Ken j. Martin’s Bio

Atlanta’s Acoustic Artist Ken j. Martin has dominated the scene since 2006 and is showing no sign of backing down. In 2009 Ken j. plans on releasing two musical projects “Fallen part 1” and “Ken j. and Friends Live 2”. Ken j. is also spreading his wings with the incorporation of his background singers the feathers. With their diverse personalities Ken j.’s hometown shows will surely be a hit with all crowds especially his monthly show “The Rent Show.”

The Rent Show was created to bring all the arts together in Atlanta. To build a community that support people who are who they say they are not who they pretend to be. The Rent Show is not for everyone but it may just be right for you. As a Host, Ken j. inspires artists and fans alike to be all that their hearts can dream.

Ken j. has mentors who spoke from afar. Most of the time these artists spoke through songs on records, tapes or cds like Fred Hammonds, Songwriter/ Historian Bob Dylan, Activist/Songwriter Bob Marley, Donnie Hathaway,  Marvin Gaye, Lauren Hill, Michael Jackson and Ne-Yo even makes the list for his joyful spirit, singing and song writing.

Ken j.’s greatest dream is to use his influence to change his culture. By doing so, he believes we all can change the world.

One day Ken j. will surrender and sign under a great label with singers and songwriters that have self respect and believe in their messages. But until then Ken j. will continue to inspiring the people in small venues around the country, or in great auditoriums fill with college students or in High Schools substituting for National Recording Artists whose material lack the necessary substance to invoke the youth to greatness or even the people to action.

Who would have thought a young man from the inner city projects of Atlanta, raised in a family of nine, sexually different would or could confront the world and say I am here. And my words and truth are just as important as the man with everything in his hands. Well Ken j. knows no bounds truly believes God blessed him with a voice and pen and in spite of all adversities Ken j. will continue to push for change where ever there is oppression.

Book Ken j. Today

Kenjmartin2008@yahoo.com

Or purchases a Cd 

http://cdbaby.com/cd/kenjmartin

Or send Ken j. a message

myspace.com/kenjmartin1

Mission Statement:

A Nationally Independent Artist based in Atlanta that desires to empower listeners and fans to live, love, participate, and enjoy ever part of life and the diversity in all of its communities.

Employment Title List:

Honors and Awards:

Performances:

National Performances

Washington DC The Attic 3/27/09

Washington D.C.  Atlas Performing Arts Center 3/28/08

New Orleans, LA Dream 9/06/07, Sweet Lorraine 9/03/07, Shreveport 9/03/07

DC Bohemian Taverns 10/10/07 Bus Boys and Poets 10/09/07

Chicago, II Jokes and Notes 3/06/07

Colleges

GA, Spelman Day of Silence 4/24/09

GA, Georgia State University 4/09/09

GA, Perimeter College Clarkston Campus 4/08/09

NC, Clemson 10/22/08

NC, University of North Carolina College 4/02/08

PA, West Chester Penn. 3/27/08

GA, North Georgia College 2/06/08

GA Southern College 1/25/08

GA,Clark Atlanta open for Janae Monae 9/30/07

Al, Auburn University 2/13/07

Churches

GA, Vision Church 2/18/08

GA, Greater Works 5/18/07

GA, Jackson Memorial 12/06/06

High Schools

GA, Alonzo Crim Alternative School (Mentoring) 3/24/09

GA, Living Legend High School Tour with 107.9 tour of Atlanta’s High Schools 2/16/08

GA, Douglass High School 2/09/07

GA, North Clayton High School 2/15/07

Festivals and Special Events

GA, Black Pride 8/31/08

GA, Pride Atlanta 7/05/08

GA, SCLC Opening Day 8/6/07

GA, Sweet Auburn Festival 5/13/07

Local Gigs

Center Stage Drexel Benefit Concert 6/29/08

Café Circa 2/28/08

Lennys with Water Seed for Kaira little child who died from a rare disease 7/24/08

