Dante Kennedy is the CEO and owner of V4texx Music Group LLC. He is also the Music and Entertainment Director for the Palazzo Versace Hotel Dubai. In addition, he is an inspirational musician, artist, producer, and fashion designer.
Interviewing Dante Kennedy helped us learn more about his professional career and how he has continued in this music-filled for years. Dante Kennedy also provides live performances where people can listen to the wonderful melodies.
Through our interview below, let’s learn more about Dante Kennedy and his company V4texx Music Group LLC. Let’s get to it.
Explain the background of you and the company in detail.
V4texx, pronounced vortex, is an all-in-one Music and Entertainment hub specializing in Live Entertainment, Record Label services, Meta and NFT production, Film, and so much more. In addition, V4texx began in Philadelphia, PA, USA, but has now been stationed in Dubai.
What are your goals?
The main goal of V4MG is to create such a global foundation in the Entertainment, Hospitality, and Music sector that it becomes deeply rooted for future generations to benefit from. Therefore, I must continue integral work for people I have not met yet.
What do you feel is the biggest strength of yourself/your company right now?
One of my biggest strengths is my ability to connect, understand, and create. V4texx is set up to help give opportunities to people from all walks of life a chance to make it in the Entertainment world.
What was the path you/your company took to get to where you are today?
I started V4texx Music Group in 2006, but it took a turn in 2018 when Quincy Jones and his production team hired me to play the drums at the Palazzo Versace Hotel for a performance residency. I then returned in 2020 as the Music Director and Drummer for my 2nd residency, and from there took trips back and forth having meetings to solidify more work.
In July 2021, I planned 15 meetings in 8 days. On the 2nd day of that trip, I landed the job as the 1st Entertainment Director for Palazzo Versace Hotel Dubai, with my company V4texx Music Group supplying the Live Entertainment for the Q’s Bar and Lounge for Palazzo’s Limited Edition Series, where I am still the Music Director and Drummer.
Why did you start (or want to be the head of) this company?
I started V4MG with a mission to be an inspiration to people who need to be inspired. At the time, many people were afraid to be themselves, but I was never one to follow the crowd’s path.
What have been the biggest challenges you’ve had to overcome?
One of my biggest challenges with my company has been getting over the fact that not everyone will fully ever understand creativity and all that the mind can achieve when connected to the right source. Sometimes things can be misunderstood when the right intentions are in place. Another factor is being away from my wife and children for any amount of time to help set up longevity that also benefits them.
Give us one word that describes you the best.
Unique.
What makes you excited about Mondays?
Mondays are exciting because it’s considered a day off from performing, but there is still tons of work to be done. So I’m happy to know I can get some break “sometimes.”
What do you value most about your culture and vision?
I value the fact that I have something that the UAE needs. I’m not here to make quick money and leave, nor here to treat these opportunities selfishly. Instead, I am here to help implement some very necessary standards that not only elevates the music scene in Dubai but the overall infrastructure in how people in the entertainment sector are treated, paid, and dealt with.
Tell us about a project that forced you to be innovative and creative.
Well, providing Live Entertainment in the Q’s Bar at Palazzo is a daily task in itself. Every night is different, whether it’s pertaining to the crowd and their energy or the featured artists. It’s always changing. So we have to tailor-make the music and performance to sometimes cater to the needs of the people in the room. Besides other projects, including Award Shows, TV Shows, Music Releases, Media, and my upcoming Documentary Series, these are all other forms of creativity that I work on daily that require much innovation.
What are the strategies of your company, and how do they stand unique from your competitors?
For one, I understand a true Live Performance. I didn’t just begin my music career a few years ago. This is over 30 years of musicality, as all sides of my family have input in the Music industry.
Music and Entertainment should be about feeling and performing in a way where we aren’t just creating noise in hopes that people will like it. But having our audience leave with a changed perspective on what they may have felt or dealt with upon entering the room. So if they aren’t leaving changed, what are we doing this for?
What are the key values which helped you to overcome the roadblocks/challenges in your career? Tell us something about your memorable incident in your leadership.
A key value for me is my foundation in God. That is the key that is keeping me sane in such an odd time in my career as I push forward for better and greater within the UAE. I’m carrying the weight of so many people and having to provide for so many that if I fail or mess up, it affects my household and those connected to me.
That is enough to drive anyone crazy or push them to give up. But God keeps me leveled enough to continuously push through as I keep working and setting a new standard.
How do you see the company changing in two years, and how do you see yourself creating that change?
In two years, my company will be so embedded within the global form of Entertainment that retirement before 40 will be an option. But I would never retire. It’s always something to do. It’ll always be something to feed, gather, uproot, plant, learn from, and push for. I will continuously keep pushing myself so that I may help bring up and help elevate those around me. We become better if we never settle for just ordinary things.
Where is your leadership going? What benefits are your clients getting from your company in this competitive world?
My leadership is growing, as I’m always learning from good or bad situations that may be happening around me. It’s always something to learn from. I am currently enrolled at London University for a business course in Managing the Company of the Future. I have already completed 2 other courses in psychology at Yale University. So what benefits my clients is the fact that I make their job easier. I also treat people like people, fair, and with a good business model. The morale must always be up and effective to keep the team members happy.
What are the services/solutions or products offered by your company on par with the current industry standards? Tell us something about your upcoming products or services.
We offer everything from Live Entertainment to Record Label Services as I have a joint deal with Sony Music / The Orchard. We also offer NFT, META, Media, and Filming services. I am currently filming a documentary series, and soon we will announce the platform on which it will be released. You can follow V4texx on Instagram.