Kevin Jz Prodigy

{{Short description|American Ballroom commentator, music producer}}

{{Infobox musical artist

| name = Kevin Jz Prodigy

| image = File:Kevin Jz Prodigy Cunt in a Box.ogg

| caption = "Cunt in a Box", from Kevin Jz Prodigy's 2005 album "I Am Not a Homosexual"

| origin = Philadelphia

| genre = Ballroom

| instrument = MCing

| years_active = 2002-present

}}

Kevin Jz Prodigy is a Ballroom commentator,{{Cite news |last=Caramanica |first=Jon |date=May 2, 2014 |title=Vying for Bragging Rights, Prancing Pros and Amateurs |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/03/arts/music/moving-to-varied-beats-at-bounce-ballroom.html |via=NYTimes.com}} music producer and singer from Philadelphia.{{Cite web |last=Greenberg |first=Zoe |date=July 1, 2023 |title=The voice of Beyoncé's 'Renaissance Tour' is a Philly legend. Kevin JZ Prodigy told us what it was like to work with the Queen. |url=https://www.inquirer.com/news/beyonce-renaissance-pure-honey-kevin-jz-prodigy-ballroom-philadelphia-20230701.html |website=Inquirer.com}}

In 1997, he discovered the Ballroom scene when friends took him to a club. He then learned how to vogue and joined the House of Movado. He started making music and commentating at balls in the early 2000s.{{Cite web |last=Street |first=Mikelle |date=August 3, 2022 |title=Kevin JZ Prodigy on Bringing Beyoncé Into Ballroom With "Pure/Honey" |url=https://www.thecut.com/2022/08/beyonce-renaissance-pure-honey-sample-kevin-jz-prodigy-ballroom.html |website=The Cut}}

Prodigy's songs “Here Comes the Hurricane Legendary Katrina” and “Bam Bam Shawam” have been popularized by TikTok.{{Cite web |date=November 19, 2022 |title=Beyoncé and 'Legendary': Ballroom culture went mainstream. Now it looks to preserve its roots |url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/story/2022-11-19/ballroom-culture-banjee-ball-beyonce-legendary-tiktok |website=Los Angeles Times}} In 2020, he launched the #IAmAWomanChallenge{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/20/style/self-care/vogue-trans-black-lives-protest.html|title=Voguing for Our Lives. Again.|first=Sydney|last=Baloue|work=The New York Times |date=June 20, 2020|via=NYTimes.com}} to encourage Ballroom dancers to post videos while the clubs where they usually performed were closed. His song "FA FA FA FEMININ" was used in the film presenting Mugler's Spring/Summer 2022 collection.

He was featured on the song Pure/Honey on Beyoncé's 2022 Renaissance album, has lent his voice on her tour{{Cite web |date=September 7, 2023 |title=Meet the Ballroom Legend Who Became the MVP of Beyoncé's Renaissance Tour |url=https://www.gq.com/story/beyonce-renaissance-world-tour-kevin-jz-prodigy-interview |website=GQ}}{{Clarify|date=January 2024}} and he is featured in Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé.{{cite web |last1=Hussain |first1=Shahzaib |date=December 1, 2023 |title=Renaissance: A Film By Beyoncé |url=https://www.clashmusic.com/reviews/renaissance-a-film-by-beyonce/ |website=Clash Magazine Music |access-date=19 March 2024}}

Prodigy was a commentator on the first Equality Ball organized in Las Vegas on August 27, 2023.{{Cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/music-news/beyonce-beygood-equality-ball-vegas-black-queer-ballroom-culture-1235576555/|title=Beyoncé's BeyGood Helped Ballroom Icons Put on First-Ever Equality Ball in Vegas|first=Melinda|last=Sheckells|website=The Hollywood Reporter |date=August 29, 2023}}{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/music/features/beyonce-hrc-equality-ball-black-queer-resistance-beygood-renaissance-1235404110/|title='Are You Really Coming to Help Us?': How the Beyoncé-Sponsored Equality Ball Prioritized Black Queer Resistance|first=Kyle|last=Denis|magazine=Billboard |date=August 31, 2023}}

In 2023, a recording of his voice appeared on Madonna's Celebration Tour during the song Vogue.{{Cite web |last=McCormack |first=Olivia |date=December 18, 2023 |title=Bob the Drag Queen’s latest role: Madonna hype diva |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/music/2023/12/18/bob-drag-queen-madonna-celebration/ |access-date=December 6, 2024 |website=The Washington Post}}