Kenna (born Kenna Zemedkun in 1978) is an Ethiopian-born American musician, singer-songwriter, producer, philanthropist, and technology creative. Raised in Virginia Beach, Virginia, he developed his musical identity through a blend of alternative rock, electronic music, synth-pop, post-rock, and soul. His work has often combined polished electronic production with emotionally direct songwriting and a strong visual component.
Kenna began attracting attention with the single "Hell Bent" in 2001. The track established an underground following and anticipated his debut album, New Sacred Cow, which was released by Columbia Records on June 10, 2003. Produced largely with Chad Hugo of The Neptunes, the album presented Kenna as an artist working outside conventional pop categories. Its sound drew on new wave, house, electronica, and alternative rock, while its promotional campaign emphasized distinctive imagery and music videos rather than a conventional pop-star persona.
The album's singles included "Sunday After You" and "Freetime." The latter reached number 19 on the US Dance chart, while its video, along with the video for "Hell Bent," received exposure on MTV2. Kenna also toured North America as an opening act for Depeche Mode vocalist Dave Gahan. The difficult path to New Sacred Cow became part of the discussion surrounding Kenna's career. Delays, label changes, and uncertainty about how to market his music were later examined by writer Malcolm Gladwell in his book Blink, which used Kenna as an example of how industry decision-making can conflict with strong early reactions from listeners and executives.
Kenna returned with his second full-length album, Make Sure They See My Face, in October 2007. Again co-produced with Chad Hugo, the record was shaped by themes of identity, visibility, and creative independence. Its title referred both to a recurring question from Pharrell Williams and to Kenna's frustration with being recognized for his work while remaining difficult for the mainstream audience to place. The album debuted at number one on Billboard's Heatseekers Albums chart. Tracks such as "Out of Control," "Say Goodbye to Love," "Relations," and "Long Gone" expanded his electronic and pop vocabulary. "Say Goodbye to Love" earned Kenna a Grammy nomination for Best Urban/Alternative Performance at the 51st Annual Grammy Awards in 2009.
During the same period, Kenna became increasingly active beyond recording. He served as an executive producer on Ashlee Simpson's album Bittersweet World and developed Translator, a strategic creative company connecting his interests in music, technology, and social initiatives. He later worked with the relaunched Myspace as Chief Vision Officer and helped curate large-scale live and digital events.
His most visible philanthropic project has been Summit on the Summit, an initiative intended to raise awareness of the global clean-water crisis. On January 12, 2010, Kenna and a group including Jessica Biel, Lupe Fiasco, Emile Hirsch, Santigold, and others reached the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro. The expedition became the subject of an MTV documentary and linked Kenna's music career with activism and fundraising.
Kenna subsequently released the Land 2 Air Chronicles EP series, including Chaos and the Darkness in 2011 and the three-part Imitation Is Suicide project in 2013. He has also issued individual tracks and continued working across music, technology, film, and charitable campaigns. His career is notable less for conventional chart success than for its persistent combination of electronic songwriting, visual storytelling, entrepreneurial work, and public advocacy.