Move Over Ryan Gosling, These Are Our Fave Black Kens IRL

Move Over Ryan Gosling, These Are Our Fave Black Kens IRL

In honor of the Barbie movie out in theaters, we felt it fitting to highlight the beautiful men in our own backyard who are more than 'Kenough' in our eyes.

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Michael B. Jordan attends the Vanity Fair 95th Oscars Party in Beverly Hills, California on March 12, 2023.
Michael B. Jordan attends the Vanity Fair 95th Oscars Party in Beverly Hills, California on March 12, 2023.
Photo: MICHAEL TRAN/AFP (Getty Images)

I don’t know who needs to hear this, but it’s officially a Hot Barbie Summer. Whether you plan to be all dolled up in pink for the rest of the season or grabbing your friends to go see the long-awaited Barbie movie (that’s out in theaters now, btw)—we felt it fitting to roundup of our favorite Black Kens IRL get you in the mood.

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Move over Ryan Gosling, BarbieLand is about to get a whole lot more melanated!

Let’s go ahead and kick things off with our favorite Creed and Black Panther star Michael B. Jordan. The internet didn’t dub him Michael B(ae) Jordan for no reason. He’s been on my (and many other women’s) Christmas list for years now and that’s why he’s the perfect Ken.

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Trevante Rhodes

Trevante Rhodes

Trevante Rhodes at the 10th Annual AAFCA Awards in Los Angeles, USA on February 6, 2019.
Trevante Rhodes at the 10th Annual AAFCA Awards in Los Angeles, USA on February 6, 2019.
Photo: Rob Latour/Variety/Penske Media (Getty Images)

Do we really have to say much, here? Trevante Rhodes has the smile, the skin, the physique and the talent to be hands down one of the best Kens on Earth. (Hope Barbie can fight though because we might have to scrap over this one.)

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Yahya Abdul-Mateen II

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II poses during a photocall for the premiere of the film “Ambulance” in Paris on April 20, 2022.
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II poses during a photocall for the premiere of the film “Ambulance” in Paris on April 20, 2022.
Photo: Thomas Samson / AFP (Getty Images)

With a strong name like Yahya-Abdul Mateen II, stellar smile and overall bomb personality, we’d be remiss if we didn’t have him as one of our Kens.

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Regé-Jean Page

Regé-Jean Page

 Regé-Jean Page attends the Los Angeles Premiere of Paramount Pictures’ “Dungeons And Dragons: Honor Among Thieves” on March 26, 2023 in Los Angeles, California.
Regé-Jean Page attends the Los Angeles Premiere of Paramount Pictures’ “Dungeons And Dragons: Honor Among Thieves” on March 26, 2023 in Los Angeles, California.
Photo: Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic (Getty Images)

You already know we will always burn for our forever #BridgertonBae Regé-Jean Page and we will burn this place down if anyone objects to him being one of our Kens.

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Broderick Hunter

Broderick Hunter

Broderick Hunter attends EBONY Power 100 at Milk Studios Los Angeles on October 29, 2022 in Los Angeles, California.
Broderick Hunter attends EBONY Power 100 at Milk Studios Los Angeles on October 29, 2022 in Los Angeles, California.
Photo: Leon Bennett for EBONY MEDIA GROUP (Getty Images)

Model Broderick Hunter has quite literally been taking up prime real estate on the Ken front seemingly since he came on the scene and we must all thank the powers that be (and his parents) for blessing us like this!

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Kofi Siriboe

Kofi Siriboe

Kofi Siriboe attends the Build Series to discuss ‘Queen Sugar’ at Build Studio on July 23, 2019 in New York City.
Kofi Siriboe attends the Build Series to discuss ‘Queen Sugar’ at Build Studio on July 23, 2019 in New York City.
Photo: Dominik Bindl (Getty Images)

Kofi Siriboe? No, more like Kofi SiriBAE. He’s been the internet’s boyfriends for longer than we can count and that surely makes him top-tier Ken material.

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Lance Gross

Lance Gross

Lance Gross attends the premiere of “The Perfect Find” on June 16, 2023 in Miami Beach, Florida.
Lance Gross attends the premiere of “The Perfect Find” on June 16, 2023 in Miami Beach, Florida.
Photo: Ivan Apfel (Getty Images)

Not tapping in Lance Gross as one of our Kens would be doing a detrimental disservice and we can’t have that, now can we?

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Morris Chestnut

Morris Chestnut

Morris Chestnut attends 2023 Indie Night Film Festival at Plaza Theatre on June 11, 2023 in Atlanta, Georgia.
Morris Chestnut attends 2023 Indie Night Film Festival at Plaza Theatre on June 11, 2023 in Atlanta, Georgia.
Photo: Paras Griffin (Getty Images)

Perfection is a strong word, but when it comes to Morris “Been 90s Fine His Entire Life” Chestnut—it seems fitting. Other Kens better take note.

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Jalen Hurts

Jalen Hurts

Jalen Hurts #1 of the Philadelphia Eagles speaks after the Philadelphia Eagles lost to the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVII on February 12, 2023 in Glendale, Arizona.
Jalen Hurts #1 of the Philadelphia Eagles speaks after the Philadelphia Eagles lost to the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVII on February 12, 2023 in Glendale, Arizona.
Photo: Mike Coppola (Getty Images)

Philly Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts clearly took a play out of Morris Chestnut’s “90s Fine” playbook and you know what—a little healthy Ken-petition never hurt nobody.

