Growing up in a musical family, R&B singer/songwriter Matt B always felt a natural connection to performance. As a child, his grandmother taught him six-part harmonies at holiday gatherings while his mother brought him to sing at local nursing homes and Chicago art museums.
By the time he entered high school, Matt B knew music was his calling. He started a group with his two brothers, introducing him to the world of production: "Hearing my words be put into a record and then played back to me, I think that was the moment I knew this was something I wanted to do."
Fast forward several years later, when Matt B met his collaborator Eddy Kenzo at a party; the two instantly connected, and went to the studio. Though he wasn't immediately taken by "Gimme Love" when Kenzo first played it, Matt's wife (who is also his manager) saw the undeniable potential of the song. She was onto something: "There was a lot of synergy in that room," Matt B recalls, "and we manifested that onto the record."
Sure enough, "Gimme Love" landed Matt B his very first GRAMMY nomination for Best Global Music Performance at the 2023 GRAMMYs. Even more special? Matt B and Kenzo got to celebrate their nomination together in Kenzo's native Uganda when it was announced. (It also marked a historic moment for Kenzo, who became the first Ugandan artist to receive a GRAMMY nomination.)
As Matt B reflects on his success so far, he also wants to remind his fellow independent artists he's living proof that dreams come true. "If you work hard enough, stay focused, believe in yourself, and have that unit around you," he says, "then maybe it will end up a lot better than you imagined."
Press play on the video above to watch Matt B's inspiring Road to the GRAMMYs story, and keep checking back to GRAMMY.com/videos for more new episodes.