Kenna

Kenna Zemedkun passed his initial three years alongside his grandfather in Ethiopia, the homeland of his family. His parents had departed the nation shortly after his arrival to flee persecution under the incoming regime, first settling in England before relocating to the United States. He reunited with them in Cincinnati at age three, yet the environment that most shaped his musical outlook was Virginia Beach, where his formative period unfolded. A friend there provided him with U2’s Joshua Tree, an encounter that reshaped his understanding of an album’s sonic possibilities. He subsequently began self-instruction on piano while absorbing the styles of Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye and exploring the sounds of the Cure and Duran Duran.

Only upon entering college did Kenna commit to music as a profession, concluding that conventional academic paths did not align with his direction. Collaborating with Chad Hugo of the Neptunes, a friend from high school, he produced demo recordings. One reached Atlantic and subsequently Limp Bizkit’s Fred Durst, who had launched his Flawless imprint through Geffen/Interscope. Durst endorsed the material and authorized an album, with Hugo contributing production. Once finished, however, Durst could not secure Interscope support for its release and parted ways with the artist, citing uncertainty over marketing an album that defied standard genre categories. Retaining the completed work, Kenna secured placement at Columbia, which issued New Sacred Cow in 2003.

His second album encountered parallel obstacles. Largely finished by 2005, it nevertheless struggled to attract label commitment. To bridge the lengthening interval, Kenna issued the EP The Black Goodbye via Star Trak, the Neptunes-affiliated imprint, in 2006. Re-signed to Interscope, he delivered his sophomore full-length, Make Sure They See My Face, in October 2007 amid continued postponements and revisions.