00:00Please welcome Billboard's 2025 Rookies of the Year, Jell-O, Raven-Lenae, and Odile.
00:22Hey y'all. I haven't made a speech since high school, so I was really nervous about this.
00:30But firstly, I want to say thank you so much to Billboard for this honor.
00:35I'm truly grateful to accept this award as your Rookie of the Year.
00:39As I was preparing for tonight, I kept reflecting on how transformative this past year has been for me.
00:46So many of my wildest dreams have become reality, and I'm still pinching myself to be living in a season I've worked toward for so long.
00:54As we all know, moments that feel random or overnight rarely are, especially in music.
01:01I've been on this journey since I wrote my first song inside my record deal at 16,
01:06and the biggest accomplishment has been the inner growth I've experienced throughout this time.
01:10While creating my recent album, Bird's Eye, I knew I had to strip everything back
01:16and reconnect with who I am beyond success or perception.
01:20That meant going home to the south side of Chicago, walking through my family home,
01:26eating my grandma's cooking, revisiting the albums that made me want to sing in the first place.
01:31Those little things reminded me of my roots, my magic.
01:34During that process, I wrote my desires on sticky notes across my bathroom mirror.
01:41Speaking them out loud made them feel real, like they were already on their way.
01:45And tonight, one of those dreams came true.
01:48Thank you, God, for the breath of my lungs.
01:51Thank you to my mom, who's here tonight, for her endless love.
01:55Thank you to my team for your persistence and belief.
01:58And thank you to everyone who has embraced me and my music.
02:02This means the world.
02:04Yeah, guys, make some noise for yourself, first of all.
02:16Thank you so much for this award.
02:18But why I say make some noise for yourself is because I just want everyone to celebrate themselves at every time.
02:24My manager today told me to never be late to your own party.
02:28Because I'm literally always late to everything.
02:30It's ridiculous.
02:31But with that being said, I just want everyone to celebrate themselves at every given moment.
02:37Because life is short.
02:38And we're all doing absolutely amazing.
02:40And we have to work twice as hard as almost anyone.
02:42You know what I'm talking about.
02:43But, yeah, I just want to say a huge thank you to my team, LVRN, Ovemba, that's Justice, Tunde, Amber, everyone on the team.
02:57Tom, Alexis, Ovemba, that's Hans, my manager Charles.
03:03Because, like, everyone on the team, honestly, I just want to say thank you for everything.
03:08Like, it's been an incredible run.
03:10This is probably the first time some of you lot have seen me, but definitely not the last.
03:14But, yeah, thank you guys so much.
03:17Have an amazing night.
03:26What's up, y'all?
03:27I ain't had no prepared speech, but I just want to tell y'all thank you for having me out here.
03:33I mean, it means a lot to be part of the Billboard Rookie of the Year and all that.
03:36But I just want to say shout-out to the team, OTS, Born to Boy Mixtape, Def Jam, and just thank everybody for having me, man.
03:47It's been a blessing.
03:48Love y'all.
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