TARIQ “BLACK THOUGHT” TROTTER

PAST WINS best rap performance by a duo or group (“You Got Me,” 2000), best musical theater album (Hamilton, 2016)

NOMINATED THIS YEAR best rap performance (“Love Letter”)

I remember when we [The Roots] won our first Grammy. We were sitting in the audience. I was kicking it with Lenny Kravitz and Zoë [Kravitz]. Zoë was like 11 or 12, and I remember sitting there being like, “Yo, that’s so dope that he brought his daughter. When my daughter is old enough, I’m going to bring her to the Grammys.”

I remember being lost in that moment. There was no doubt in my mind that we were just nominated and weren’t going to win. We were up against the titans, and it was everybody with all of the joints that year. So for us to win, it just felt surreal. I felt like we arrived. It was definitely a validation within that moment. That was really for Philly. Once you’re stamped, once you have that credential, it’s a different certification. It definitely holds weight. It makes a huge difference. When you’re recognized by any academy, it’s a huge stamp as far as branding, businesswise, achievement-wise and in every regard.

What the Grammy means to people, fans and artists is ever-evolving. The earlier Grammys [win] was more monumental because it was my first and did represent that arrival. Winning a Grammy in recent years, it’s a different sort of validation. It speaks to the decades of hard work that I’ve put in. It’s a different certification and gives you a certain boost of confidence to continue in your creative journey.