Lenny Kravitz may have said what he said with regard to the lack of support he felt he’s received from Black media. But now he’s making sure his message doesn’t get lost in translation after a handful of Black media provided receipts challenging him. I’ll explain.
You see, during a cover interview for Esquire Magazine, Kravitz expressed his frustration over not being recognized for his musical contributions and role in breaking down barriers for Black artists in a genre (rock ‘n’ roll) traditionally not associated to Black folks — despite the fact that a Black woman named Rosetta Tharpe a.k.a. the Godmother of Rock, is largely considered to be one of the genre’s originators.
“To this day, I have not been invited to a BET thing or a Source Awards thing,” Kravitz said, as previously reported by The Root. “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?”
Naturally, once the interview made its rounds on social media, various members of Black press — those who work for Black-owned and Black-centered news outlets — provided a handful of receipts on Twitter/X showing Kravitz on the covers of several Black publications and as a story subject throughout the years. They also showed instances of Black writers and platforms reaching out to Kravitz’s team only to get shut out.
After seeing what he ignited, the “TK421" singer put out a statement on his personal Instagram and Twitter clarifying his intentions:
“It is important to me to set the record straight on recent media reports based on an interview I did. 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.
The comment I made was not about “black media’ or the ‘black community.’ I was specifically referring to black award shows in particular. 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.”
“Rock and roll is the music we were instrumental in creating and is a part of our history,” Kravitz wrote. “We must retain our heritage and celebrate that together. 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.”
As my colleague Stephanie Holland said before, I don’t want to invalidate his experience. However, it’s definitely on Kravitz to be a bit more intentional about his word choices so that he doesn’t have to appear to backpedal on his words.
I do share in his hope that shows like the BET Awards will expand their categories to shine a light on and honor the totality of Black artistry and not just the ones we’ve been stereotypically limited to.