Chicago has a few natives up for Grammys this year, and one who has people buzzing is R&B artist BJ the Chicago Kid — real name Bryan Sledge.
Sledge — who poignantly performed the national anthem at President Obama’s final address on Tuesday night — has been nominated in three categories: best R&B performance, best traditional R&B performance, and best R&B album .
Shortly after learning he was nominated, Billboard asked Sledge to film a short video giving a candid look at his reaction.
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“I cried, I prayed, I called my team to congratulate them — to thank them for such hard work,” said Sledge. “I thanked my family, I finally called in with a legitimate excuse for my absence. It’s something worth appreciating my absence for and I really appreciate the support — the undying support.”
His sophomore album, In My Mind, hit the Billboard 200 following its February 2016 release. “I believe the song and the album had such an impact on the people this year because we simply made it from my heart,” said Sledge. “My mom used to say what’s from the heart reaches the heart; I really believe that.”
Watch BJ the Chicago Kid’s Grammy moment above, and tune in to see if wins live Sunday, Feb. 12, at 8 p.m. ET on CBS.
