Who is Kennis Clark?
Born and bred in Long Island, New York, Kennis Clark is a singer-songwriter making music for the soul. Originally getting his start in R&B and Hip-Hop music groups, Kennis’ solo career began in 2014 when he drove cross-country to California in pursuit of a purpose-driven music career. Kennis gained recognition for his Pop singles "Good Body", "Forever", and "Bout Time" before crossing over to release his strikingly refreshing take on Christian Contemporary and Electronic through his EP titled AWOL. Kennis later partnered with YouTube Studios and TBN’s Juce TV to shoot the music video to his hit CCM record "Close Up".
Kennis’ work has led to background appearances such as on NBC’s hit series “The Voice” and in Kanye West’s infamous Sunday Service. He has also made contributions outside of his vocal performances, participating as a panelist at the BET Experience and in multiple TV and radio appearances where he sheds light on the underlying passion behind his music.
Kennis and his family reside in Atlanta where he continues to create faith-based R&B/Pop music to inspire, motivate, and change listeners around the globe.
Thank you so much for your time! Our readers are eager to delve deeper into who you are. Would you mind sharing your personal journey or backstory?
I have always loved music. At a young age my curiosity and passion led to me building my own music library from the artists I loved to performing in talent shows and displaying my talents in school. I started out as a rapper at the age of 8, writing rhymes in my "rap book." I loved putting the words together to deliver a message or tell a story. One day my mother found and read my rap book (which was also like a personal journal) and discarded it because of its content.
Lets just say she was being a loving parent. I was raised in a small town named Roosevelt in Long Island NY. This city was known for birthing Eddie & Charlie Murphy, Howard Stern, & Julius Erving, but was a rough place to grow up. My Lyrics were not kid-friendly. I then started to notice how fascinated I became with singing and R&B. It was something about the melodies, tone and emotion that drew me in to every R&B song available. One day as I sat and mimicked one of my favorite artist, my sister noticed my voice and exclaimed " Bro you can sing! " and from that moment the journey began.
Can you tell us about the moment when you realized that music was your calling?
I can honestly say that there wasn't just one pivotal or mystical moment that told me my future would be in music. It was only the fact that everyday music was on my mind, my heart. I wanted to listen to it and break down lyrics, feel the melodies, immerse myself into its emotion, dance sing along etc, until one day I explored what it would feel like to create my own and tell my own story. It’s been history ever since.
Everyday music was on my mind, my heart!
Can you share an instance where a personal experience deeply influenced your music?
I’ve never met my biological father. I’ve dealt with a lot emotionally trying to understand the story behind it all. One night while in my home studio, I started to think about the situation and wanted to release it all. I partnered with a friend of mine named by the name of JRum who is an amazing producer out of Florida. He helped me create the song that would carry my emotions and in encapsulate them forever. I was authentic to the process and wrote a song called "No Excuses" It was a way for me to finally release it all and live on.
The song was able to resonate with thousand of listeners which also inspired me to bring the conversation into the forefront with some of the most amazing people I know who have dealt with a similar situation. We would then go on to share our stories that people were able to connect and resonate with. Even though I primarily create faith-based music, I wanted to share my humanity with the world as God continues to heal me.
Can you describe the challenges you've faced in your journey and how you overcame them?
Some of the challenges I faced in my journey revolved around how I thought about myself as an artist and vocalist. Transparency speaking, It took me a while to understand and own my sound. The comparison game gave me anxiety and sometime discouraged me. Early on in my singing journey I hid behind band mates. However, once I knew what I was doing musically, I was hyper-critical on the songs I wrote, How I sound, should I release this? Will it be received? Some of the thoughts us artist think about every project we do. It wasn't until I understood that God made my gift just for me and that its one of one that I started to just create from a place of confidence.
Transparency speaking, It took me a while to understand and own my sound.
Can you share a moment in your musical journey that has brought you the most joy or fulfillment, and explain why it stands out for you?
I have always loved when someone connects to my art. I guess I’ve always enjoyed inspiring people and connecting on a deeper level with other humans. It was one thing to create a song about a pretty woman, but its totally another when you are vulnerable in your music and someone is drawn in because of the message. There was one song that I created called "Break Free" it was off of my first EP as a faith-based artist. I remember I wasnt having the best day.
I was in my head a lot about my own life and choices that I have made. Then out of the blue I get a phone call from a friend of a friend. He began to tell me how my song had help to lead him into worship and he is really trying to change his life. I received the most joy from that moment. It was like everything I experienced, all that I’ve gone through musically was for this one person's life to be impacted by my obedience to do what God called me to do, which was to create music. From then on my mission was to make an impact one song at a time.
What's one thing about the music industry you wish you knew when you were starting out?
I think something that I wish I knew earlier on were all of the resources involved in making and promoting your music. Things like play-listing, radio promotion and Christian based platforms that support artist like myself. There are tons of opportunities I wish I knew about when I first started which would really of helped to scale some of my earlier releases.
Can you share an experience where your music had an impact on the community or a social cause?
I once wrote a song about my biological father and shed a little light on that story. The song then flowered out to become a small series where a few people in the community who experienced the similarities were able to share their stories. The series was called "The Discussion" it was short-lived but worth it.
Can you give us a sneak peek into any upcoming projects or directions you're exploring in your music?
I am currently working on my newest EP called "Kennistry" With its first single called "Authenticity" that dropped on Sept 29th of this year! This project will be the latest body of work I've done since my AWOL EP in 2017.
Where do you see your music journey headed in the next few years?
In the next few years I see my journey leading to Grammy and Dove Awards for my music! Touring the world with my family and in my downtime helping and developing new artists. I want to be able to reach my goals, and enjoy the fruits, but still be able to give back and pass the torch to the next generations of amazing talented creatives.
Is there any aspect of your music that we haven't explored yet that you would like to delve into or share insights on?
So a lot of people don’t know this but when I met my wife she also loved making music. So much in fact that we actually have unreleased songs that we worked early on. This connection the. Started to blossom into her adding vocal textures to my music to bgvs, to featuring and even co-writing. She’s a dream!
What advice would you give to upcoming artists trying to find their place in the music industry?
Find your fit in the industry that speaks best to you and your dreams. Stay true to who you are and never let anyone else guide your instincts. Know that you are one of one but always be humble and willing to learn.
How can our readers further immerse themselves in your musical journey and stay connected with you?
Readers can further immerse themselves in my musical journey and stay connected by following me on Instagram at @Kennisclark and following me on Spotify/Apple Music.
We deeply appreciate the time you've taken to share your musical journey with us. Wishing you ever-growing success in your musical endeavors!
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