NEW DOUBLE LP
New sealed copy. Rhino Records Rocktober 2025 reissue.
Black and White America is the ninth studio album by Lenny Kravitz, released on August 30, 2011, through Roadrunner and Atlantic Records. Written and recorded primarily in the Bahamas, the album emerged from Kravitz’s response to racial tension he saw in American media at the time, particularly surrounding Barack Obama’s presidency. Originally conceived as a separate project titled Negrophilia, the material evolved into something more vibrant and socially conscious—a reflection on Kravitz’s biracial identity and a celebration of unity through music.
Musically, Black and White America fuses funk, soul, and rock with traces of jazz, disco, and R&B. The title track sets the tone with slap bass, strings, and a buoyant groove that recalls early-70s funk, while “Stand” and “Push” deliver hopeful, gospel-inflected anthems. Kravitz’s craftsmanship—performing most of the instruments himself—anchors a record that moves fluidly between the sensual and the political. Guest appearances by Jay-Z and Drake nod to his continued dialogue with contemporary black music, even as the sound remains rooted in vintage analog textures.
Critics received the album warmly, with AllMusic calling it Kravitz’s “best record in years” and Rolling Stone noting that each track “succeeds on its own terms.” Black and White America topped charts in Germany and Switzerland and reached the top 20 in both Japan and the United States. Beyond its commercial success, it reaffirmed Kravitz’s knack for blending conviction and style—an artist equally at home preaching love, railing against prejudice, or simply letting the groove speak for itself.
TRACKLIST:
A1 Black And White America
A2 Come On Get It
A3 In The Black
A4 Liquid Jesus
B1 Rock Star City Life
B2 Boongie Drop
B3 Stand
B4 Superlove
C1 Everything
C2 I Can't Be Without You
C3 Looking Back On Love
C4 Life Ain't Ever Been Better Than It Is Now
D1 The Faith Of A Child
D2 Sunflower
D3 Dream
D4 Push
