Black History Month is an opportunity to celebrate the achievements of the Black community and reflect on experiences and accomplishments. So all month we’re highlighting some of the iconic black artists who’ve changed rock n’ roll.

Starting with an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer, and actor: Lenny Kravitz.

He once said “I remember my mother telling me, “I want you to know your heritage. You are no more one thing than another, but society will only see you as Black.” I don’t even know if I understood what that really meant, but I think I somehow got it and got it more a couple of years later, that people weren’t going to see both sides.”

His father was Jewish and his mother was of African-American and Afro-Bahamian ancestry. Growing up in the 1960s, he faced many prejudicial remarks, and to this day he fights for racial equality by spreading messages of love.

Kravitz was only five years old he picked up the drums and guitar for the first time, inspired by his parents love of blues, jazz, R&B, and classical music. Five years later, his family moved to Los Angeles, where he joined the California Boys Choir and Metropolitan Choir. He attended Beverly Hills High School, where he was a contemporary of Slash from Guns N’ Roses. His parents had connections to celebrities, yet Lenny Kravitz was set on making it on his own.

The beginning of his career wasn’t easy but he eventually found success through his hard work and talent. Kravitz played almost every instrument on his albums by himself. He has a long list of impressive accomplishments including breaking the record for most Grammys won in the category of Best Male Vocal Rock Performance (four years in a row from 1999 to 2002) as well as setting the record for most consecutive wins in one category by a male artist. A lot of these wins came from his hit single “Fly Away”.

Aside from his own music he has also performed, produced and written music for many well-known artists like  Madonna, Steven Tyler, David Bowie, Mick Jagger, and Michael Jackson.

You can also see him in films such as The Hunger Games, Zoolander 1 and 2, Precious, and more!