H.E.R. credits her dad’s taste in music for her Oscar win.
The 93rd Annual Academy Awards took place in Hollywood on Sunday, and though the evening veered from tradition in many ways and was a bit odd at times, there were some exciting and groundbreaking wins for artists in several categories. Judas and the Black Messiah, a film about Fred Hampton and the Black Panther Party, received several nominations and won in the categories of Best Supporting Actor and Best Original Song for H.E.R.’s “Fight for You”.
While Daniel Kaluuya gave a speech that was a bit all over the place as he dedicated his award to Fred Hampton and embarrassed his mother by mentioning her sex life, H.E.R. kept her comments to her parents entirely wholesome, crediting her father’s musical tastes for her success.
Taking the stage alongside her collaborators Dernst Emile II and Tiara Thomas, H.E.R. began by acknowledging the quality of the film. “I am so, so, so grateful, not only to win but to be a part of such an important, important story,” she said.
She went on to thank God and the Academy before adding, “And my parents, my beautiful mother who’s here with me today and my father at home. All those days of listening to Sly & the Family Stone and Curtis Mayfield and Marvin Gaye really paid off. So, thank you, Dad.”
“Fight for You” was just one of many profound tracks found on the soundtrack for Judas and the Black Messiah. Other songs featured Nas, Jay-Z, Rakim, and the late Nipsey Hussle among many other big-name artists.
Fred Hampton is mentioned many times throughout the musical body of work, further assisting in the film’s goal of keeping the revolutionary’s legacy alive. “Fight for You” is a soulful track perfectly suited for H.E.R.’s style, which was clearly influenced by some of founders of soul itself.
