Singer Kendrick P Sings from the Soul And Writes from His Heart.
Memphis singer Kendrick P is committed to staying pure at all costs.
In this day and age, it would seem as if anyone could make a song, but there are few people who can write and deliver music that reflects the human experience. In spite of all the technology we have, it still takes someone who's familiar with the pain of the world to deliver heartfelt messages intertwined with melody and vocal range. Vocalist Kendrick P from Memphis has lived a life full of almost every emotion possible. Songs like “Get What You Give” and “Come Correct” reflect the pain of betrayal and anger while sensual songs like “Naked” and “Toxic Love” showcase a lighter and more relatable vibe for fans. Complex, caring, and careful, his music and message are inseparable and also something worth watching.
Born in Memphis, Tennessee and raised to the sounds of Three-6 Mafia, Project Pat, and UGK as well as soul singers like Sam Cooke and Al Green, he got a mix of different influences all of which helped him gain his understanding of music. Singing in the church choir at the behest of his grandfather, Kendrick P learned how to play the piano and the drums as well as hone his voice.
“Musically learning how to play these instruments helped me a lot. If I didn’t take the time I wouldn’t understand music the way I do. I hear all of the elements of a song separately and then hear it together. Playing live and getting over the fear of playing in front of people has made me who I am, says Kendrick.
Despite the church background, the gritty environment of Memphis made him stray away from the vocals and instead chase the success that came with being in the streets.
“Memphis is crazy so everyone goes through they stuff. I had things happen, but I know people who had it way worse.”
He still wanted to be close to music so as a teenager he experimented with production before recording, making beats as early as fifteen. The beats didn’t sound as great as he hoped for though so he decided to switch back and began singing. The response from his high school peers made him feel encouraged and from there, Kendrick P dropped his first project, MuSex, in 2014.
The success of the project was reassurance for Kendrick P. Uploaded on sites like Spinrilla and Bandcamp, the project racked up thousands of views and convinced him to pursue music full-time. In that same year, he ran into legal issues with the law and was forced to slow down for a moment. Afterwards, he got back on his grind and focused, spending the next few years releasing singles to build up his fanbase. Songs like “All Yours” and “In Those Jeans” brought him national attention as blogs and music syndication shows on BET all began playing his music and writing about his story.
In Those Jeans, which sampled the memorable hit by Ginuwine, earned over 600,000 views on YouTube and became one of the most popular songs on his 2020 album, W.Y.A.F.
Armed with new management and momentum, What You Asked For became his first album as an artist. The pandemic began right as he started to grow a buzz, but Kendrick P used it as a tool to grow his fanbase.
“When I dropped my first project it was before the pandemic. When I dropped Blessings on Blessings it was right in the middle of the pandemic and it shifted my focus. I jumped harder on social media and it gave me an understanding of how to be consistent to keep up with the algorithms.”
Over the course of the years, Kendrick P began working feverishly, working with Memphis producer Chefry Kitchen who utilized his soulful voice on songs for Memphis artists Don Trip and Starlito. From 2020 to now, Kendrick has dropped a slew of songs including the singles, “Come Correct”, “Toxic Love”, “Naked”, and his newest single, “Give What You Give”.
His next project, aptly titled, Years and Tears, is scheduled for a May release and is sure to be an autobiographical account of his time wrestling and maneuvering through the streets of Memphis and the music industry.
“Years and Tears is a special project. It’s me being completely vulnerable. I’ve gone through a lot over the last few years including probation and now that it's through, I need to give people a small entry into my life and mindset. I’ve never spoken about my life and it’s something I’ve meant to do. It’s time.”