We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Kennedy Kimbell. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Kennedy below.

Kennedy, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – walk us through the story?

To begin with the music business is all a risk. It is a high risk high reward business and that is why you must lead with confidence, faith and passion and the willingness to take risk.

The series of risk that I took coming out of college is what led me to being in the music business and starting JFK Music, my artists management company. I really didn’t have a plan out of college and I had only done a PR internship in the summer because I figured I should since that was my major. In the Fall I was jobless and clueless of what I wanted to do with my life and then I met this girl on a boat.

This girl had a cousin that worked at Warner Bros Records (before the Warner Records name change) and when she said that something clicked. I grew up in the music industry as my father was in 2 bands signed by a major label but I was always pushed to sports and school and to avoid the struggle of a creative pursuit. But there was something calling me. Instead of looking for a steady job I cold emailed him and asked for an interview to become an intern. Risk #1.

He seemed to like me and put me in touch with the head of urban PR. I passed the next interview but I was no longer a student and I had to be enrolled to get the internship. So I called my Professor from my school explained what he needed and he wrote a letter acting like I was still attending classes. Risk #2

So I am interning in the PR Department and I realized PR was not for me and was thinking about calling it quits until the label announced a listening/release party for Common. They needed an intern to work the door but you had to be on top of it and be able to handle pressure. If you let the wrong person in or deny the right person you could lose your internship. Of course I took it. Risk #3

After the night a Warner Records rep saw how I handled myself and suggested I get into Artist Relations and A&R (Artists & Repertoire). I did not know what that was when first said it but I did some research and I just knew that was it. I began bugging every A&R in the building, writing emails, showing up to their offices unannounced anything you could think of. Risk#4.

In the end I transferred departments and was now in the A&R department and my life changed forever.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

My name is Kennedy Kimbell and I grew up in an artists household. My dad a lead singer of the first all black heavy metal band to be signed by a major label and my mother a award winning documentary filmmaker, photographer and director. I tell people I’ve been managing artists since I was born ha ha.

I honestly did not want to be in the music industry. I played drums till I was 12/13 and I always enjoyed music but It didn’t speak to me till my last year of college. I was a college baseball player and I didn’t make it pro so I had a year of just depression, searching, pain and reflection and music is what got me through. I also realized I had a lot of unhealed trauma as a child and all the artists that spoke to me had this authenticity in their vocals and message. And they all happened to be talented generational artists. That is when I realized I want to represent real artists that have something to give back to the world.

I started my management company, JFK Music in 2014 received my first deal at Capitol Records in 2016 along with a major publishing deal at UMG and brand deal for my artists Jesse Scott. I connected Jesse and a producer Rudy Maya to form 1Amvrka. I’ve gone on to start an Indy label (Fanklub) with Billion stream Producer Phonix Beats (J cole,No Role Modelz). I now represent Dennis Lorenzo a top 10 American Idol finalist and Tay Walker winner of the show signed and early Internet Band member and Syd, Mac Miller collaborator. I’m always looking for talent and I always say two tag lines. “Real Artists, Real Stories” and “The Future Is Coming On.”

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

One lesson I had to unlearn is that you can change someone. I had an artists who was very talented who should be a huge star right now but can’t get out of their own way. I thought I could change this person and I was determined too because I saw the potential in them being the best version of themselves. But people only become the best version of themselves when they make that choice. I now allow people to be themselves and understand the only thing I can control is me.

Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?

There are a ton of books that have helped me with my journey. I am an avid reader and I love diving into self-help, marketing and music business articles and podcast. I think the book that really helped me along was “Limitless” by Jim Kwik. I think this book is incredible as he has an amazing story and journey but the book also trains you how to use your brain in ways you couldn’t imagine. I would recommend this book for anyone craving knowledge and wanting to learn how to consume it in large amounts.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/usskennedy/?hl=en
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kennedy-kimbell-52523038/

Image Credits
Zachary Slater Darius Barnes (Phonix Beats) Regi Kim