Tonight (February 12), Chance The Rapper won three Grammys, bringing home wins for Best New Artist, Best Rap Album, and Best Rap Performance. The Chicago artist has been releasing mixtapes since 2012, but 2016 was the year he went from indie darling to music superstar.

In accepting his first award for the night (New Artist), the Coloring Book rapper said “Glory be to God. I claim this victory in the name of the Lord,” thanking his girlfriend, daughter, and “all of Chicago.” As the wrap-up music began playing, he was unfazed and said “Yo, I’ma talk. Y’all can play the music,” before touching on being an independent artist. “People think being independent means doing things on your own…Independence means freedom.” Chancelor Bennett beat out collaborator Anderson .Paak for that award, and Desiigner, Drake, Fat Joe & Remy and ScHoolboy Q (featuring Kanye West) for Best Rap Performance, which he took home for “No Problem,” a Coloring Book single featuring Lil Wayne and 2 Chainz.

2016: The Year Chance Stood With The People & Showed He’s So Much More Than A Rapper

His nomination/win for Best Rap Album was particularly noteworthy, as Coloring Book was not commercially released, at least in the traditional sense. His nomination (and win) made music history, rewriting the rules for consideration at the Grammys, and helping to prove that Hip-Hop music continues to influence popular music more than any other genre. In that category, Chance beat De La Soul’s and the Anonymous Nobody, Kanye West’s Life of Pablo, Drake’s Views, and DJ Khaled’s Major Key. “I don’t have cool stuff to say this time,” he said in his acceptance speech. He shouted out his brother, Taylor, and says “this is for every indie artist who’s been doing this mixtape stuff.” In closing, he humorously shouts out to DJ Drama “for doing it first” before saluting SoundCloud for “holding me down.”

Chance also took the stage as a featured performer at the ceremony.