In the past year, I’ve been consistently impressed with how Shaboozey moves through the music industry. Shaboozey is a first-generation American, the son of Nigerian immigrants. He grew up in Virginia, and he was influenced by the country music he heard constantly on the radio. His big breakout song, “A Bar Song,” was a country crossover and a huge hit. He’s been performing at country-music shows and general-music shows. Even when the country music people were unbelievably rude to him, he gave them grace and correctly insisted that the genre was big enough for all of them and that he belongs in country music too. Well, on Sunday, Shaboozey won his first Grammy, and in his speech, he said “immigrants built this country.” It was a statement to the larger theme of the night, especially given Bad Bunny’s AOTY win for a Spanish-language album and all of the “ICE Out” pins. Well, Shaboozey’s statement didn’t go over well, and it’s all a big mess:
Shaboozey has issued a statement after facing some criticism for his Grammy acceptance speech, with some claiming one of his lines — “immigrants built this country” — ignored or diminished the role of Black people and enslaved Africans.
The country star, whose parents are from Nigeria, largely earned plaudits for his acceptance speech after he won Best Country Duo/Group Performance for “Amen,” his collaboration with Jelly Roll. Shaboozey dedicated the prize to the “children of immigrants” and “those who came to this country in search of better opportunity to be a part of a nation that promised freedom for all and equal opportunity to everyone willing to work for it.”
But some took issue with Shaboozey’s remark that “immigrants built this country,” arguing it diminished the forced contributions of slaves. Bernice King, Martin Luther King Jr.’s daughter, was arguably the most prominent person to speak out in a post on X, where she appeared to quote Shaboozey, but did not mention him by name.
“Are people including enslaved Africans, descendants of those enslaved, and Black people whose unjust, low-wage labor sustained the economy in the 1800s/1900s as immigrants when they say ‘immigrants built this country’?” she wrote, adding: “[O]ur ancestors weren’t folks who came here seeking a better life. They arrived in chains, were bred like cattle, and severely violated, sexually and otherwise. Their trauma shouldn’t be diminished or forgotten, even in efforts toward freedom from ICE’s inhumane, violent tactics. We can only get to justice for all when truth is taught, embraced, and spoken.”
In his own note, shared on Tuesday (Feb. 3), Shaboozey wrote, “To be clear, I know and believe that we — Black people, have also built this country. My words were never intended to dismiss that truth. I am both a Black man and the son of Nigerian immigrants and in the overwhelming moment of winning my first Grammy my focus was on honoring the sacrifices my parents made by coming to this country to give me and my siblings opportunities they never had.”
Shaboozey also noted what it meant to become the first Black man to win the Grammy for Best Country Duo on the first day of Black History Month. “It stands on the foundation laid by generations of Black people who fought, sacrificed, and succeeded long before me. This moment belongs to all of us. My entire career has been rooted in lifting people up, honoring where we come from, and expanding what’s possible. I am proud to be part of this legacy, and I intend to continue doing that work for the rest of my life.”
I think Bernice King’s statement was fine, just as I believe Shaboozey’s Grammy speech and his follow-up statement (in reaction to King) were fine. This is not and should not be about two sides beefing – it’s part of a larger conversation about American history, a history of enslaved people, a history of the genocide of Native Americans, and yes, a history of immigrants and the children of immigrants. Of course, I keep seeing “critics” complaining about Shaboozey and what he should call himself or how dare he speak about being the son of Nigerian immigrants, etc. Please just let this poor man breathe and enjoy his Grammy, for goodness sake.
A letter from me
pic.twitter.com/DgcOavMHjx
— Shaboozey (@ShaboozeysJeans) February 3, 2026
A boy from Virginia and a child of immigrants won his first Grammy last night. I’m forever grateful.
— Shaboozey (@ShaboozeysJeans) February 2, 2026
Photos of Shaboozey at the pre-Grammy events, courtesy of Avalon Red.
