One of the preeminent rock musicians of our time, Lenny Kravitz is an icon whose bold, channeling sound has transcended genre, style, race and class. His music is devastatingly rich with the influences of '60s and '70s soul, rock and funk, and yet, each of his six previous studio albums have communicated the urgency of their current years. As Lenny Kravitz's 2000-released triple-platinum GREATEST HITS album proved, those songs have resonated onward into a timeless catalog. Now Lenny Kravitz releases his seventh studio album, BAPTISM, and with a career that spans fifteen years since the release of his 1989 debut album, LET LOVE RULE, he has come full circle. "It's strange, man, but I've made my first record all over again," he says. "That's how it feels, as pure as the beginning."
Kravitz's music is robust and driven by an emotional core that materializes in soulful riffs and soaring vocals. From the start, he has consistently redefined his sound – never painting the same picture twice, never using the same colors. "It's not a conscious point, but I'm not into repeating myself," Kravitz says. "Once I do something, I've done it and I just want to continue on."
That attitude has rewarded Kravitz with an unparalleled musical appeal. All of his albums have been certified either platinum or multi-platinum. From 1999 to 2002, he won an astounding four consecutive Grammy Awards, setting a record for the most wins in the “Best Male Rock Vocal Performance” category for his single “Dig In” (previously winning for “Again,” “American Woman” and “Fly Away”), and representing one of the most successful stretches of recognition for any musician in the awards ceremony's history. In 2003, he received his fifth Grammy nomination in the category for “If I Could Fall In Love” off his last studio album, LENNY. Kravitz’s appeal also reaches his peers. His collaborative efforts are as varied as his own influences – having worked with everyone from Madonna, Slash and Jay-Z, to N.E.R.D, P. Diddy and others.
Like all great records, the seeds of BAPTISM came from personal epiphany. Kravitz had spent many months in the early part of 2003 in Miami working on songs for an all-out, dedicated funk album. But in the fall of 2003, his initial direction transformed into unexpected revelations when Kravitz visited his old hometown of New York City. The trip was a throwback to an earlier time in his life when he was a burgeoning musician, working on what would be his groundbreaking and critically acclaimed debut album, LET LOVE RULE. "Ultimately things change in life, but I really missed that feeling," Kravitz says. "There I was, riding my bike around the city and I felt the way I did fifteen years ago.”
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