The Writing on the Wall

My wife and I recently invited some friends over for dinner and to hang out. It was awesome! We've been doing this more often and it's refreshing to see our friends laugh, sing and share what's going on in their lives.

Each get together has a theme and this particular one was called "Puerto Rican Night" in honor of the culture and for some of our friends who are Puerto Rican/Hispanic descent.

There have been some amazing conversations at these get togethers. One of the most commonly discussed topics is how each of us met our spouse or girlfriend (or boyfriend).

One of the couples included our little brother/friend, Ryan, and his girlfriend, Ardella. Ryan is one of the CRAZIEST people you'll ever meet! He has one of those personalities where you'll fall out laughing at his jokes even from just meeting him. We were walking down memory lane and he reminded me of a moment when he and I were roommates. 

I was in the early stages of working on "The Real Love Project" and we would often have vibe sessions with him on drums or guitar and me singing or playing the keys. He mentioned how I was a very artistic person and that one day when he came home there were sheets of paper with writings on them all over the house. He said he was scared at first! LOL! He thought I'd lost it but when he looked at each paper he saw that they were lyrics to songs.

I really appreciated him for reminding me of that, especially since I've been wanting to document the journey leading up to the release of the album.

I'm a very visual person. This was a creative way for me to express my thoughts and keep the music "in front of me." As the songs evolved, I gradually started taking down the sheets of paper. Our other brother and friend, Ed Meeks, reminded me that some of them started to fall down off the wall. Oooohh! The symbolism!! :)

I took down the last sheet of paper before moving out of that apartment. That was almost two years ago.

Moments like these are priceless to me. I'm loving how this story continues to unfold.

In one of my upcoming blogs, I'll explain to you guys my experience of actually "living" in the studio. Stay tuned!

I may be a tad bit "extra" as my wife says sometimes (lol) but have any of you guys ever done anything like this? No? lol! But if you HAVE, share with me your experience in the comments section below.

Love y'all!

Kenny

THRILLER!

You've often heard me mention battling and overcoming fear in previous blog posts. I guess I kinda grew up a "scaredy cat" after watching all those scary movies as a kid. Lol. Each one was scary in its own right but probably the scariest of them all was a short movie in the form of Michael Jackson's "Thriller."

I don't know what it is about that video but that mug used to creep me out! And if I'll be completely honest, I still haven't been able to watch it all the way through without squirming. Smh.

Last week, I was going through my Twitter feed and came across an interesting post from an organization I follow called GodOverPorn. It said "Ladies, every guy says 'I'm not like other guys.' but their actions will speak louder than their words." Whoa.

I thought that was really cool and responded. "Michael Jackson said the same thing in the Thriller video and you see what happened. LOL!"

If you've watched the video, you know that Michael Jackson says that infamous phrase "I'm not like other guys" and the scene flashes to the full moon. He crouches in pain. She asks him what's wrong and he looks up with yellow eyes and a werewolf face. What a crazy way to end a date!

The scene that's being shown is actually a movie that the real Michael Jackson and his date are watching. She's scared but Michael's loving the movie and the fact that she's frightened. They leave the movie theater, walk down the street, past a graveyard and end up in an alley surrounded by a bunch of zombies. Michael and his date look around in fear, but Michael turns around and ends up being one of them.

Now....I could get realllllllly deep and preach a few sermons off this one scene, but I won't. lol.....At least....not right now. ;-)

BUT I will say this, ain't it funny how Michael was a "monster" all along?! Hello! Red flags and warning signs! Sorry, I digress.

As we prepare to release my new music video and single for "That's When You Love", I can only imagine the conversations Berry Gordy and Michael must've had when shooting that video and recording this song. Did they know "Thriller" would be this huge!? In 1985, it was recorded by The Guiness Book of World Records as the best selling album of all time with over 65 million albums sold worldwide. WOW!

This may sound like a lofty goal but that's how I feel about "That's When You Love" and "The Real Love Project." I wholeheartedly believe that this album is going to change the world, not only in records sold but lives changed. It has and still is changing mine.

Our worship team sang Hillsong's "Inside Out" and it made me think of all the changes I've been going through. When I got serious about starting a new life, I asked God to get rid of the "monsters" in me. To deal with those scary things that for years I didn't want anyone to see. The things I tried to hide. But it's so true. What's inside of you will eventually come out of you. And I didn't want to be known as a monster. I wanted to be who God created me to be- a real man with a tender heart that loves Jesus, his wife and family and shared that love with everyone he met.

I didn't want to be one of those people that just looks the part. I wanted to be the part. And love is the only way that happens.

What monster is standing in your way of opening the door to love? Can you see yourself on the other side of that opposition? If so, what would life be like if you let love in today?

The OVERCOMER Series

I'm a big fan of sharing testimonies and stories of triumph. 

