KENNA
SUNSHINE SACHS
Michael Samonte
[email protected]
KENNA
There are people in the world who need to define themselves because it
gives them identity; then there are people like Kenna who are indefinable
and lead others on a unique journey that they could never have embarked
on without the influence of such a visionary. In Kenna’s case, being
unclassifiable can help nab stage time with Justin Timberlake and Nelly
Furtado, open the New York leg of Live Earth at the Giants Stadium, and
land multiple spots on various critics’ album-of-the-year lists.
The release of his critically acclaimed debut album New Sacred Cow and the
sophomore release of Make Sure They See My Face showed the Ethiopianborn/Virginia-raised artist the dark side of the music industry, as he was
passed around from label to label before finally landing on the Neptunes’
Star Trak imprint, which high school friend Chad Hugo co-produced both of
Kenna’s albums. ‘New Sacred Cow’ received some mainstream love as
“Freetime” nabbed a MTV VMA Breakthrough Video nomination, and his
revolutionary sound prompted Justin Timberlake, Nelly Furtado, Mark
Ronson, No Doubt, N.E.R.D and Depeche Mode's Dave Gahan to enlist
Kenna as the opening act for their tours. Even Malcolm Gladwell, famously
devoted an entire chapter to the genre-defying artist in his 2005 bestseller
BLINK, summarizing “Kenna’s Dilemma” and the irony behind why Kenna
couldn’t maintain a major- label deal at the time, “the guy’s basically too
inspired to pin down and too multi-talented to tie up in a neat, happy little
marketing package.”
The self-described chameleon elaborated on his inability to be pigeonholed
when he told VIBE MAGAZINE, “I was never a clique kid, I never fit into one
crew in elementary (or) high school, I was never THAT WAY in college, I
pretty much rolled with whoever I felt comfortable with in my life. I’m a
foreign kid, an inner city kid, a suburban kid — I’ve done and been in all
those worlds, so now who am I to you? Who am I to the world when I
represent so many aspects of it?” But the multifaceted Kenna, who climbed
Mount Kilimanjaro, used his enigmatic appeal to claim his place as the king
of esoteric dance-pop with his follow-up album, ‘Make Sure They See My
Face.’
At this point, Kenna is a Grammy-nominated musician, philanthropist
and curator. He is the eldest son of an Ethiopian family that
immigrated to Cincinnati, Ohio when he was three years-old. He was
later raised in Virginia Beach, Virginia, attending school with friends and
eventual career-long collaborators Chad Hugo and Pharrell Williams.
Kenna began to express an interest in music upon receiving a copy of
U2's The Joshua Tree. That album inspired Kenna to teach himself piano
while studying singers like Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye, as well as
groups like The Cure and Duran Duran.
Breaking into the music scene at such a young age and at an interesting
time in pop history, Kenna met some of music’s biggest names including
Whitney Houston, Babyface, Blackstreet, Teddy Riley and Michael
Jackson. He went on to create his own sound that has yet to be
categorized and filed under any mainstream genre. As an anomaly in
the music world, Kenna is ever elusive, ever committed to the impetus
of his art. He is defined only by
his natural constitution to never be what you expect.
In addition to his musical pursuits, when Kenna learned about the
global water crisis affecting his home village in Ethiopia, he decided to
create the SUMMIT ON THE SUMMIT project. In 2010 Kenna and his
colleagues climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro to bring attention to the water
crisis.
Kenna developed a 19,340 ft website for fans and followers to
participate virtually with the climbers. This concept, rooted in social
media, was the first of its kind. The project generated 2 billion
impressions, 1700+ pieces of traditional press and helped bring clean
drinking water to more than 1 Billion people.
EPK
*please note the image is hyperlinked
password: trans1
Kenna, 'Relations (An Ode to You and Me)': Lyric Video Premiere
By Erika Ramirez
The Grammy nominated singer-songwriter signs with Dim Mak Records for
the release of his three-part EP series.
A year after the re-release of "Land 2 Air Chronicles I," Kenna signs to Dim Mak Records for the release of his
three-part EP series, "Land 2 Air Chronicles II." Dim Mak Records is also home to artists like Zedd, Tiesto and
Steve Aoki.
In anticipation to the EP series, launching with the 3-track EP, "Land 2 Air Chronicles II - Imitation is Suicide,"
on Sept. 3, the singer-songwriter/producer debuts the official lyric video for "Relations (An Ode to You and
Me)," exclusively on The Juice.
