Gabi Wilson, better known as H.E.R., is a multi-awarded recording artist. While her Grammy, Oscar, MTV Video, and Billboard awards are undoubtedly defining accolades, many of her fans can’t help but celebrate her Filipino-African American descent. H.E.R. stands as a representative of these two music-loving cultures and her international acclaim is nothing short of an impactful statement to minorities.

Growing up in a household filled with karaoke and band sessions in California, H.E.R. is very much in touch with her roots. She first learnt how to sing when she was six years old, belting out ballads by Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey at family gatherings. She appeared on US television as a child for her rendition of Alicia Keys’ “If I Ain’t Got You” but didn’t get her contract with Sony’s RCA Records until she was 14. In 2020, she became the first female Black artist to release a signature Stratocaster for Fender. Unofficially, but with just as much pride, she is the first Filipino artist to do so.