For Tennessee State University's marching band, Aristocrat of Bands, being a part of history isn’t enough. The band needed to make history themselves, and they did just that at the 2023 GRAMMYs.
On Music's Biggest Night, singer/songwriter and producer Sir The Baptist won Best Roots Gospel Album for his work on TSU’s debut album, The Urban Hymnal. This achievement makes Aristocrat of Bands the first collegiate marching band whose work has won a GRAMMY, as well as the first Historically Black College or University (HBCU) marching band to win the prestigious award.
The Urban Hymnal blends historical gospel hymns, soulful hip-hop, and Aristocrat of Bands' signature energetic sound. Co-produced by Baptist, Assistant Band Director Larry Jenkins and songwriter/producer Dallas Austin, Hymnal also features powerfully uplifting sermons of faith and perseverance. Nominated albums in this category must contain greater than 50 percent playing time of newly recorded, vocal, traditional/roots gospel music, Southern gospel, bluegrass, and Americana recordings.
"There are straight ahead, full-band renditions of 'Jesus Loves Me' and 'I’m So Glad' — the melody of which is employed in TSU’s school song — but also forays into hip-hop and contemporary R&B," Jon Freeman wrote in Rolling Stone. "Rhythm sections are underlaid with thumping 808s, tubas are rounded out with electric bass, and synths add new texture to the brass arrangements."
Baptist, Jenkins, and TSU alum and hip-hop producer Aaron "Dubba-AA" Lockhart accepted the Best Roots Gospel Album award during the 65th GRAMMY Awards Premiere Ceremony, representing the marching band. "These kids worked so hard," Baptist said in his acceptance speech, candidly highlighting the financial difficulties involving the album’s creation.
"To be honest with you guys, HBCUs are so grossly underfunded to where I had to put my last dime to get us across the line," Baptist continued, thanking Tennessee State University staff, faculty, students, and alumni for their efforts. "Our pockets are empty but our hands aren’t!"
The Tennessee State University campus in Nashville hosted a watch party on Feb. 5, where black and blue-clad students gathered around a large screen eagerly awaiting the results. The room erupted in joy when Baptist and the Aristocrat of Bands were announced as the category's winners. TSU Students proudly chanted "AOB!", the abbreviated nickname for the marching band, in unison.
Known as "The Band of Firsts," AOB have made collegiate band history throughout the decades. The Aristocrat of Bands became the first marching band from an HBCU to appear on national television in 1955, performing during a halftime show at a football match between the Los Angeles Rams and Chicago Bears. In 1961, TSU performed at John F. Kennedy’s inauguration, landing the group the honor of being the first HBCU band to perform at a presidential inauguration. In 1993 and 1997, AOB performed at Bill Clinton’s inaugural parades.
AOB took their talent to Tokyo’s National Olympic Stadium in 1984, performing at a game between the United States Military Academy’s Army Cadets against the University of Montana’s Grizzles. . In 2002, AOB became the official marching band for the Tennessee Titans — and the first HBCU marching band to be commissioned by the National Football League.
After sharing their talent in a multitude of venues around the world, Aristocrat of Bands began work on another monumental first: creating a GRAMMY Award-winning album. To achieve this, AOB needed to combine two music traditions rooted in African-American history: gospel music and HBCU marching bands.
The collaboration between Baptist and AOB began in 2019 when the producer visited the marching band during one of their performances. Impressed with what he heard, Baptist knew he needed to be a part of their sound.
"I heard [AOB] in the band room for the first time and it blew my mind," Baptist recalled in an interview with American Songwriter. "The amount of energy that’s coming out of these horns and from these kids really blows you away when you’re in front of it. It’s a level of power that I wasn’t used to, especially in gospel."
Baptist signed on to become TSU’s artist-in-residence and began discussing with Jenkins about prospective endeavors for the band. "We both wanted to see the kids win," Baptist explained in an interview with NPR. "We wanted to be a part of the kids’ story as they are creating their legacy, and really, really zone in on how to preserve the future for HBCU bands."
A variety of acclaimed acts in the gospel music community got involved with the album’s creation, among them Jakelyn Carr, J.Ivy, Fred Hammond, Kierra Sheard, and Louis York.
Ivy, who was featured on "Alright," — a spoken word track about gratitude and remaining hopeful for what the future holds — also collaborated with AOB on his album The Poet Who Sat by The Door, which received a GRAMMY for Best Spoken Word Album.
Tennessee State University’s historic win follows that of Nashville-based HBCU Fisk University. At the 63rd GRAMMY Awards, a capella group the Fisk Jubilee Singers won in the same category for their album Celebrating Fisk!, which celebrated the 150th anniversary of Fisk University.
Back at the 65th GRAMMY Awards. Jenkins praised Aristocrat of Bands for continuing the pioneering group's legacy and making history again.
"All your hard work and dedication created the pen that allowed you to write your page in the history books," Jenkins said onstage at L.A.'s Microsoft Theater. "[TSU] made history but this is also February, so we also made Black History."
According to Rolling Stone, part of the album’s proceeds, will "benefit TSU’s Marching band foundation, so the album will continue to provide for Aristocrat of Bands in the years ahead."
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