Kennedy Imon has been growing her name recognition as a poet across the Southeast for multiple years now, and has taken things to the next level with the release of her first single “I Smoke”. The beautifully soothing song is an incredible introduction to the world as a singer for Kennedy, and is further highlighted by the preview video that was made with her longtime work partners at FarAsMars Media. The Birmingham-raised artist has no plans of slowing down. Kennedy Imon has more poetry and another single on the way shortly, and plans for a project release in 2023.
“I’ve always been a huge writer and reader. When I was younger I expressed myself through writing stories and plays,” Kennedy shares, “I did drama camp when I was younger for like 9 years, so writing has always been a part of my poetry and creative journey.” She had experience writing and creating storylines, but Kennedy didn’t share her writings publicly until she joined the Alabama Student Association for Poetry (ASAP) at The University of Alabama about three years ago. Since then she’s gone on to grace open mics across the state and share recordings of her poetry on her Instagram account.
Kennedy Imon had come to flourish as a poet, but there was still something else she wanted to accomplish - recording a song. “I’ve always sang around the house and at choir in school and stuff, but nothing on a serious level where people knew I could actually sing. That was something that I feared, I had not really grown the confidence to be open and bold about singing,” Kennedy explains - but she knew one thing for sure: “The world needs to hear these vocals.”
“I Smoke” is the first gift from Kennedy Imon, and it’s one hell of an introduction. The musician wrote the beginning of the song in March of this year while reflecting on herbal influences that have uplifted her in times of stress. “I was reflecting on how I’ve coped or how I’ve self-soothed over my years with hard things,” Kennedy shares, “I knew that it could be something bigger once I wrote it. Went with that and kept practicing it, tailoring it, adding to it, and taking away. I got to a point where it was ‘I want to record this and I think I want this to be my first single.’”
In addition to being an amazingly written song, Kennedy’s vocals shine through on a relaxing song produced by ProdByPia and mixing from JKeyz. The experience is further uplifted with videographer Maurice Adams and photographer Ambre Adams. “I’ve worked with them on a lot of photo shoots and other stuff, and I like working with people I started with,” Kennedy tells, “ got with them and told them the vision I had and told them how I wanted it to feel: the tone, the energy. As you can see on Instagram, they really delivered the vision I had. So yeah, we up.”
Kennedy Imon wants her artistry to inspire others to be their most authentic selves, saying “Be yourself, be creative. Do what you want to do. I feel like we live in a world that monitors, probes, and has a magnifying glass over everything that we do - especially as a black woman. So I feel like any outlet or opportunity you have to be yourself, do something you love, or express yourself in a way that isn’t ordinary or perfect. Do it.”
While the rising creative may live in Atlanta now, the Magic City is the one that raised her and is still a big part of her life - and she wants to make it for the whole city. “I’m very true to my roots. 205 is my city no matter where I go. I feel like Birmingham already has so many historical connotations to it - some negative,” Kennedy shares, “My little city in Alabama. I would love to help other creatives as well as myself be put on that map. There are a lot of people here that are talented that you don’t know, you don’t recognize or see often. There are not people out here in the music industry that look like you or come from where you come from. So being able to put not just Alabama but Birmingham on the map, and say I’m an artist out of Birmingham means a lot to me because it’s my roots. It’s where I’m from.”
We are thankful to be represented by such an incredible rising artist, and can’t wait to see what comes next.
Cover photo by Ambre Adams
