Kevin Jz Prodigy

Last updated
Kevin Jz Prodigy
"Cunt in a Box", from Kevin Jz Prodigy's 2005 album "I Am Not a Homosexual"
Background information
Origin Philadelphia
GenresBallroom
Instrument(s)MCing
Years active2002-present

Kevin Jz Prodigy is a Ballroom commentator, [1] music producer and singer from Philadelphia. [2]

Contents

In 1997, he discovered the Ballroom scene when friends took him to a club. He then learned how to vogue and joined the House of Movado. He started making music and commentating at balls in the early 2000s. [3]

Prodigy's songs “Here Comes the Hurricane Legendary Katrina” and “Bam Bam Shawam” have been popularized by TikTok. [4] In 2020, he launched the #IAmAWomanChallenge [5] to encourage Ballroom dancers to post videos while the clubs where they usually performed were closed. His song "FA FA FA FEMININ" was used in the film presenting Mugler's Spring/Summer 2022 collection. [3]

He was featured on the song Pure/Honey on Beyoncé's 2022 Renaissance album, has lent his voice on her tour [6] [ clarification needed ] and he is featured in Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé. [7]

Prodigy was a commentator on the first Equality Ball organized in Las Vegas on August 27, 2023. [8] [9]

Discography

2021

2022

2023

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vogue (dance)</span> Style of modern house dance

Vogue, or voguing, is a highly stylized, modern house dance originating in the late 1980s that evolved out of the Harlem ballroom scene of the 1960s. It is inspired by the poses of models in fashion magazines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vogue (Madonna song)</span> 1990 single by Madonna

"Vogue" is a song by American singer Madonna from her soundtrack album, I'm Breathless (1990). Written and produced by herself and Shep Pettibone, it was inspired by voguing, a dance which was part of the underground gay scene in New York City. The song was released as the lead single from the album on March 20, 1990, by Sire Records and Warner Bros. Records. "Vogue" is a house song with influences of disco, which contains escapist lyrics describing the dance floor as "a place where no boundaries exist". Its middle eight features Madonna name-dropping several actors from the Golden Age of Hollywood. "Vogue" was later included on three of Madonna's compilation albums: The Immaculate Collection (1990), Celebration (2009), and Finally Enough Love: 50 Number Ones (2022).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ball culture</span> Black and Latino LGBT subculture in the United States

The Ballroom scene is an African-American and Latino underground LGBTQ+ subculture. Its origins can be found in drag balls of the mid-19th century United States, such as those hosted by William Dorsey Swann, a formerly enslaved Black man in Washington D.C.. By the early 20th century, integrated drag balls were popular in cities such as New York, Chicago, New Orleans, Baltimore, and Philadelphia. In the mid-20th century, as a response to racism in integrated drag spaces, the balls evolved into house ballroom, where Black and Latino attendees could "walk" in a variety of categories for trophies and cash prizes. Most participants in ballroom belong to groups known as "houses," where chosen families of friends form relationships and communities separate from their families of origin, from which they may be estranged. The influence of ballroom culture can be seen in dance, language, music, and popular culture, and the community still exists today.

<i>How Do I Look</i> 2006 film by Wolfgang Busch

How Do I Look is a 2006 American documentary directed by Wolfgang Busch. The film chronicles ball culture in Harlem and Philadelphia over a ten-year period.

Kevin Burrus, also known as Kevin UltraOmni is an American mentor, speaker, LGBTQ activist, and film producer who founded the ball culture House of Omni in 1979–which was renamed the House of UltraOmni in 1990–and has chapters across the country. He has become an authority on ball culture and has spoken in interviews about the movement. Omni is also the assistant director for the documentary How Do I Look, produced by Wolfgang Busch which aims to correct misperceptions about ball culture.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Purple Crush</span> US musical group

Purple Crush is an American dance music act consisting of married couple Isla Cheadle and Jared Selter. They met at The California Institute of the Arts, where they studied dance and music, respectively. Purple Crush was formed in Brooklyn, NY, where they also started their record label, Crushed Records. Purple Crush is known both for their choreographed live show as well as their pop songwriting and music production.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paris Dupree</span> American drag performer (1950–2011)

Paris Dupree was an American drag performer and documentary participant featured in Jennie Livingston's 1990 documentary, Paris is Burning, which was named after Dupree's annual ball.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leiomy Maldonado</span> Puerto Rican dancer and activist

Leiomy Maldonado, known as the "Wonder Woman of Vogue", is a transgender Afro-Puerto Rican dancer, instructor, model, activist, and ballroom dancer. She is the founder of the House of Amazon and best known for her voguing. Maldonado introduced a new style of voguing which is more athletic and dramatic when she entered into the scene in early 2000s New York.

The House of Aviance is one of the "legendary/iconic" and major vogue-ball houses in the United States, with its base in New York City. It was founded in Washington, D.C., in 1989 by voguer/dancer, record label owner (CEO/A&R), nightclub host, music artist and secretary Mother Juan Aviance—one of the nightlife personalities of New York City. Since its founding, the House has played an integral part in U.S. and world ball culture, especially U.S. nightlife.

