Berry Pendleton of Atlanta on Life, Lessons & Legacy

We’re looking forward to introducing you to Berry Pendleton. Check out our conversation below.

Hi Berry , thank you so much for joining us today. We’re thrilled to learn more about your journey, values and what you are currently working on. Let’s start with an ice breaker: When was the last time you felt true joy?
The last time I felt true joy was when I finally started seeing peace as success. Not money, not recognition — just waking up with clarity, gratitude, and a heart that isn’t heavy anymore. That’s when I knew God was restoring me from the inside out. 🙏🏽✨

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Berry Pendleton, also known as Berry P.
Everything I do now has to be. rooted in purpose, healing, and authenticity.

I’ve overcome some of life’s darkest chapters — cancer, loss, betrayal, and pain — and turned them into platforms of empowerment and art. Through my music, my book, and my brand, I aim to remind people that brokenness can still be beautiful, and that faith and self-worth can rebuild anything.

Right now, I’m focused on releasing my new book, working on my second album, and continuing to expand my brand in a way that uplifts others who’ve faced trauma but still choose transformation. Everything I create now has to be a reflection of that journey — from pain to purpose. 💫

Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. Who were you before the world told you who you had to be?
The world Never told me who I had to be, I’ve always been pure light — unshaped, guarded, but still full of dreams that didn’t need permission. I was that kid who believed love could fix anything and that goodness always won. Life, pain, and survival tried to harden me, but underneath it all, that same boy still lives — the one who sees beauty in brokenness and believes purpose can rise from any storm.

Now, I’m just finding my way back to him — the real me, before the world added its labels and limits. 🙏🏽✨

What have been the defining wounds of your life—and how have you healed them?
The defining wounds of my life came from pain I never asked for — childhood molestation, witnessing abuse, losing my kids and my parents, surviving cancer, being betrayed, shot, and even diagnosed with HIV. Each wound left a scar that tried to silence me, but instead, it became the language of my healing.

I healed by facing my truth — not running from it. Through faith, therapy, creativity, and self-forgiveness, I learned that healing isn’t about forgetting what happened; it’s about reclaiming power from it. Every time I write, create, or speak, I’m reminding myself that I am not what broke me — I am what survived.

My wounds became my wisdom. My scars became my story. And now, my story has become my purpose. 🙏🏽✨

Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. Is the public version of you the real you?
The public version of me is real — but it’s the healed version, not the whole version. What people see is the strength, the faith, the style, the confidence — but that all came from surviving a lot of pain behind the scenes.

I don’t hide who I am, but I also don’t lead with my wounds anymore. I’ve learned to show up as the man I’ve grown into, not just the boy who went through it. So yes, the public version of me is real — it’s just the version that made peace with the past and chose to walk in purpose. 🙏🏽✨

Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. What false labels are you still carrying?
Some of the false labels I’ve carried were broken, unworthy, damaged,, angry black ,crazy, hard to love, and too much to handle. For a long time, I let other people’s fears and my past experiences define who I thought I was.

But I’ve learned that those labels came from pain, not purpose. They were projections, not identity. I’m still unlearning some of them, especially the idea that I have to be perfect to be loved or accepted.

Now, I remind myself daily that I’m not the names people once called me — I’m the purpose God placed inside me. Those false labels might have shaped my story, but they don’t define my legacy. 🙏🏽

Contact Info:

• Instagram: _therealberryp
• Twitter: @berrydadon
• Facebook: Berry Pendleton
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@therealberryp?si=6vQ12IBQMA5NvndO

Image Credits
All image creation credit goes to K.L. Allen, and all videography credit goes to K.D. — two incredibly talented creatives who continue to bring my vision to life with precision and purpose. 🎥✨