Today we’d like to introduce you to Joshua Kenneth.
Joshua, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
My name is Joshua Kenneth Hawkins. I’m 23 years old and I am a singer/songwriter, I also write spoken word and I’ve recently started to get into rapping. My story starts off being raised by my father and mother, along with my brother and sister in Covington, Georgia. Growing up, I started playing basketball around the age of five years old. I played basketball all throughout my life until my junior year of high school at Newton High. I always had a love for music but I didn’t really start singing until the age of 16 or 17 years old. In my third year of high school, I joined the choir at my church and started writing my own music. My senior year of high school in 2015, I auditioned for a men’s quartet on our school’s literature team and made it. 2015 was also the year I auditioned for my school’s talent show and placed 3rd out of 15-20 people in the whole competition. With it being my first time singing in front of people by myself it gave me confidence in believing that I could potentially have a future as an artist. This was the year that I also got into spoken word. There was a group at our school called “Poet’s Society.” I fell in love with words and how I could use them to communicate the emotions and feelings of myself and others. Being that I was a senior, I decided that it was time to really focus on what I would be doing for the rest of my life. While many of my friends were going to college, I personally didn’t feel like it was for me. After I graduated, I then began working different 9-5 jobs.
One day I prayed to God and asked Him what did He want me to do because I was stressed from doing jobs that didn’t line up with my passions. I had a dream in October 2017 and in my dream, it was judgment day. When I got to God, He told me I was misleading people, that He never knew me, and that He was calling me. I woke up from this dream and knew immediately that God wanted me to get right with Him. I was doing music but with the wrong motives in order to get women, money, and fame. This dream woke me up to realize that I needed to use my gift for Him and created a strong desire in me to change. After this dream, I went to this church conference with this well-known gospel artist and I saw his ministry had people my age on fire for God who traveled full time. They were singing and dancing and I felt like I had to be apart. I got a chance to talk to the artist and expressed my passions then he literally told me to pack my bags and to come with them. I immediately quit my job and I traveled in full-time ministry for a year, going to several different states and even Israel before leaving to pursue my own music in 2019.
Has it been a smooth road?
Has it been smooth? I’m laughing as I type this! This road has been bumpy bumpy! Seriously though, this journey has taught me a lot. After that dream, it has opened my eyes to what really matters in life. I can say transitioning from living your life your own way, to living it in a way that God wants you to is extremely hard. It’s hard because you are literally surrendering your will and your desires for His, but I can honestly say it’s the best way to live. Some of the struggles I have faced along the way is the desire for women, sex, and even an addiction to pornography. Before living for God, I was trapped by all of these desires. I am not perfect at all, but I can honestly say that through Jesus, I am no longer that person!
On this road, I have found so much peace living for Jesus and I have seen Him do so many things in my life just out of being obedient to Him and His voice. Being an upcoming artist, it can be hard to get support and even remain motivated to do music but there is always a voice telling me to keep going! It can also be hard finding time while working a full-time job to write and record music, but it has taught me great time management. I’m thankful for all the struggles and oppositions because it has made me a better and stronger person!
Can you give our readers some background on your music?
I’m an artist that sings and writes different genres of music. Recently because of the changes in my life, I have been writing a lot of music inspired by life experiences and God. I love R&B, Hip-hop, Pop, Christian and Gospel music. I would say I specialize in songwriting but I am mostly known for singing. Songwriting has been an ability that I’ve been working on for a while. I have really become committed to my craft of songwriting. The music I create I want it to inspire and uplift our generation! I love creating music that is positive with a great message that displays hope, love, joy and peace. I’m most proud that I have taken the step of faith and continue to release music as well as just staying true to myself even when things get hard. It can be easy to get caught up in the industry and compromise who you are and what you do for the sake of being seen, for more followers, or even promotion, but I trust God to elevate me to where He wants me in His timing. What sets me apart from others, I would just say my transparency and how authentic and relatable I am as a person and artist.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
Over the next decade I see the industry changing because I will be apart of it! I believe I will bring a new perspective to the table to why we create music in the first place. Music is a tool and if used correctly, it can shift people’s mindsets and even change their lives for the better. I believe that the music industry will change in regards to how people support artists and consume music as well. Technology has made music so much different and it has made it easier for the consumer and artist to benefit from it.
Over the next 5-10 years, I see myself walking in my fullest potential as an artist and a songwriter. I see myself touring and making money from doing what I love. I see myself writing for other artists, independent and also from small and large labels. I can see myself developing relationships that will help me thrive through the music industry. Over the next 5-10 years, I also see myself getting married and being in a place of financial stability. Overall I just see myself maturing in my craft and becoming a better person spiritually, mentally, emotionally and physically everyday.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/iamjoshuakenneth
- Email: joshhawkins110@yahoo.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamjoshuakenneth/
Image Credit:
@Maxkvisuals and @Shotbicardo
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