“[Black people] are finally at the point where we can do stuff and not have to ask … we just have to do it in the right way”
This writer, producer, and now director and actor was born in Inglewood, California and graduated from Clark Atlanta University. Some of his earliest work includes Black classic TV shows like Girlfriends, Soul Food, and The Game. He really made a breakthrough with his NAACP Image Award winning show Black-ish. This was his first show that he created, directed, wrote for, and produced, and it successfully ran for 8 seasons since recently ending in 2022. But from Black-ish came a universe of “-ish”s with Grown-ish, Mixed-ish, and, the rumored, Old-ish.
2016 was the year Barris officially stuck his hand in the major motion picture (movie) pot when he co-wrote and co-produced Barbershop: The Next Cut. This revitalization of the Barbershop series had a star studded cast featuring Nick Minaj, Common, Regina Hall and Tyga to name a few. And of course it included returning stars Ice Cube, Cedrick the Entertainer, and Eve. This would be the first classic Barris had a hand in bringing back; later he would co-write and executive produce Coming 2 America; co-write and produce the Disney+ remake of Cheaper by the Dozen; and is currently working on The Wizard of Oz and White Men Can’t Jump remake. He says he appreciates the essence of the original stories and wants to remake them to appeal to a new generation.
Kenya Barris speaks on the Breakfast Club about working with artists from Kid Cudi and Snoop Dogg to being called to do productions like Wizard of Oz. He makes sure he is cautious with all of his works - especially the remakes. He wants his movies and tv shows to be an accurate reflection of today’s society with different ethnicities and backgrounds. He said for the longest he didn’t want to be the writer or producer to be called to make the Black movies. But since then he has learned to embrace it and make them his own.
Viewers can see this through his animation Entergalactic and his debut acting role in #BlackAF. Entergalactic with Kid Cudi was one of its kind - an animated project that went hand-in-hand with a music project. The animation was meticulously produced with careful attention to the style of the characters, the city of New York, and the development of the story. In fact, it inspired Barris to continue animation and, in turn, jump on the Bob Marley animated film for Disney+.
I am very excited for what Barris has to come for us. I feel he’s very early in his career, and we have not seen the best yet. In a couple weeks his movie You People will premiere on Netflix starring Eddie Murphey, Jonah Hill, Lauren London, Nia Long, and more.
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