Lenny Kravitz is opening up about the lack of flowers he’s received from the Black media despite his massive success in music!
by Jeroslyn JoVonn, courtesy of Black Enterprise Magazine
Lenny Kravitz is opening up in the winter issue of Esquire about the lack of flowers he’s received from Black media despite his success in music.
Described as a rock, neo-psychedelia, and progressive soul artist, Kravitz has been highly celebrated for his fusion of rock, funk, and R&B. But despite setting the record for most consecutive Grammy wins in one category by a male performer, Kravitz wonders why he’s rarely been recognized in Black spaces.
He found mainstream success in the early 90s with his first Top 40 album, Mama Said, which featured the hit single, “It Ain’t Over ’til It’s Over.” But Kravitz says it still took nearly a decade into his career for Vibe magazine to honor him with a cover.
His absence in Black media and award shows led him to question why his success wasn’t “celebrated by the folks who run those publications or organizations.”
Born May 26, 1964, as the only child of NBC television news producer Sy Kravitz and actress Roxie Roker (The Jeffersons), Kravitz’s biracial background consists of African-American and Bahamian descent from his late mother and Russian-Jewish origin from his late father. Kravitz has been open about the racism he and his parents experienced growing up in a mixed-race household.
Yet, he imagined his success in music would be embraced by the Black community like his predecessors who inspired him. “I have been that dream and example of what a Black artist can do,” Kravitz said.
It wasn’t just the Black media who would shun the “Fly Away” singer.“There was this one article that, atthat time, said, ‘If Lenny Kravitzwere white, he would be the nextsavior of rock ’n’ roll,’” he shared. “Igot a lot of negativity thrown at meby all these older white men whoweren’t going to let me have that position.”
To date, Kravitz has won manyawards, including four straightGrammy awards for Best Male RockVocal Performance from 1999 to2002, and American Music Awardsand MTV Video Music Awards.
He has a single nomination fromthe BET Soul Train Awards (2018,for the Soul Train Certified award)and has been nominated for his filmroles, People reports. He also wonan NAACP Image Award for outstanding supporting actor in a motion-picture in 2010 and 2013 forPrecious and The Hunger Gamesalong with two Black Reel Awards—best supporting actor for Precious in2010 and outstanding song for TheButler’s You and I Ain’t No More in2014.
His genre-bending style of musicwas ahead of its time but can nowbe seen regularly through artists likeAndre 3000, Childish Gambino,Tyler The Creator, and Pharrell Williams. Kravitz will release his 12thstudio album, Blue Electric Light, inMarch 2024 which will perhapsgarner him some nominations atBlack award shows.
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