Exclusive: Kenny Burns “Opens-Up”…Talks New Book, Lessons Learned & His Celeb Crush

There are some people who are just magnetic. There’s usually some type of unexplainable charm, hustle or drive that people see and are attracted to. I recently “met” one of those people. And although I hate to make this a Kenny Burns love festival, well, some shit or experiences warrant acknowledgement.  I had the opportunity to have a long, candid conversation with one of the entertainment industry’s genuine gems. And by genuine, I absolutely mean genuine, authentic—-like genuine with a street realness to it.  I will say that I too, like some people (that dibble and dabble in this industry), are jaded when it comes to the celebrity world. But after I had this conversation (most of which was too funny/private/entertaining to share), I had a different perception.

Some of you are familiar with Kenny’s work, accomplishments, sh*t talking and/or inspirational words. And for those of you who are unfamiliar, here’s a tiny glimpse of who he is, when he’s calm and in his zone. In this short piece, Kenny talks books, bitches and base lines. (No, I kid, but I like using all “b’s.”) Peep our conversation about his documentary, lesson’s learned and what he has planned next.

On why he created his documentary B.U.R.N.S.: Initially, I wanted to leave something behind for generations to come. It’s more like a body of work. I wanted to show a non-conventional way for people to become successful on their own terms. I feel like I’ve always had one foot in (the streets) and one foot out. And in B.U.R.N.S. I illustrated four important, significant events and instances in my life. Those events were monumental to me. They literally changed my life. One of the biggest ones was the death of my friend Shakir Stewart. Shakir and I were so alike. We came in the game at the same time; this dude was so much like me. This game can be so f*cked up. For him to take his own life, was huge and made me see the business in an entirely different life. [Editor’s note: Shakir Stewart was a well-known Senior Vice President of Island Def Jam Music Group and Executive Vice President of Def Jam. On November 1, 2008, Stewart was found in the bathroom of his home in the Atlanta suburb of Marietta with a self-inflicted gunshot wound.] Overall, I am pleased with how the documentary was received–we did it in 8 markets and it’s been an inspiration to lots of people. Everyday, someone shares how it’s inspired them and that’s what my goal was…to spark inspiration.

On his experience with the pop group, Dream: The group was a brainchild of mine. How that experience ended really, really affected me. I was hurt because I was so passionately involved. I do keep in touch with them and we speak occasionally. They’re adults now, with children, so it’s different. [Editor’s Note: The group, Dream, was originally formed in October 1998 by talent scout Judith Fontaine. Their original name was “First Warning.” Dream’s contract with Fontaine expired. The group consisted of Holly Blake-Arnstein, Melissa Schuman, Ashley Poole and Diana Ortiz. After leaving Fontaine, the group signed with Diddy’s Bad Boy Records. At one point, Dream was managed by Burns, but the group later released Burns.]

On a fundamental business principle: I can’t do business and not be personally involved. If I don’t like you, I don’t want to do business with you. I like to do business with people that I like and respect. In the documentary, I do share a personal example of a situation that involves the disappointment of one friend to another that involves money. It’s real and it happens in the business.

On branding and marketing: To promote a brand, you hafta become the brand itself. Sometimes people try and go overboard and over analyze and over think,  but that’s one of the most important rules—become your brand.

On their being a secret society in the industry: [Editor’s note, in B.U.R.N.S. Kenny briefly discusses Illuminati in the business.] As far as a secret society, it may not be an actual club, but there’s something more going on that people should open their eyes to. Just in general, historically, the way the money system was created, how certain astronomical life events take place (September 11th), there is just something deeper beyond the surface with lots of things that take place in the world. Me, personally, without the exception of God, I need proof. You can’t just tell me whatever and expect me to go along with your program. I need to touch it. And in the documentary, when I referenced the Illuminati, I just wanted to keep it open-ended for discussion because there’s something more involved.

On his experience @ Sundance:  This year, was my first experience at Sundance. I’m not impressed by many people, but meeting and interviewing Danny Glover was probably one of my favorite experiences (in terms of meeting someone in the industry). There was a certain sense of calm about Glover. He sorta has this vintage wisdom and calmness that comes with age.

On meeting his second ultimate “celebrity” crush: This may sound wild, but one of the most interesting famous people that I’ve met is Apollonia Kotero. I am a huge fan of Prince, like huge. [Editor’s note: huge is an understatement. If you’ve ever met or spoke with Kenny, mention Prince and see how he reacts ;-) ] The movie ‘Purple Rain’ changed my life. And Apollonia—she was and is thee ultimate crush, so when I met her I was in awe. I met her at a lounge and we talked for hours about everything. It was like we knew each other.

On his new book: This summer, I’m releasing a book called, “The Blueprint on How NOT To Walk To Brooklyn For Cheesecake.” The book is going to give people an alternative perspective on how to make yourself successful outside of the so-called “status quo.”

On Studio 43: The birth of Studio 43 spawned from another life lesson. I lost the original name that I intended to use for it, but decided to name it Studio 43. I started Studio 43 as a management company for Dream. I left it dormant when I went to Rocafella. We had a studio in Atlanta, but I wanted to put some people from my city, from the DMV on. My sister heard Wale on the radio and that’s how I heard of him. Initially, I would go around the city and introduce Wale. Back then, Wale had a couple records with Slim, but it was more sorta ‘back-back’ rap so to speak. Prior to Wale, people were familiar with just Go-Go, like EU’s “Doin the Butt,”…that sorta thing. We wanted to do Go-Go hip-hop fusion. People supported the movement because of who I was in the city. I made it a DMV movement. (Editor’s note: Studio 43 is a boutique record label founded by Kenny Burns when he first signed WALE. That relationship, along with the idea to fuse GoGo and Hip-hop using classics by The Backyard Band and legendary Northeast Groovers, has brought national attention to the Washington DC area. Studio 43 currently has other artists: Ra the MC, XO, etc.).

On new projects:  I recently did a successful exclusive Atlanta dinner series. An intimate dinner is where people can sit and share and come up with the next big idea. The concept is non-traditional and is the next level of entertainment. I’ll be continuing this concept in other key markets. I’ve also begun to focus more on music again…there’s a dope band out of Canada called We Are Stereo’s that I’m excited about. Lastly, a lot of people don’t know this yet, but The Kenny Burns Show will be a syndicated radio show within the next two years.

Parting words:  People get caught up in the emotion. Emotion f*cks up the money [Editor’s note: my favorite line of the entire interview.] Know that you can have passion without emotion in the business. Life is a body of work. I’ve left so many jewels and have inspired so many people, while being inspired by others. But more importantly, I want people to understand that it’s not about the pictures with famous people or celebrities. That’s face value–literally. We are all people.

***Essentially, this interview is only a slight backdrop of the legacy that Kenny has created thus far. And whether you’ve seen him yelling on a mic, “Touch Yo Self,” or read about him being a “Lifestyle Specialist,” the way he moves and brands himself is undeniable. I, for one, respect all things undeniable. Plus it’s contagious. And for some strange reason, we probably ain’t seen nothin’ yet.  For more information about Kenny Burns, check out his documentary, follow him on twitter or check out his web site.

((On a personal note, there are some people who effortlessly motivate the way we live, work and play. Kenny’s influence has personally motivated me to strategically hustle and move in my own creative way. Kenny, thank you.))