Mother Juan Aviance is an American secretary, voguer / dancer, music artist, nightclub host / promoter, record label owner, and CEO / A&R. He is the founder and "Mother" of the House of Aviance, one of the legendary houses that emerged from the U.S. ball culture in the 1980s, a House which is still active today and "currently reigns the club scene in New York City." He is also founder, CEO and A&R of Aviance Records, LLC, a multi-genre record label that promotes new and upcoming artists. He is regarded as a "legend / icon" within the ballroom scene and is "House Mother" to the nightlife personalities and recording artists Kevin Aviance, and Erickatoure Aviance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tiffany Monique</span> American singer

Tiffany Monique Ryan is an American singer, songwriter, and background vocalist. She has performed as a background vocalist for Beyoncé as one of "The Mamas" since 2007 and is currently the Vocal Director and Lead Background Vocalist for the Renaissance World Tour and a member of Beyonce's background vocalist quartet, "Pure Honey". Tiffany released an EP, Nemesis in June 2010 and followed with various single releases in 2011 and 2016. She is an 8-year esophageal cancer survivor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">MikeQ</span> American DJ, musician and music producer

Michael Cox, known by the stage name MikeQ, is an American DJ, musician, music producer, and prominent figure in the ballroom community. He is the founder of the record label Qween Beat. In 2020 MikeQ was the DJ for HBO's Legendary.

<i>Renaissance</i> (Beyoncé album) 2022 studio album by Beyoncé

Renaissance is the seventh studio album by American singer Beyoncé. It was released on July 29, 2022, by Parkwood Entertainment and Columbia Records. Her first solo studio release since Lemonade (2016) and the first installment of Beyoncé's three-act project, Beyoncé wrote and produced the album with Nova Wav, The-Dream, Symbolyc One, A. G. Cook, Honey Dijon, Beam, Tricky Stewart, BloodPop, Skrillex, Hit-Boy, No I.D., P2J and various other collaborators. Beam, Grace Jones and Tems appear as guest vocalists.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Break My Soul</span> 2022 single by Beyoncé

"Break My Soul" is a single by American singer and songwriter Beyoncé. It was released on June 20, 2022, through Parkwood Entertainment and Columbia Records as the lead single from her seventh studio album, Renaissance (2022). The song was written by Beyoncé, Tricky Stewart, The-Dream, Jens Christian Isaksen, and her husband Jay-Z, and produced by the former four. It samples Big Freedia's 2014 bounce track "Explode", written by Freedia and Adam Pigott, and Robin S.'s house song "Show Me Love", written by Allen George and Fred McFarlane.

Dashaun Wesley is an American dancer, actor, choreographer, and ballroom performer, MC, and commentator. He is known for hosting the voguing competition series Legendary and for his appearances on the television series America's Best Dance Crew and Pose. He is often called the "King of Vogue".

"Cozy" is a song by American singer Beyoncé. It is the second track on her seventh studio album Renaissance (2022), which was released on July 29, 2022, through Parkwood and Columbia.

"Alien Superstar" is a song recorded by American singer Beyoncé. It is the third track on the former's seventh studio album, Renaissance (2022), which was released on July 29, 2022, through Parkwood and Columbia.

"Energy" is a song by American singer Beyoncé featuring Jamaican rapper Beam. It is the fifth track on the former's seventh studio album Renaissance (2022), which was released on July 29, 2022, through Parkwood and Columbia. The song serves as an interlude between "Cuff It" and "Break My Soul".

"Pure/Honey" is a song recorded by American singer Beyoncé. It is the fifteenth track on the former's seventh studio album, Renaissance (2022), which was released on July 29, 2022, through Parkwood and Columbia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Renaissance World Tour</span> 2023 concert tour by Beyoncé

The Renaissance World Tour was the ninth concert tour by American singer-songwriter Beyoncé. Her highest-grossing tour to date, it was announced on February 1, 2023, in support of her seventh studio album, Renaissance (2022). The all-stadium concert run began on May 10, 2023, in Stockholm, Sweden, and concluded on October 1, 2023, in Kansas City, Missouri. It was her first tour in five years, since the On the Run II Tour in 2018.

References

  1. Caramanica, Jon (May 2, 2014). "Vying for Bragging Rights, Prancing Pros and Amateurs". The New York Times via NYTimes.com.
  2. Greenberg, Zoe (July 1, 2023). "The voice of Beyoncé's 'Renaissance Tour' is a Philly legend. Kevin JZ Prodigy told us what it was like to work with the Queen". Inquirer.com.
  3. 1 2 Street, Mikelle (August 3, 2022). "Kevin JZ Prodigy on Bringing Beyoncé Into Ballroom With "Pure/Honey"". The Cut.
  4. "Beyoncé and 'Legendary': Ballroom culture went mainstream. Now it looks to preserve its roots". Los Angeles Times. November 19, 2022.
  5. Baloue, Sydney (June 20, 2020). "Voguing for Our Lives. Again". The New York Times via NYTimes.com.
  6. "Meet the Ballroom Legend Who Became the MVP of Beyoncé's Renaissance Tour". GQ. September 7, 2023.
  7. Hussain, Shahzaib (December 1, 2023). "Renaissance: A Film By Beyoncé". Clash Magazine Music. Retrieved 19 March 2024.
  8. Sheckells, Melinda (August 29, 2023). "Beyoncé's BeyGood Helped Ballroom Icons Put on First-Ever Equality Ball in Vegas". The Hollywood Reporter .
  9. Denis, Kyle (August 31, 2023). "'Are You Really Coming to Help Us?': How the Beyoncé-Sponsored Equality Ball Prioritized Black Queer Resistance". Billboard .