We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Kendal Rhone a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Kendal, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Do you wish you had waited to pursue your creative career or do you wish you had started sooner?
I do wish I would’ve started earlier, but at the same time I think everything happened the way it was supposed to. If I had started sooner, I think my journey and perspective would’ve been completely different. I appreciate every experience that led me to this point because it all shaped me into the artist and person I am today.
At the time, I honestly didn’t fully know who I was yet. Taking that time to grow within my personal life allowed me to discover myself more deeply, and that growth naturally translated into my art. You can literally see me evolving through my music, visuals, and overall creativity. It’s all a reflection of my real life experiences, mindset changes, growth, and self discovery.
I also may not have gone the traditional route of someone who’s been training for this their entire life, but different elements of my life led me here. Marching band, dance, track, choir, performance, and even being a coach all played a role in shaping the artist I’m becoming today. Coaching especially taught me leadership, discipline, patience, performance, and how to bring energy and emotion out of people, and that translates directly into my artistry as well.
It may not have been the most normal path, but it was my path, and I’m grateful for it because it brought me exactly where I’m supposed to be.
Honestly, it feels destined to be just the way it is. I think my story will inspire people because it shows that it’s never too late to start. The most important thing is to just start, believe in yourself, do it well, and go all in.
Kendal, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
My name is Kendal Rhone and I’m a creative artist, performer, choreographer, creative director, vocal artist, and coach currently based in Atlanta, Georgia. My work lives at the intersection of music, movement, storytelling, fashion, and performance. I’ve always been drawn to entertainment and expression, but my journey into this industry wasn’t necessarily traditional, and I think that’s one of the things that makes my story and artistry unique.
A lot of people in entertainment have trained in one thing their entire lives, but for me, different experiences across my life all slowly led me here. I come from a background in marching band, dance, choir, track, coaching, and live performance. Every environment taught me something different about discipline, emotion, storytelling, stage presence, movement, leadership, and connecting with people. Over time, all of those pieces merged together and naturally evolved into the artist and creative I am becoming today.
I’m also a graduate of Alabama State University, where I studied Dance and Recording Industry, and that experience helped shape both my performance style and my understanding of the entertainment business. Since then, I’ve continued developing my craft through live performances, vocal training, choreography, creative direction, and building my own artistic identity.
As an artist, I create music and visuals that reflect real life experiences, emotions, growth, relationships, healing, confidence, and self discovery. My sound blends multiple influences including R&B, hip hop, funk, rock, soul, Southern music, and performance driven pop elements. Visually, I’m inspired by fashion, technology, nostalgia, Black culture, performance art, and cinematic storytelling. I want my work to feel honest, layered, emotional, entertaining, and human all at once.
Outside of music, I also provide creative direction, choreography, artist development, coaching, and performance training. One thing I truly love is helping people tap into confidence and authenticity. Whether it’s through coaching dancers, directing performances, or creating my own art, I care deeply about helping people feel something real and helping them believe in themselves more fully.
I think one thing that sets me apart is that I don’t create from a manufactured perspective. My art is deeply connected to my actual life. You can literally watch me evolve through my music, visuals, performances, and creative choices. Every era reflects a different mindset, lesson, or stage of growth I’ve experienced personally. I’m not interested in pretending to be perfect. I want people to see the humanity in my journey.
I’m also proud of the fact that I didn’t allow fear, timing, or self doubt to stop me from pursuing this path. There was a period where I was still figuring out who I was personally before fully stepping into artistry, and honestly, I’m grateful for that because it gave me depth and perspective. I think my story can inspire people because it proves that there’s no perfect timeline to pursue your dreams. Sometimes life shapes you first, and then your purpose becomes clearer over time.
What I want people to know most about me and my brand is that authenticity is at the center of everything I do. I want my work to inspire people to embrace themselves fully, evolve openly, and go after what they truly want without fear of being different. My goal isn’t just to entertain people. I want to create experiences that make people feel seen, energized, empowered, emotional, and inspired to become more of themselves.
At the end of the day, I’m still growing, still evolving, and still building, but I think that’s what makes the journey beautiful. People aren’t just watching an artist appear fully formed. They’re witnessing the process in real time.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
For me, the most rewarding aspect of being an artist and creative is seeing my wild thoughts become something tangible. Ideas that once only existed in my mind eventually turn into music, visuals, performances, concepts, and experiences that people can actually connect to in real life. There’s something powerful about looking back at your work and realizing all of the hard work, emotions, lessons, and experiences are staring back at you in physical form.
I also think there’s something spiritual about creativity. Knowing that these ideas came through me means a lot because it could’ve been anyone else, but somehow I was chosen to bring them to life. That’s the beauty of being an artist to me. It feels bigger than just entertainment sometimes.
One of my favorite feelings is seeing people’s faces light up when they experience my work. Whether it’s through music, performance, visuals, or energy, knowing that I made someone feel something gives me chills every single time. I love the idea that art can heal people, inspire people, comfort people, or simply make them feel seen for a moment.
Honestly, being able to do that through art feels incredibly special. It’s almost like healing people in a different way and, not gonna lie, doing it through music and creativity feels way cooler than being a doctor haha.
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
One lesson I had to unlearn was dimming my light to make other people more comfortable or to seem more “palatable.” For a long time, I felt like I needed to shrink parts of myself, whether it was my personality, creativity, confidence, emotions, or overall presence, because I didn’t want to be “too much” for people. I think a lot of creatives go through that at some point, especially when you naturally stand out.
The backstory behind that really comes from trying to navigate different environments and wanting acceptance. Sometimes when you know you’re different, you start editing yourself without even realizing it. But over time, I started noticing that the moments people connected with me the most were actually the moments I was being fully myself without filtering it down.
Once I realized people genuinely loved me for me, it felt like somebody put a battery pack in my back. It gave me a completely different level of confidence and freedom creatively and personally. I understood that what makes people memorable, impactful, and inspiring is usually the very thing they were once insecure about.
If everyone was alike, there would be no stars. There would be no individuality, no perspective, no uniqueness. I’m still learning every day how to stand fully in my truth, but every time I do, it works. Every single time. The more authentic I become, the more aligned my life, art, and opportunities seem to get.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.kendalrhone.com
- Instagram: @kendalrhone
- Facebook: Kendal Rhone
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@kendalrhone4458?si=ELxhK_xxQtGp6F5A
Image Credits
@dreamgirlshotit