"['Relations'] is a #ReverseBlurredLines with cute girl dance machines. It's my life's work to give us nerds some swagger," he says of his funky single, co-produced by him and
Chad Hugo.
With only days of its release (August 13), "Relations" has been featured on a national Myspace campaign (where Kenna holds the position as Lead Creative and Chief Vision
Officer).
“Kenna’s latest release delves into a sexy,
funky sound. It twists and turns the
sounds of ordinary, adds improvisation,
and makes us want to have relations.”
-Dance Music Northwest
“If you’re on the prowl for some deep
bass and grind-hungry ladies, then
look no further than Grammynominated artist Kenna’s new video
for “Relations (An Ode to You and
Me). Though it’s may only be the
lyric video, the footage still packs
some heat with its ensemble of
dance fever femmes. Own it.”
-Vibe
“Produced by Chad Hugo, the record’s
funky, groovy, and defiant of one
particular genre. Here’s to hoping that
Land 2 Air Chronicles II – Imitation is
Suicide arrives sooner rather than later.”
-Smoking Section
“As catchy as it is smart, this heady
yet sparse funk, hip hop tinged track
will inhabit your mind in much the
same way as the song this canny
sleeve artwork references.”
-Velour Magazine
“The always impressive, producer,
musician, and singer/songwriter, Kenna,
is back today with something new for our
listening enjoyment. The track is called
“Relations” and finds the singer giving us
something funky, unique, and highly
addictive.”
-Stupid Dope
“Kenna continues to create new and
fun sounds.”
-Antvala
Achievements
2009 GRAMMY NOMINATION FOR
BEST URBAN / ALTERNATIVE
PERFORMANCE FOR “SAY GOODBYE
TO LOVE”
POP-AUTHOR, MALCOLM GLADWELL,
FAMOUSLY DEVOTED A CHAPTER TO
KENNA IN HIS 2005 BEST SELLER BLINK.
"OUT OF CONTROL" APPEARS IN
THE SOUNDTRACK FOR THE VIDEO
GAME FIFA 08
TWO MTV VIDEO MUSIC
AWARD NOMINATIONS THE
VIDEO FOR “FREETIME”
RECEIVED
2003 RELEASED NEW SACRED
COW, CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED
DEBUT ALBUM
THE FIRST SINGLE OFF OF MAKE SURE THEY
SEE MY FACE, CALLED “OUT OF CONTROL”
WAS FEATURED ON SONY’S, SUCCESSFUL
AND ULTIMILLION DOLLAR PSP CAMPAIGN
2007 RELEASED MAKE SURE THEY SEE MY
FACE, ON OCTOBER 23, 2007, THE
ALBUM DEBUTED AT #1 ON THE BILLBOARD
TOP 20 HEATSEEKERS CHART
2007 EXECUTIVE PRODUCER
FOR ASHLEE SIMPSON’S THIRD
ALBUM BITTERSWEET WORLD.
JULY 7, 2007 KENNA OPENED THE
NEW JERSEY PORTION OF THE
LIVE EARTH CONCERT.
DISCOGRAPHY
NEW SACRED COW
* RELEASED: JUNE 10, 2003
* LABEL: COLUMBIA RECORDS
* SINGLES
"HELL BENT"
"SUNDAY AFTER YOU"
"FREETIME"
LAND 2 AIR CHRONICLES I –
CHAOS AND THE DARKNESS EP
* RELEASED: APRIL 2011
* LABEL: GODEL
* PRODUCER: CHAD HUGO
*SINGLES
“CHAINS”
“KHARMA IS COMING”
“WHAT U WANT”
THE BLACK GOODBYE EP
* RELEASED: 2007
* LABEL: STAR TRAK
*SINGLES
“OUT OF CONTROL”
“BETTER WISE UP”
“BLACK GOODBYE RIDE”
MAKE SURE THEY SEE MY FACE
* RELEASED: OCTOBER 2007
* LABEL: INTERSCOPE RECORDS
* SINGLES:
“OUT OF CONTROL (STATE OF EMOTION)"
"SAY GOODBYE TO LOVE"
"LOOSE WIRES"
LAND 2 AIR CHRONICLES II –
IMITATION IS SUICIDE
* LABEL: DIM MAK INC.
* RELEASED: SEPTEMBER 2013
*PRODUCER: CHAD HUGO
* SINGLES
“WILD, WILD LIFE”
“RELATIONS (AN ODE TO YOU AND ME)
“GET IN CLOSER”