Rocker Lenny Kravitz wants to make it clear he doesn’t have a beef with Black media.
In a statement released exclusively to theGrio, the four-time Grammy winner clarified recent comments he made in an interview with Esquire magazine in which he wondered why his success wasn’t “celebrated” by Black entertainment publications or why he’d never been invited to the BET or Source Awards.
“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?” he told Esquire.
The comments sparked some pushback, including a column by theGrio’s Michael Harriot.
“The comment I made was not about ‘black media’ or the ‘black community.’” Kravitz said in the statement. “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.”
Here’s Kravitz’s statement in full:
“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. 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.“
Kravitz’s 12th studio album, “Blue Electric Light,” will be released March 15, 2024.
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