KENNY SMOOV
Program Director and On-Air Talent - 92Q Nashville. Urban AC format
Kenny Smoov is an award-winning on-air and programming double threat. His accolades include being named Billboard’s Radio Personality of the Year, receiving an NAACP Image Award, and being listed among the Top Radio Programmers in America by Radio Ink.
What are you listening for when you’re going through all the new music that gets sent your way?
I’m looking for an artist that has something different. If you’re just gonna get into a Chris Brown-ish sound or a SZA-ish type of sound, then I could just go get Chris Brown or SZA. I don’t have to get the lite version of it. So I’m looking for artists that are out there trying to cut their own space. Something original. Something different.
Is there a skill that a lot of new artists don’t seem to possess?
They may not be savvy in knowing how to talk to program directors and industry folks. Not that you’ve got to do a curtsey or nothing like that. But I’ve had guys come into my office smelling like a damn weed factory! I mean, they ain’t even trying to hide it. Just high. And they want to come in my office, smelling up the place and talk about their new music. I’m like, dude I don’t even want to hear from you. Now I’m gonna be nice and sit there and listen to you. But I’ve already made my mind up. I don’t care what comes out of the speakers, I’m not playing the shit. Because you don’t have any professionalism and all you’re going to do is waste your opportunity at some point anyway by not being professional.
What are your thoughts on streaming services like Spotify?
I love it, because it’s another barrier for me to not make a mistake. Before YouTube and Spotify and what have you were out there, some of these artists you probably wouldn’t have taken a chance on. It’s almost like a focus group or college before pros. See which one of (them) can really make it out of the herd.
And on the flip side of the coin, artists can use streaming data to get your attention.
When you want to come in here now, in 2018, there’s a little bit of a tradeoff we can do. Now you actually can have something that I could use. Whether it’s data, proof that you’ve streamed and downloaded, you already have 400,000 streams on your YouTube. We can go ahead and see your analytics on your YouTube and see where those listeners are. And if they’re in Nashville, you know 100,000 of that 400,000 are in Nashville, hey man I might have to roll with this guy. He’s got something.
What is radio’s place in helping an artist break through to the mainstream?
To me, radio now is the finishing school. The radio is the last stop on your journey to blowing up. I think you should already be able to do 200 - 500 size venues before you even come to me. Coming to me before you even got to that place is almost a waste. Because the radio is broad-casting, and the Internet is micro-casting. So when you come to me for the broad, hopefully you’ve already got the micro done. You already got your followers, you already got people that believe in who you are.
So an artist shouldn’t come to you without an established fanbase?
Well, the marriage happens when you give me some of your audience and I give you some of my audience. See how we’re working together now? Now we’ve got some business going on. But when you come to the table with nothing and you want me to give you something, this ain’t no help center. This is a radio station. And I don’t care if you make it. I have no vested interest in you making it or not. I hope you do make it. I really do. I pray you all the best. But it’s not my job to make you a star. That’s your job. •
