RnB singer Kenyatta Rashon just wants to be able to grow and move as she pleases. She makes this idea extremely explicit through the lyrics in her latest song “Free.” The song is one of many in Rashon’s first album The Art of Keeping It Real, which will debut on June 18.
The Art of Keeping It Real has eight songs in total, all of which will move the listener through Rashon’s journey of self-love and honesty towards oneself. “Free” encompasses this through the soft, lo-fi tone. The accompanying lyrics instill a sense of longing for the autonomy described by Rashon.
Kenyatta Rashon’s Latest Music Video
The music video predominantly features Rashon in an open, outside area by herself. In these scenes, Rashon is considering the nature around her in relation to her life journey. A feature that truly represents this song is the impact of Rashon’s son Harlem, as she highlights her baby bump in the music video. Much of the album was written while Rason was pregnant with Harlem.
Towards the end, Rashon has moved into an indoor space for a photoshoot. However, pieces of nature still surround her. The potential relationship these very different scenes provide might be to demonstrate the complexities of being “free.”
“The audience will be able to feel and understand embracing all things in life as well as how being open and honest with yourself can bring you closer to your dreams,” Rashon said.
Additionally, Rashon has us considering how important it is to be yourself wholly regardless of the circumstance or setting you may be in. The video ends with the camera panning out as Rashon stands behind a wall of windows and flashes to her holding her son. Through these images, Rashon shows how her personal definition of “free” may now be changed with the birth of her son, especially as her self-understanding journey is opening into a new path.
The Art of Keeping it Real
The album was made as part of a new Washtenaw County-based initiative called the Amplify Fellowship. The program features and supports local African-American music artists who have a passion for their sound. Through this experience and other experiences, Rashon was able to partner with Sam Watson, BrxxlynBeatz, Motor City Mello, Rod Wallace, and Tru Klassick for parts of The Art of Keeping It Real.
“[The Art of Keeping It Real] captures a major transition point in her life that she used to fuel honesty, completion, and the possibility of new beginnings,” says Rod Wallace, one of the album’s executive producers.
Be sure to listen to The Art of Keeping It Real and follow Kenyatta Rashon as she continues to make music, inspire, and grow.
