Creativity Quote by Kenneth Edmonds

Luck is doing a lot of diplomatic work here. When Kenneth Edmonds (better known to most people as Babyface) says he has "been lucky", he’s not just being modest; he’s signaling an old-school musician’s code: never look like you’re counting your wins. In pop and R&B, where careers are routinely flattened by trends, label politics, and ageism, calling it luck is a way to acknowledge the chaos of the industry without sounding bitter or entitled. It’s also a subtle nod to the fact that even excellence needs timing, access, and the right collaborators.

Then he pivots: "Being blessed and not really ever giving up". That pairing is the tell. "Blessed" frames success as gratitude rather than conquest, a moral posture that plays especially well in Black musical traditions where faith language often doubles as a way to speak about endurance without turning it into self-mythology. It’s less sermon than self-protection: credit something larger than ego, keep moving, stay employable.

The quiet centerpiece is the last clause. "Not really ever giving up" avoids the chest-thumping rhetoric of hustle culture. The hedge ("not really") makes perseverance feel lived-in, not inspirational-poster clean. Coming from a behind-the-scenes architect of hits as much as a front-facing star, it reads like a veteran’s practical autobiography: longevity isn’t a victory lap; it’s the decision, repeated over decades, to keep writing, keep showing up, keep adapting while pretending it’s all just good fortune.