I remember going through some very difficult times and wanting so desperately to hear real stories of how people made it through. 

It's sad but it seems like sometimes those stories are few and far in between. It's time to change that. I'm a part of the movement to facilitate that change. 

You've heard me mention this before but it's true. "We overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony," (Revelations 12:11). 

Don't be afraid to share your testimony. In fact, don't be afraid to admit where you are in the journey of life. I think many of us don't want to talk about our weaknesses for fear of abandonment, rejection, etc. But let me encourage you…what you don't confront, you can't change. That applies to mistakes from the past, trying to see dreams and purpose fulfilled and so on. 

I am very passionate about this. I was held in bondage and a prisoner and slave to sin, more than you'll ever know. I have witnessed the power and love of our resurrected Jesus Christ in my life, in my mind, in my body, in my marriage and in my relationships. I'm living proof that it works!

After speaking with many of you and getting feedback from my previous posts, I was inspired to create an "Overcomer Series" with individuals who have overcome various obstacles and are passionate about sharing them. The very thing you're facing right now…someone has overcome it. Hearing these stories will build your faith and we all need faith building on an on-going basis. 

If you'd like to be a part of the "Overcomer Series," message me. I'm looking to present these stories in various forms: blogging, video, pictures and more. 

"To everything, there is a season and a time to every purpose under heaven," (Ecclesiastes 3:1) It's time to speak out fam. 

For an extra bonus, check out this video of what happens when you share your heart in love. 

What's Taking You So Long?!

I know...I know...I know...

EVERYBODY wants to know when the album will be released. lol! Do you guys think I sound like the theme song from "The Never Ending Story?" Lol. No, but seriously guys...The album is on the way! :)

I never thought it would take this long. As of this date, I've been working on this album for almost 4 1/2 years. Whoa.

I released my first EP, Mosaic, in October 2008. My "plan" was to release the full LP in March 2009. I knew it was a lofty goal, but I'm a very ambitious person. I was like "I can do this." Ha!

I researched producers, venues, shows and people I thought could help me get the record done. Honestly, I wasn't ready or prepared for some of the connections and opportunities I was searching for. And, I overlooked some of the resources and connections that were available to me. Some of those people were God-sent people, and they were right in front of my eyes. Pride, insecurities and being totally "green" got the best of me.

Thinking through things, it's crazy how even the title of the album has changed. I thought Mosaic would be the title of my first full length album, especially considering I released an EP with the same title. The natural progression would've been to do so, but nope. Things started to change...

At that time, most of my music and vibe had a heavy neo-soul/Gospel flow. I loved artists such as Musiq Soulchild, PJ Morton, Lisa McClendon and Leon Timbo. I had connected with many of them and started to create my own lane with hints of their musical influence. Then, I started exploring more of the screamo/alternative rock music like Flyleaf, RED, and Thousand Foot Krutch (more on that later) and had an idea to create a double EP called "Tales from the  Darkside/Emerge."

During that period of time, I felt like I was in "The Twilight Zone" so a lot of really dark/moody music was being written and developed. I was trying to see the "light at the end of the tunnel" and I wanted to portray that through music.

I remember hesitantly sharing this idea with some of my musician friends after one of my shows, and they laughed at me! :( So what did I do? I retreated and put that idea on the back burner. 

In 2010, the Lord began to deal with my heart concerning forgiveness. I didn't realize how much unforgiveness I had been carrying all those years. In that season, soon-to-be released songs like "That's When You Love" and "Face of Forgiveness" were born.

I started revisiting themes for an album and all I could think of was love. But I didn't want to create just any old "love album." In Kenny's World, we do things a little differently! :) There's a purpose and a reason behind everything. I wanted to show the full spectrum of love, from the good to the bad and the ugly.

Once again, what an undertaking! How was I, this "Christian" guy who leads praise and worship at church but also performs regularly at music venues like The Gramophone and The Old Rock House, going to release a "love" album? How would it be perceived? How would I tour? Will people accept me and my new music? Lots and lots of questions, fears and doubts started to arise.

I've had to ask myself these questions over and over again, but it got to the point where I had to be true to what I know God placed in my heart. Thus..."The Real Love Project." 

Sometimes in journeys that seem like they're so close yet so far away, we can get weary. I know that has been the case with me at times, and I've had to get refocused and get my eyes back on the prize.

I "pinky promised" my wife that I would complete this album, so there's no turning back…in our household, a pinky promise is the real deal. :)

We're in for the ride of our lives guys! Thank you for taking this journey with me.

Not only will I continue to post written blogs here, but I will be posting video blogs as well with even more details, interviews, performances and more!

Check out Episode 1 of "Kenny's Journey" here

Let me know what you think! Y'all know I love feedback. :)