Lenny Kravitz set the record straight after sharing his personal experience of being a Black artist in the music industry.
“My Black musical heritage means a lot to me, and I owe my success to my supporters who have taken this journey with me over the span of my career,” Kravitz, 59, told Us Weekly in a statement on Monday, December 4. “The comment I made was not about ‘Black media’ or the ‘Black community.’ I was specifically referring to Black award shows in particular.”
Earlier this month, Kravitz discussed the challenges he faced while rising to stardom.
“There was this one article that, at that time, said, ‘If Lenny Kravitz were white, he would be the next savior of rock ’n’ roll,'” he recalled in a cover story for Esquire, which was published on Friday, December 1. “I got a lot of negativity thrown at me by all these older white men who weren’t going to let me have that position.”
According to the outlet, Kravitz felt like he received a lackluster reception from Black entertainment publications.
“To this day, I have not been invited to a BET thing or a Source Awards thing,” he claimed. “And it’s like, here is a Black artist who has reintroduced many Black art forms, who has broken down barriers — just like those that came before me broke down. That is positive. And they don’t have anything to say about it? I have been that dream and example of what a Black artist can do. I’m not here for the accolades. I’m here for the experience.”
Kravitz, however, clarified in his statement that he only meant to call out Black awards shows for not making more of an effort to include him.
“My comment was meant to express a concern about ensuring that Black artists are being recognized for their work in what is now being called ‘non-traditional’ Black music, which it is not,” he continued in Monday’s statement. “Rock and roll is the music we were instrumental in creating and is a part of our history. We must retain our heritage and celebrate that together.”
The singer concluded: “BET and countless others have paved the way for this type of recognition. I hope that by sharing my concern a spotlight will be shone on this issue. Love and peace.”
Kravitz is known for his unique sound, which combines rock, funk, reggae, hard rock, soul and R&B. He won the Grammy Award for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance four years in a row from 1999 to 2002, breaking the record for most wins in that category and setting the record for most consecutive wins in one category by a male performer.
The record producer has also been nominated for — and won — accolades including American Music Awards, MTV Video Music Awards, Radio Music Awards and Brit Awards. Throughout his career, Kravitz has performed with iconic musicians including Mick Jagger, Aerosmith, Led Zeppelin, Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson and Jay-Z.
In addition to making his mark in the music world, Kravitz has ventured into acting with roles in TV shows such as Entourage, Better Things and Star. On the big screen, Kravitz won over audiences with his portrayal of Cinna in The Hunger Games film franchise. He has also appeared in movies including Precious, The Butler and Shotgun Wedding.
During his interview with Esquire, Kravitz reflected on his career and explained why he had no plans to take a break from music, saying, “But what is that? You know what I mean? What drives me is the creative.”
