Introduction:
Kane Brown Opens Up About Facing Racism in Country Music: “I Was Told Someone Wouldn’t Write With Me Because I’m Black”
Kane Brown is speaking candidly about the racism he’s faced while breaking into the country music industry.
During a recent appearance on Jake Paul’s Impaulsive Podcast, the “Heaven” singer didn’t hesitate when asked if he had ever experienced racism in his career. “Oh, yeah,” Brown replied immediately.
He went on to share a specific incident from his early days in Nashville. “I remember — I ain’t gonna say a name because I don’t want to throw him under the bus — but there was one writer that said he wouldn’t write with me because I’m Black,” Brown revealed. “I confronted them and everything, and they apologized to me at the bar.”
Unfortunately, that wasn’t an isolated experience. “There’s another big writer who had like 30 No. 1s that said the same thing,” Brown added.
According to the country star, that same songwriter later reached out after Brown’s rise to fame. “He apologized whenever we blew up and was trying to write with me, and I said no,” Brown shared.
These experiences took place during Brown’s early days in music — the “Facebook days,” as he described them — when he first began posting covers online and gaining traction on social media. “Nobody believed it,” he recalled of those early years.
Despite those challenges, Brown’s career has flourished. Every album he’s released since 2016 has reached the Top 5 on U.S. charts, solidifying his place as one of country music’s biggest crossover stars.
By speaking out, Brown continues to shed light on the barriers he’s faced — and overcome — in a genre still grappling with issues of diversity and inclusion.