Kehlani made history at the Grammy Awards, taking home their first-ever Grammy wins — and they made sure the moment carried a message far bigger than music.
After winning Best R&B Performance for their breakout hit “Folded,” Kehlani used their acceptance speech to call on fellow artists to speak out against injustice, ending the moment with a blunt condemnation of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
“What I wanna make sure that I say is that everybody is so powerful in this room and in this room later,” Kehlani said toward the end of the speech. “And together we’re stronger in numbers to speak against all the injustice going on in the world right now.”
They continued by urging artists to move collectively instead of staying silent. “So instead of letting it be just a couple of you here and there, I hope everybody is inspired to join together as a community of artists and speak out against what’s going on.”
Kehlani then closed with a statement that immediately lit up social media:
“And I’m gonna leave this and say, f*ck ICE.”
The crowd responded with a mix of cheers and stunned reactions as clips of the moment quickly spread online.
A Big Night for “Folded”
In addition to Best R&B Performance, Kehlani also won Best R&B Song for “Folded,” making it a double victory night. Released in June 2025, the track became an instant fan favorite and marked a major milestone in their career. By November, “Folded” peaked at No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100, giving Kehlani their first-ever Top 10 hit.
Ahead of a performance of the song on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Kehlani thanked fans for their support, telling them their “gratitude is endless.”
Activism Isn’t New for Kehlani
Kehlani’s outspoken stance against ICE didn’t come as a surprise to longtime fans. The artist has consistently used their platform to speak on political and humanitarian issues. In May 2024, they made headlines for voicing strong support for Palestine, declaring, “It’s fck Israel, and it’s fck Zionism.”
That stance later carried professional consequences. In May 2025, the office of then-New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced that Kehlani’s headlining Central Park SummerStage concert was canceled, citing security concerns tied to their prior statements.
Despite the setbacks, Kehlani has remained defiant. In December 2025, during an appearance on The Breakfast Club, they addressed how activism has impacted their career, saying that while there have been efforts to silence them, their artistry continues to speak for itself.
“Folded,” they said, was proof that their work can’t be erased — no matter how uncomfortable their truth makes people.
