On the morning of November 7, 2025, Raheem “Mega Ran” Jarbo was focused on celebrating his 10th wedding anniversary with his wife, Rachel, not refreshing Grammy livestreams. The couple had just returned from a restorative trip to Mexico after a demanding pre-nomination campaign, intentionally choosing presence over anticipation.
That same day, the Recording Academy announced the nominees for the 2026 GRAMMY Awards.
“I wasn’t nervous,” Jarbo says. “I made the best album I could make, it’s above me now,” quoting the viral meme.
That album, Buddy’s Magic Tree House, debuted at No. 1 on iTunes, earned prominent editorial playlist placements, and quickly resonated with families nationwide. The project—dedicated to Jarbo’s son, whom he and Rachel fostered and later adopted—found a particularly meaningful audience among parents, teachers, and librarians.
“When educators told me they were playing it for their kids, I already felt like we’d won,” Jarbo says.
The calm didn’t last.
After struggling to find the Grammy livestream, Jarbo began receiving text messages he initially ignored until his producer, Cisco, pulled up the official nominations list on Variety.
“That’s when I saw my name,” Jarbo recalls. “And that’s when it hit me.”
GRAMMY® NOMINATED.
Jarbo says he immediately broke down in tears. Soon after, he realized another striking detail: the Grammy ceremony in February 2026 would take place nearly 20 years after the release of his first full-length album.
“It stopped feeling random,” he says. “Like the timing meant something.”
A former middle school teacher turned independent artist, Jarbo has spent his career navigating music outside traditional industry pathways. He credits an unlikely influence—professional wrestling—for preparing him for moments like this.
“Stay with me,” he jokes.
As a lifelong wrestling fan, Jarbo sees clear parallels between the ring and the music world: feast-or-famine touring, high-stakes performances, and the necessity of preparation under pressure.
“You learn to perform for two things,” he explains. “The moment and the memory.”
Wrestling, he says, emphasizes confidence without arrogance, precision without panic, and trust in preparation—principles that have guided his career well beyond the stage.
Now nominated for Best Children’s Album, an award previously won by icons such as Jim Henson and Ziggy Marley, Jarbo doesn’t view the moment as a departure from his journey.
“It feels like the continuation of the story,” he says.
As he prepares for music’s biggest night, Feb 1 in Los Angeles, Jarbo carries those lessons with quiet pride and gratitude—never forgetting the long road that led him here.
From the independent grind to the world’s biggest stages.
From the ring to the Grammys.
“If this were a big match,” Jarbo says with a smile, “the bell hasn’t rung yet. But I’ve been ready for this my whole life.”
Catch the 68th Grammy Awards on CBS, February 1
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