“What’s Black-A-Lackin? Politics of Respectability in Black Music”
American rock singer-songwriter and actor Lenny Kravitz recently made headlines where he stated that he hasn’t always been felt by the Black community.
Writer Stephanie Holland, in her 2023 article for The Root, “They Don’t Have Anything to Say About It?’: Lenny Kravitz Expresses Frustrations With Lack of Black Media Support”, writes, “Despite all his success, he… [Kravitz]… feels like he still has not been given the proper amount of respect…Ahead of the March release of his new album Blue Electric Light, Kravitz talked about the racism he’s faced throughout his career, as well as his complicated relationship with Black media.”
Lenny Kravitz is one of the most influential artists of all time. He has sold over 40 million albums worldwide. He has released 11 studio albums. He is the only male artist with the most consecutive wins for the Grammy Award for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance, winning from 1998 to 2002. Some of his hit singles include, “Let Love Rule”, “It Ain’t Over Til It’s Over”, “Are You Gonna Go My Way?”, “Fly Away”, and “Again”. Outside of music, Kravitz has ventured into acting, starring in films such Precious (2009), The Hunger Games series (2012-2013), and The Butler (2013).
Though Kravitz has made a name for himself in music, he himself stated that he felt ostracized due to politics of Black respectability. ““To this day, I have not been invited to a BET thing or a Source Awards thing,” he stated, “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?”
As previously stated, Kravitz is a rock musician. Although his music has had elements of R&B, Soul, and Funk and he has been compared to the likes of Marvin Gaye and Prince, the 59 year old’s artistry is largely rock. Most African American musicians, particularly those of the mainstream that have been historically been recognized by BET or Source, have been R&B, Soul, Hip-Hop, and Rap. Moreover, despite African American artists crossing over to other genres such as Alternative, Country, and Pop, most African American artists find themselves still pigeonholed in the aforementioned categories.
Kravitz is certainly not the only artist who has voiced his concern with feeling this way. Several artists, such as alternative rock singer-songwriter Willow Smith have voiced her ostracism from the Black community.In a 2021 article for Metal Shout, Willow spoke about her experiences being judged for being an African American woman liking alternative and rock music. “Willow started her words by explaining her memories of high school: ‘But being a Black woman in the metal crowd is very, very different on top of the pressures that the music industry puts on you. Now, it’s like an added pressure of the metal culture, the metal world, and just rock in general. I used to get bullied in school for listening to Paramore and My Chemical Romance.’”
Smith’s artistry is also rock-infused with elements of heavy metal, pop punk, alternative, and urban music.
If there is anything Kravitz’s and Smith’s experience has demonstrated, it is non-R&B/Rap/Hip-Hop artists are still fighting to be recognized not only by mainstream white audiences but even the larger Black community as well.
