To say Kenny Burns is successful is a boring and unimaginative reiteration of the obvious, like water being wet. He is so exemplary of Black excellence that it manifests in not only everything he does, but within the why of the things that motivate and inspire him, his family and community. Whether it’s the many contributions to iconic brands like Bad Boy and Rocafella which are cornerstones within the culture or his incredibly lucrative entrepreneurial endeavors like RyanKenny, LS Cream Liqueur, and Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey, there is simply not enough space or time to describe him or his vast list of accomplishments adequately so let’s sum it all up with what he simply is genius.
Share with us the reasoning behing relaunching The Kenny Burns Show on Instagram Live during the pandemic.
In all the amazing things I’ve done, people have always been the conduit. During the pandemic, I already had The Kenny Burns show. It was on the radio. I had already done a viral series which I featured on my Vimeo page of me going to different cities, showing where you should go to eat or go to stay. I would end it with me hosting something amazing, whether it was the Heineken Red Star Soul Tour or a party around the country.
During the pandemic, we were forced to sit still. We were forced to sit down and look at ourselves and pay attention to things that were going on inside of us. And as I was peeling the layers back on my own onion, I think the rest of the world was too. Because I cut that Instagram Live on and entertained my following, which I affectionally call The Kenny Burns Show Nation, we had the chance to go through that experience together, heal together, and learn together.
It started out with me interviewing my peers and celebrities, and we would have these human moments. People would love to tune in at three o’clock. As it grew, it became bigger than celebrity. It became about human beings and how we were going to make it and how we were going to be okay. I started bringing on two, three and four people at a time and we just talked. We talked about issues. We had the opportunity to have real culture and community.
You use your platform to share invaluable insight and inspiration with others. Why is that the priority at this point in your career?
Because I wish I had the information myself when I was growing up. I wish I had someone to tell me about manufacturing, design, and the fact that the streets were not it. I grew up glorifying the streets and that lifestyle because that was what my father did. That was the circle my mom ran in. I want to give people the information so that they don’t make as many mistakes as I did. I also want to ensure that they are well-equipped when they actually show up in the world. I am an oxymoron of success. I didn’t graduate from college. I was locked up my senior year in high school. I took the nonconventional way and made a real life for myself. I made a thriving business for my family’s legacy. I just want people to have the information. Oft-times, we just get caught up in this rat race and we want to compete with the immediacy of our circles. I think I am teaching people to think outside of those circles and know that the world is bigger than their respective blocks. I want them ultimately to get what they came for because we only get one life.
Besides being an entertainment executive, you have established yourself as both an entrepreneur and an investor. Do you feel more of today’s artists should start diversifying their revenue streams early in their career?
Yes, it’s so funny that you asked that question. Growing up, I didn’t know that I had a diverse portfolio—meaning I had multiple hustles. I wasn’t streamlining them the way that I was supposed to, but whether I was working at the corner store or in the streets, I always had multiple streams of income. As I became older, it became the lifeline to my success. When you think about one stream of income, and you see there are only a certain number of things you can do with said income… You want the opportunity to travel and experience these things that you see for yourself in the world. I pride myself in having the opportunity to not be a one-trick pony—to have multiple skill sets and to be able to apply them. When I started working in the music business, I was told to do one and do it well. In that era, that’s what they demanded of you. And I did that, but I also showed them I could do other things.
How do you feel about the way social media has affected branding and marketing?
I love that question. I think social media is to be used without allowing it to use you. I think we are caught up in the algorithm a lot of times when we think about what we should post, when we should post, how we should post, and how many hashtags we should use. I say do it how you feel. An algorithm doesn’t have a pulse. Blood is not flowing through an algorithm. Metrics are not supported by actual human data… I think we should do everything in business with real human feelings and real human passion. I like the idea that it helps my business, but I don’t depend on it to be in business.
With all of your experiences and successes, what would you say has been your biggest regret?
My greatest regret? Honestly, I don’t have any. Yes, of course, I should have listened to Scooter Braun when he said he had an artist named Justin Bieber and he needed help. Yes, there were certain things I would do differently now as opposed to then, but it was my purpose. It wasn’t meant to be part of my journey. I am proud of the decisions I made because they got me here. I am working on my book and documentary titled “What Matters Most” and to answer your question, I have always done what mattered most. And the core of that is family. The core of that is the way I see and want to uplift my community. There will always be things that I could have done, but do I regret not doing them? No, because I wouldn’t be where I am today.
Speaking of your documentary, what would you like the viewers to take from it?
My first documentary “B.U.R.N.S.”, which means “Be Ultimately Realistic and Never Sellout” was an offering to show people that I had been participating in pop culture on the highest levels. I have always been asked and I’m still asked to this day, what exactly do you do? The BURNS doc was kind of a glimpse into my pop culture offering. “What Matters Most,” the book and documentary will focus on the core of what makes me and the core of what is my inspiration, which is my family and my people. This business is full of glitz and glamor. It gives you momentary satisfaction often, but the real joy for me—the real enlightenment for me—the real happiness for me has been my family and my people along my journey. Of course, you are going to get the superstar status, posting from all over the world, and all the amazing the things…but there will be a lot of storytelling about what matters most, and I look forward to share that in 2024.
You also do public policy consulting for Amazon. How has your work with them served your community?
Through my public policy consulting, I direct and move energy within the community through acts of service. Whether it is reading books to children in schools or presenting scholarship checks, we have been able to do amazing things here in Atlanta. I just want to shout out Rita and Jillian, and the crew. This is my second year… You just heard my story. Just imagine where you can go in life when you have a sense of purpose aligned with your passion.
Be’n Original