PushPush Theater with the Atlanta’s Acoustic All-Stars 6/16/07

Smith of Bar 500 songs for kids with HBO DEF Poet Abyss 5/12/07

Apache 12/21/07

7 Stages with Poet Queen 12/07/07

Baltic Vinx Show Case 11/21/06

Susan Lori Parks 365 Days Play 6/6/07

Radio and TV Performances

89.3 with Ms. Dia 1/1/09

BET J with Abyss on Lyric Café 8/07/07

DC TV One Internet commercial for my black is Beautiful 2/14/07

BET Commercial Exposure Contest Winner 9/21/06

Related Performances

Alternate Roots Member as of 8/10/08

The Rent Show a for artist to learn how to collaborate with others from all walks of life show I have put on for 2 years running start 10/02/07

Jena Six Protest Rally 9/20/07

Education

Recording and Collaborations

CD The Rent Show Released Feb 2009

CD Ken j. Live and Friends Released Jan 2008

CD 3 years 8 Days Released March 2006

CD Nesslee Working Man 2008

CD Smitty Jay Grown Man’s Blues 2008

                                     Website: www.kenjmartin.com

I never know what to do when my friends hurt.

Especially when a love one leaves or find themselves sick beyond return

So I offer a song

But I pray before I lift my voice

Asking God that the song represent the heart of the one who return to him like

"I've had some good days... I've had some hills to climb"

And I wish I could do more

But this song is all that I can offer

because all can relate that "God has been good to us... So good to us

and that he can dry all our tears away

turn our darkness into day"

And he has been great just to allow this person in our lives

and when the pastor talks about heaven and hell

and we all draw blanks…………..

one thing is for sure

Our love ones are never perfect

But in God's eyes they're saints

and no lie can hinder the love that he will give to a heart

who does not understand why our beloved sun has to set never to rise another day.

So to those who morn their existence let the passing some close ignite your will to live life

till your life leaves a date where it use to be a blank

and do it with joy and peace and with the assurance that you are loved by the one who gives and takes away.

This I write in your absence and will be shared at the show before our moment of silence.

We love you and we are for you.

I know how it feels when you just need to morn so I give you your space

But I am here and thinking of you always

Much Love your friend,

Ken j. and all the Rent Show Family

Don't really know why I wrote this. I guess needed to vent... I have wrote better pieces...

If you're gonna do it do it

If you're gonna try complete the task or party in the failure

Let the Truth Burn

And may the scarifice of your offering come back 7 fold

Don't search to be con-and-sold

For the pennies that you offer are never enough...

With deep regret

I inform you Wisdom comes sometimes to late

The act has been done

the desire fulfilled

the test passed or failed

Here comes Wisdom

Bang It's back out

Chain it to the bed post

Chew on the sides of that motha fuka

until Wisdom cries out sorry

Then the *^(&)% want to come

Come with all sincerity

I love you....

Smoking fat one... I can't stand you.

Fuck Wisdom.

Just playing

I just wanted to vent...

I never wanted to be a breeze in your life

A minor chord in your scale

I thought major while you focused on tiny imperfections and I can't change your mind

If I am just like the others

I shouldn't be here

I won't take the burden of never fucking up because let's faces it I will fuck up

And now we are here

Well I am here and you are there

And though we are together I don't care to share anymore

I know failure

I know hurt

Sat with pain

Befriended pity

And

That's no longer my game

I sat by the door step

When I could have walked in and

Sat at the table with the rest of the world

And it was just a little while ago that I stepped in

While sitting there I saw you invited you to sit at the table of love and acceptance

Couldn't guarantee your happiness

But I knew you'd find satisfaction

Maybe we met too soon

Embrace to fast

Because I no longer sit by door steps

I eat at tables in spite of how the world may feel

I wish you'd sit with me again

Or do I

No longer sure….

No longer there

Your words pushed me away

And here we are …

Or there we where.

I thank you for the brakes and the break.

You are almost there.

We both will see each other again.

This I am for sure.

