الوسم: Kravitz

His role in music: “The artist’s role in society is to keep reflecting what’s happening, to keep reporting, as it were. Because with the way that things are going, art is getting pushed into the bottom level, unless it’s something that’s for great gain. You know, art that goes for ridiculous prices, I mean, incredibly ridiculous prices, because that’s the business. So on that level, people are going to keep art going because there’s money in it. But where there’s not necessarily money in it and it’s about expression and it’s raw, those outlets are diminishing.”

His modern role models: “Wow, that’s a hard one. I don’t really feel there is a distinct voice for this generation so I stick with the classic voices still speak to me like Jesus Christ, Martin Luther King, Jr. and Mahatma Gandhi.”

His thoughts on women: “I personally think Women should be running the world. I know that’s such a funny, easy thing to say. My first experience with Women would be my grandmother, my mother and my aunt. They were the Women that raised me. At an early age, I understood it in my spirit the strength of women, the loyalty of women, the fact that Women do whatever they need to do to take care of their families or loved ones. Women’s dedication, hard work, honor. These Women were the rocks of my life, the pillars of my life. Without these women, life for our families would not be what they are. I believe Women are so much more sensible, have so much better intuition, and ultimately are stronger. For me, I’ve always gotten along better with women. I’ve always related to them better. I’m glad that that feminine side is a big part of my upbringing. To answer our question, I think that there should be a lot better representation by Women in the running of this planet in so many ways.”

On being “a sell out”: “You can be successful and do well without selling out, but when you sell out from being yourself, that’s the thing that’s a problem. Before I even made my first record and people didn’t necessarily understand what I was doing because I wasn’t black enough or I wasn’t white enough, I was offered big money once–here I am living in that Ford Escort, I’m showering in friend’s houses, I’m eating whatever I can get for food. I’m sleeping parked in places. Then I was offered one of those big record contracts in the eighties when I was a teenager to sign. That was my dream, to have a record deal, and here it was! But they said, you can’t do what you’re doing, we think you’re talented and all, but what you’re doing is not what we’re going to let you do. You have to do this, whatever that was, to conform to whatever was happening that time on the radio, especially with African American artists. I had to conform to the African American radio success program. And there I was at the record company and the guy is offering it to me and they’re pulling out the letter of intent. And I stood there and I looked at them and I honestly can’t tell you what made me not do it. There was something inside of me. I turned it down and walked out of that office. And everyone told me what a f***ing idiot I was.”

[From Flatt]

Cele|bitchy | Lenny Kravitz: ‘I personally think women should be running the world’