The world first fell in love with Erykah Badu in 1997, when she released her debut studio album, Baduizm. Helmed by hits "On & On," "Next Lifetime" and "Appletree," Badu skyrocketed to stardom as Baduizm made its way to the top of the charts — and helped her snag four GRAMMY nominations at the 1998 GRAMMYs, including Best New Artist.
In this episode of GRAMMY Rewind, we revisit one of Badu's two wins from that night, when Baduizm won Best R&B Album. (Badu also won Best Female R&B Vocal Performance for "On & On.")
"Woo!" Badu cheered at the start of her acceptance speech. "I represent the artists who are often unheard, and this is for us."
Badu went on to praise her "dream team" at her record label, Kedar Entertainment, her family, and the people who assisted in the making of Baduizm — including the two artists who influenced the album, George Clinton and Stevie Wonder.
Before heading off the stage, she closed out her speech by acknowledging two more special people in her life: God and her fans. "I would like to thank the creator for giving me this gift. I thank my fans. Peace!" Badu said.
Press play on the video above to watch Erykah Badu's entire Best R&B Album acceptance speech at the 1998 GRAMMY Awards, and check back to GRAMMY.com for more episodes of GRAMMY Rewind.