Alicia Keys’ acceptance speech when she received the Dr. Dre Global Impact Award at the 2025 Grammys was one of the standout moments of the ceremony, taking place on February 2. Her heartfelt words resonated with many, including fellow artists like Solange Knowles. During her speech, Alicia made sure to acknowledge several powerful women in music, such as Missy Elliot, Grimes, Patrice Rushen, and Linda Perry, highlighting their contributions as female producers.
Alicia began her speech by showing love to Dr. Dre, saying, “I just want to give big love to my brother Dr. Dre, who created a sound that began a movement, and your sound told me that if you’re a creative growing up in Compton or Hell’s Kitchen, you can touch the world.” She reflected on the challenges she faced in fighting for respect as a songwriter, composer, and particularly as a producer. Alicia also pointed out how surprising it is that women are often overlooked in roles like producing, where names like Quincy Jones and Dr. Dre are more commonly recognized.
Solange Knowles, who was mentioned by Alicia in her speech, took to her X account on February 3 to express her joy over the shoutout. Sharing a video from the event, Solange wrote, “Omggg this made me smile so bigggg being mentioned in this lineup.” She joked, “Let me go make some beats lol,” acknowledging the inspiring words from Alicia.
In the video, Solange’s sister, Beyoncé, could be seen clapping and nodding along with other stars in the audience, visibly supporting the moment.
In an interview with Harper’s Bazaar in 2024, Solange had revealed that she had been experimenting with music involving the tuba, mentioning that she wasn’t trying to rush the process of releasing new work. She humorously added that she could “only imagine the eye rolls” from people who might say, “This b**** hasn’t made an album.”