Why isn't Lenny Kravitz celebrated by Black media?

Lenny Kravitz has been highly celebrated for his unique fusion of rock, funk, and R&B and has set the record for most consecutive Grammy wins in one category by a male performer. Despite his trailblazing success in music, he recently opened up to Esquire magazine about the lack of recognition he has received from Black media.

Kravitz found mainstream success in the early 90s with his first Top 40 album “Mama Said” which featured the chart-topping single “It Ain’t Over ‘til It’s Over”. Yet, it still took nearly a decade into his career for Vibe magazine to honor him with a cover. Kravitz has been open about his disappointment in this lack of appreciation from Black spaces, saying “To this day, I have not been invited to a BET thing or a Source Awards thing”.

Kravitz, born to a mixed-race household of African-American Bahamian and Russian-Jewish descent, has been open about the racism he and his parents experienced growing up. He thought that his success would be embraced by the Black community like his predecessors who inspired him, but was let down when this didn’t happen. He also found himself underestimated by white media outlets, with one article saying that “If Lenny Kravitz were white, he would be the next savior of rock ’n’ roll”.

Kravitz has been honored with four Grammy awards for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance, American Music Awards, MTV Video Music Awards, Radio Music Awards, Brit Awards, and Blockbuster Entertainment Awards. He was also nominated for the BET Soul Train Awards in 2018 for the Soul Train certified award, and won two NAACP Image Awards and two Black Reel Awards for his film roles.

Kravitz’s genre-bending style of music has since been seen through artists like Andre 3000, Childish Gambino, Tyler The Creator, Pharrell Williams, and more. Kravitz now looks to his upcoming album “Blue Electric Light” to be released in March 2024, hoping that it will be appreciated and celebrated by the Black community.

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