GRAMMY Awards.

"One of the most dangerous joint decisions Michael and I made was to accept to do an album for Steven Spielberg," Jones explained at the beginning of their acceptance speech before expressing gratitude for the film's cast and crew.

"I don't thank the people who stopped this record from coming out," Jones said, alluding to the backlash MCA Records received from Epic for releasing the project at the same time as Thriller.

"Of all the awards I've gotten, I'm most proud of this one," Jackson revealed. "I think children are a great inspiration, and this album is not for children. It's for everyone. I'm so happy, and I'm so proud. Thank you so much."

Press play on the video above to hear Michael Jackson and Quincy Jones's complete acceptance speech for Best Recording for Children at the 1984 GRAMMY Awards, and check back to GRAMMY.com for more new episodes of GRAMMY Rewind.

Black Sounds Beautiful: How Quincy Jones' Stratospheric Career Has Shaped And Celebrated Black Music

GRAMMY Rewind: Kendrick Lamar Honors Hip-Hop's Greats While Accepting Best Rap Album GRAMMY For 'To Pimp a Butterfly' In 2016
Kendrick Lamar

Photo: Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic

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GRAMMY Rewind: Kendrick Lamar Honors Hip-Hop's Greats While Accepting Best Rap Album GRAMMY For 'To Pimp a Butterfly' In 2016

Upon winning the GRAMMY for Best Rap Album for 'To Pimp a Butterfly,' Kendrick Lamar thanked those that helped him get to the stage, and the artists that blazed the trail for him.

GRAMMYs/Oct 13, 2023 - 06:01 pm

Updated Friday Oct. 13, 2023 to include info about Kendrick Lamar's most recent GRAMMY wins, as of the 2023 GRAMMYs.

A GRAMMY veteran these days, Kendrick Lamar has won 17 GRAMMYs and has received 47 GRAMMY nominations overall. A sizable chunk of his trophies came from the 58th annual GRAMMY Awards in 2016, when he walked away with five — including his first-ever win in the Best Rap Album category.

This installment of GRAMMY Rewind turns back the clock to 2016, revisiting Lamar's acceptance speech upon winning Best Rap Album for To Pimp A Butterfly. Though Lamar was alone on stage, he made it clear that he wouldn't be at the top of his game without the help of a broad support system. 

"First off, all glory to God, that's for sure," he said, kicking off a speech that went on to thank his parents, who he described as his "those who gave me the responsibility of knowing, of accepting the good with the bad."

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He also extended his love and gratitude to his fiancée, Whitney Alford, and shouted out his Top Dawg Entertainment labelmates. Lamar specifically praised Top Dawg's CEO, Anthony Tiffith, for finding and developing raw talent that might not otherwise get the chance to pursue their musical dreams.

"We'd never forget that: Taking these kids out of the projects, out of Compton, and putting them right here on this stage, to be the best that they can be," Lamar — a Compton native himself — continued, leading into an impassioned conclusion spotlighting some of the cornerstone rap albums that came before To Pimp a Butterfly.

"Hip-hop. Ice Cube. This is for hip-hop," he said. "This is for Snoop Dogg, Doggystyle. This is for Illmatic, this is for Nas. We will live forever. Believe that."

To Pimp a Butterfly singles "Alright" and "These Walls" earned Lamar three more GRAMMYs that night, the former winning Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song and the latter taking Best Rap/Sung Collaboration (the song features Bilal, Anna Wise and Thundercat). He also won Best Music Video for the remix of Taylor Swift's "Bad Blood." 

Lamar has since won Best Rap Album two more times, taking home the golden gramophone in 2018 for his blockbuster LP DAMN., and in 2023 for his bold fifth album, Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers.

Watch Lamar's full acceptance speech above, and check back at GRAMMY.com every Friday for more GRAMMY Rewind episodes. 

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Black Sounds Beautiful: How Lil Nas X Turned The Industry On Its Head With "Old Town Road" And Beyond
Lil Nas X at the 2020 GRAMMYs.

Photo: Steve Granitz/WireImage

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Black Sounds Beautiful: How Lil Nas X Turned The Industry On Its Head With "Old Town Road" And Beyond

In this episode of Black Sounds Beautiful, relive Lil Nas X's massive debut, "Old Town Road," and learn how he's since been an advocate for Black and LGBTQIA+ communities through his music and his platform.

GRAMMYs/Jun 28, 2023 - 05:00 pm

Lil Nas X became a global sensation practically overnight, but it wasn't an accident.

The American singer and rapper — born Montero Lamar Hill — became fluent in music and pop culture at an early age, becoming a meme aficionado. His love for internet culture cultivated the perfect recipe for his debut single, "Old Town Road," to become one of the most viral hits in music history; the song also prompted a necessary conversation about the bounds of genre. 

"Old Town Road" rose to the top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and still holds the record for most time spent at No. 1 at 19 weeks. The single later helped Lil Nas X snag two GRAMMY Awards for Best Pop/Duo Group Performance and Best Music Video. (To date, he's won 2 GRAMMYs and has received 11 nominations overall.)

Aside from his immense musical talent, Lil Nas X — who came out as gay on social media during his Hot 100 reign — has been a fierce champion for LGBTQIA+ and Black communities.

"It's just acceptance of gay people. And they see that as a bad thing, like, They're trying to normalize it. You know what? Yeah. That's actually what I'm trying to do," he told GQ in 2021.

At just 24 years old, Lil Nas X has plenty more history-making and game-changing moves in store. As he revealed during his March 2023 campaign with Coach, "My next big chapter is coming."

Press play on the video above to learn more about Lil Nas X's industry-altering career, and check back to GRAMMY.com for more new episodes of Black Sounds Beautiful.

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Black Sounds Beautiful: How Megan Thee Stallion Turned Viral Fame Into A GRAMMY-Winning Rap Career
Megan Thee Stallion

Photo: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for The Recording Academy

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Black Sounds Beautiful: How Megan Thee Stallion Turned Viral Fame Into A GRAMMY-Winning Rap Career

In this episode of Black Sounds Beautiful, revisit Megan Thee Stallion's rapid rise to fame — from viral hits "Hot Girl Summer," "Savage," and "WAP" to winning a GRAMMY with Beyoncé.

GRAMMYs/Jun 21, 2023 - 05:31 pm

Born Megan Pete, the Houston native was introduced to music at an early age because her mother — an underground hip-hop artist who went by the name Holly-Wood — brought her to recording sessions. Megan began regularly writing lyrics and freestyling, which led to a clip of a rap battle going viral, jump-starting her career.

By 2020, Megan earned her first two Billboard Hot 100 chart-toppers, "Savage" and "WAP" featuring Cardi B. The former caught the attention of fellow Houston-bred diva Beyoncé, who later hopped on the track for a remix, and snagged Megan two GRAMMY wins in a full-circle moment — during her acceptance speech, Megan revealed her dream was to become "the rap Beyoncé."

Beyond Megan's massive musical achievements, the rap princess has also been a champion of Black women internationally.

"It's ridiculous that some people think the simple phrase 'Protect Black women' is controversial,"  she wrote in an op-ed for the New York Times. "We deserve to be protected as human beings. And we are entitled to our anger about a laundry list of mistreatment and neglect that we suffer."

Press play on the video above to learn more about Megan Thee Stallion's groundbreaking career, and check back to GRAMMY.com for more episodes of Black Sounds Beautiful.

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