Lenny Kravitz
Considering that gods such as Robert Plant, Jean Paul Jones and Jimmy Page are still alive, it is understandable how many people found it absurd for Kanye to make his greatest living rockstar claim. In fact, even if you were to make the argument that most ‘classic’ rockstars that are still alive are old and beyond their time, it would still be a ridiculous claim, especially since the title could be given to someone who could get up on a stage in front of those same classic gods, perform their own songs to them and thrill them with his own talent and pure rockstar energy. Someone who great rock superstars in their own right, such as Mick Jagger and Prince, have performed with. Someone whose Instagram looks like the pinnacle rockstar dream of anyone who has ever picked up a guitar; who possesses an immense and ageless sexual appeal and stage presence. Someone who wears sunglasses 24/7 and performs without underwear (as revealed by a recent onstage wardrobe malfunction) and gets texts from Steven Tyler. Possibly the coolest, yet most elusive motherf***er on the planet – the one and only LENNY KRAVITZ.
Lenny is known for blending typically “white” features of music with typically “black” features of music to create his own brand of rock, which has contributed both to his admiration by some of the classic greats as well as a lack of exposure, arguably due to his music’s lack of a concrete identity. However, regardless of how many top ten “hits” he has achieved, Lenny makes sure that he rocks out whatever stage he performs on and puts on the greatest show he can with every performance and can swirl through different genres seamlessly to remain relevant. His performance of “Whole Lotta Love” at the Led Zeppelin tribute show at the Kennedy Center was without doubt the greatest, rawest performance of the night, confirmed by the wide smiles on the faces of the legends as they watched in youthful yearning.
Effortlessly performing in gig after gig, with his infectious, ferocious rock energy, his guitar an extension of himself and living with a carefree, nonchalant attitude that signposts the perfect rockstar, Lenny Kravitz is everything Kanye West wishes he could become. He doesn’t need to try hard or worry about pleasing anyone and maintains his air of mystery infinitely.
Words by Samm Anga