We recently connected with Kendré Streeter and have shared our conversation below.

Kendré , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.

In 2016, I embarked on a modest side career in Nashville, supplementing my income as a musician. Many knew of my abilities as a drummer, bassist, and keyboard player. However, a well-kept secret was my growing passion for singing and artist development. As I transitioned from a musician to a headline artist, I confronted a harsh reality: my chosen genre, Urban R&B/Inspirational Pop, wasn’t exactly thriving in Nashville, TN.

Facing this crossroads, I had a choice to make: should I continue with my day job and enjoy music as a hobby, or should I take a leap into the unknown?

There’s a quote that’s often been a guiding light for me, though I can’t recall who said it: “Sometimes life is about risking everything for a dream no one can see but you.” It reminded me that unless I took that leap of faith, I wouldn’t feel like I was living up to my true purpose.

Acknowledging that achieving RnB success in the Country Music Capital might take an eternity, I began to contemplate my options. I wondered where to go and what to do next. My search led me to California, a place that would provide greater access to opportunities without an overwhelming financial burden. With a few friends and family members in the Golden State, I took the plunge and moved 1,986 miles across the country, armed with my music equipment and a dream.

Within just two years, I had the privilege of meeting, collaborating with, and producing for some of today’s most influential independent artists. Fast forward four years, and my discography boasts over 15 songs. I’ve graced the stages of hundreds of signature venues in Southern California, and I’ve honed my skills as a producer and entrepreneur.

Now, I find myself back in Nashville, not alone but with a management team, a loving wife, and four wonderful children. In my musical journey, I’ve expanded my portfolio to include roles such as an A&R manager and jingle writer. And as I look toward the horizon, I’m hard at work on my sophomore album, slated for release in 2024.

Kendré , 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?

After the death of my sister I was lost, you see she and I were like twins and her unexpected car accident that instantly took her from me rocked my world.

As if that wasn’t enough to have me question faith, fate or our human purpose in this world, less than a year later my mom passed away, one might say, from a broken heart at the lost of her eldest child.

I was asked to take a poem my mom and I wrote and put it to music. I was so hesitant to share this vulnerability with the world, but as a PK (Preacher’s Kid), I was obedient and did as asked.

These two moments created a shift for me and I realized what my purpose was: “To inspire through music”!

I have never taken a formal class for music, yet I have been blessed with a humbling musical ability. I’ve taught myself how to play 5 different instruments. I hear and feel musicality so uniquely that peers have dubbed me a musical savant.

One day while I was doing laundry, I kept hearing the rhythmic thumping and churn of the dryer. It was like I was in a trance. I grabbed my computer and started plucking away and the next thing I knew I had a brand new beat and melody. All from the repetitive sounds of a dryer. Ha ha, when I shared it with one of my mentors she was like ‘Wow Kendré, you created that from thin air, it is clear your talent for music is from the Gods.”

When I sit down to work on a musical project, my primary goal is to inspire. I’m fortunate in that I don’t lock myself in a box. I work hard like the greats of old (Steve Wonder and Michael Jackson) to blend musical styles and genres with inspirational messaging in hopes to create refreshing and uplifting songs.

Veterans in the business have told me that I have a way of creating addictive hooks that transcend time. One of my most loyal fans told me “Man, Kendré, listening to your music gives me life. All I gotta do is, put you in rotation and I’m transported to a better day, feeling like I can get thru anything as long as I keep believing.”

I understand that music is a powerful tool for change, and it is for that reason I strive to be as transparent as possible in my lyrics. It’s easy to build a wall around oneself for emotional protection, but I believe I’m here to break those walls down and connect with others through experiences.

I’m most proud of a song I released in 2020 as an anthem to one of the most challenging times in our modern history. The single called “A Change,” is rooted in a cry for unity, and a hope for what our future can be, if we choose positive thinking.

I guess others like it a bit, ha ha, cause it charted at #20 in the DRT GLOBAL TOP 50 R&B/Hip-Hop charts; and at #31 in the DRT Global Top 150 independent charts.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

Great question, and the answer is easy, yet it may seem too simple for folks to do consistently.

Be supportive!

Be engaged in those artists, mom & pops and creatives you enjoy or see the value in.

If you care about something you are more likely to share it. Most things gain traction through word of mouth, and in the entertainment business relationships are key and critical. It takes more than just liking a post or clicking the heart sign, but it definitely starts there. Then we need y’all to support with your money and your mouth.

Your support helps challenge us to be our best and to not settle for what is trendy.

For me, being an independent artist is all about authenticity, I feel like we are losing some of that in the ecosystem as the mainstream pumps out cookie cutter music. Society and the consumer plays a major role in what gets attention,

Each of our voices are powerful we don’t have to settle for average, we can demand more.

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

I don’t dwell on past disappointments I’ve encountered along the way, because I feel all experiences help frame our future. I wouldn’t want to change anything, because it has brought me to this point.

But since you asked the question, the lesson I would unlearn or better remember for next time, is this:

When a person shows you who they are believe them the 1st time.

The backstory of this lesson, without naming names or sounding negative, is that earlier in my journey I was super trusting of people, especially when I got to Cali. I believed what people would say immediately. Now I’m not naive, I’m just a person of my word.

I love the book: The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz; and, one part talks about being impeccable with your word. So when some one said they would do something I trusted that they would. But I found out that many people arent accountable. So, they tell you what they think you want to hear, rather than what is true for them in that moment.

So, I learned I have to trust but verify and keep verifying , and make sure I match their energy.

In short, I would say: don’t let people take advantage by using your kindness as weakness. People are always growing and you might have to leave them where they are until they are ready to match your focus and your grind.

Contact Info:

• Website:www.kendrestreeter.com
• Instagram: @iamkendrestreeter
• Facebook: Kendre Streeter Music
• Twitter: @Kendrestreeter
• Youtube: Kendre Streeter
• TikTok:  @iamkendrestreeter

Image Credits
Stylist: @iamchadrashun ; @kenyastreeter Photography: IG: @1man_1vision ; @thaselyn