When the world seems like a monoply Game played way to long

Smile through it

When the people who admired you

now hates the person you have become

Smile throught it

When you seek for understanding

wishing you could have kept silent for a year longer

Smile through it

Be happy that you were

A dare devil

Attempting to live beyond the barriers

That at one time the close minded people

truly saw hope, truly found love

in your eyes

......their rejected,.........

that for a time became accepted

and they can not negect how they felt

Smile through it

Knowing that the people they value

will destroy themselves

and you will walk back into their lives

your truth no longer

hidding in pastors' lies

and you will receive honor

Honor for all the singers that couldn't sing about their true loves

For all the poets that hid so that they could be remembered

For all the activists that coached Martin, Malcom, FOR and SNICC

For all the Rappers that have so much to say but know that in today's society truth won't sell as well as the bullshit.

Smile through it

Smile in it

Let your smile be genuine

Unlike the many of serpent like hypocrites

Smile, Smile, Smile through it.

when they tell you slighly that you are beneath them

smile through it

When they smile from ear to ear thinking that you are worthless to them

Smile through it

Today you are Job

and your test is to tell God

I am not letting Go

and his people may believe that you are in the prison of hell

But yet you feel no heat

his angels provide Manna and guitar rifts that only David could hear

Smile through it

You will be better for it

Let God be the One who

Opens the door

and

show all the naysayers

and

Crowd pleasers

That when you stopped trusting and started bowing to man

Thats when you lost the promise

Thats when you became apart of the enemies plan

I, We, are different,

sent here to help an oppressed people come together

So this test is a lesson we all have to learn

Smiling in pain

while waiting for God to move obstacles out our way

Smile through it

If your pregnant at the abortion clinic and you walk away before you endded your childs life

smile through it

If you are Gay proud rainbow flag carrying, twisting down ponce flaming or keeping your business to yourself until you reach a level where sexual preference doesn't matter any more

Smile through it

If you are a Baby Daddy tricked into a relationship with a Sue, the one nighter now your in debted to her and him wishing you would have stuck it out with your he she woman DL Man got more on his hands now than a little playboy action

Smile through it

If you are none of the above because you decided to be human and what eva that means

we all come with flaws

but each day you decided to live respecting the life of someone else.

Smile through it

Smile throught it

Smile throught it

Today

If God doesn't move it

smile through it.

Doo doom doo doom doo doom

a Heart beats somewhere in the west

trapped within flesh behind bones

made to imprision a soul

Set to a time limit

No one but God knows

and it is beating

Doo Doom Doo Doom Doo Doom

In the west someone is dying

he's taking his last breath and a new soul is born

unaware of his previous life or the lives he's had before

he's caged in this world to live

so he exists for another 65 to 85 years

Depending on his color

Doo Doom Doo Doom Doo Doom

One Breathe

One Life

One God

One Try

Same Spirit

Same Love

We are

Living

We make

one sound

Doo Doom, Doo Doom, Doo Doom, Doo Doom, Doo Doom

I am not afraid of the darkness

It's just as important as the light

Without it I am nothing

Like wind less air, or pauses in breath

Breathe for stillness

Words hit the ground here

Smash even before the people can receive them

Their ears are tuned to dying

Hopeless won-d-errs doing what they have been taught

I cover my light today 

While leaving my eyes naked to the world 

They peer into the darkness

Quiet I stand

Watching the people fumble all around me

In desperation to be what they are not

Hoping for the light to reflect off their souls

But to no avail

They become pale as the moon

Skin loose like water

Still wondering in the darkness

Been taught not to hear

And now hating anything that resembles the sunlight

They run

So I gather the light...

Place them under my cloak and walk towards the cries of a people

Ready to receive

What is truly God given

The Light

Place it in a song of freedom

In a rhythm of escape

Tell them the path of Spiritual soundness in stories

And hope that one day through the lines they will peek

And light will enter their eyes

And tears will fall like rain

When the light returns to darkness

Is when the world

Will be ready for change

Change is not always forceful

Even the calm-ist of rivers

Cut away at the earth in its way.