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Keith Powers

Keith Powers

Keith Powers attends ‘The Perfect Find’ Centerpiece Screening on June 16, 2023 in Miami Beach, Florida.
Keith Powers attends ‘The Perfect Find’ Centerpiece Screening on June 16, 2023 in Miami Beach, Florida.
Photo: Jason Koerner for Netflix (Getty Images)

Actor/model Keith Powers Ken-ergy goes all the way back to the days of Tumblr which means he’s been paving the way for years now. And for that we thank him!

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Algee Smith

Algee Smith

Algee Smith attends the Los Angeles premiere of the new HBO series “Euphoria” in Hollywood on June 4, 2019.
Algee Smith attends the Los Angeles premiere of the new HBO series “Euphoria” in Hollywood on June 4, 2019.
Photo: CHRIS DELMAS/AFP (Getty Images)

If we’re honest—the minute we saw Algee Smith sing “Sensitivity” on The New Edition Story, we already knew he would have our hearts and perfect Ken-netic energy.

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Damson Idris

Damson Idris

 Damson Idris attends Rihanna’s Savage X Fenty Show Vol. 4 presented by Prime Video in Simi Valley, California on November 9, 2022.
Damson Idris attends Rihanna’s Savage X Fenty Show Vol. 4 presented by Prime Video in Simi Valley, California on November 9, 2022.
Photo: Emma McIntyre for Rihanna’s Savage X Fenty Show Vol. 4 presented by Prime Video (Getty Images)

Damson? More like “damn, son!” (Sorry, we couldn’t resist.) Of course we had to include our favorite saint on our list of Kens.

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Aldis Hodge

Aldis Hodge

Aldis Hodge attending the UK premiere of Black Adam at Cineworld Leicester Square in London. Picture date: Tuesday October 18, 2022.
Aldis Hodge attending the UK premiere of Black Adam at Cineworld Leicester Square in London. Picture date: Tuesday October 18, 2022.
Photo: Suzan Moore/PA (Getty Images)

Mentally, we’re still stuck on how perfect Aldis Hodge was as Hawkman in Black Adam. A Ken who flies and looks this handsome? What more could we ask for?

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Aaron Pierre

Aaron Pierre

Aaron Pierre attends the “Old” New York Premiere at Jazz at Lincoln Center on July 19, 2021 in New York City.
Aaron Pierre attends the “Old” New York Premiere at Jazz at Lincoln Center on July 19, 2021 in New York City.
Photo: Jamie McCarthy/WireImage (Getty Images)

To be honest, we’re still waiting on Aaron Pierre to invite us swimming on those ocean blue-green eyes of his. After all, Ken’s job is beach, right? We need to take a dive ASAP.

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Alfred Enoch

Alfred Enoch

Alfred Enoch attends the dunhill Pre-BAFTA dinner on February 6, 2019 in London, England.
Alfred Enoch attends the dunhill Pre-BAFTA dinner on February 6, 2019 in London, England.
Photo: David M. Benett/Dave Benett for dunhill (Getty Images)

There’s only one word that immediately comes to mind when we think of How to Get Away With Murder star Alfred Enoch as Ken and that word is ABSOLUTELY.

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Idris Elba

Idris Elba

Idris Elba attending the world premiere of Apple TV+ series Hijack, in London on Tuesday June 27, 2023.
Idris Elba attending the world premiere of Apple TV+ series Hijack, in London on Tuesday June 27, 2023.
Photo: Jeff Moore/PA (Getty Images)

Much like Morris Chestnut, Idris Elba is an OG Ken that walked so all these newer ones could run—but that doesn’t mean we love him any less.

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Larenz Tate

Larenz Tate

Larenz Tate at the Essence 15th Annual Black Women in Hollywood Awards on March 24th, 2022 in Beverly Hills, California
Larenz Tate at the Essence 15th Annual Black Women in Hollywood Awards on March 24th, 2022 in Beverly Hills, California
Photo: Dan Steinberg/Billboard/Penske Media (Getty Images)

This Ken (a.k.a. Larenz Tate) has been aging backwards since we first laid eyes on him and if that isn’t supreme Ken-ergy—we don’t know what is!

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Method Man

Method Man

Method Man on Wednesday, March 15, 2023.
Method Man on Wednesday, March 15, 2023.
Photo: Nathan Congleton/NBC (Getty Images)

Method Man may not be hip-hop’s first Ken but he’s certainly our favorite one.

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Winston Duke

Winston Duke

Winston Duke attends the Grand Reveal Weekend for Atlantis The Royal, Dubai’s new ultra-luxury hotel on January 21, 2023 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Winston Duke attends the Grand Reveal Weekend for Atlantis The Royal, Dubai’s new ultra-luxury hotel on January 21, 2023 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Photo: Jeff Spicer for Atlantis The Royal (Getty Images)

Winston “Thick Daddy Ken” Duke. Oh how we love you, let us count the ways.

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Shemar Moore

Shemar Moore

Shemar Moore visits “Extra” at Burbank Studios on October 02, 2019 in Burbank, California.
Shemar Moore visits “Extra” at Burbank Studios on October 02, 2019 in Burbank, California.
Photo: Paul Archuleta (Getty Images)

From the 90's till now, Shemar Moore has been a heartthrob Ken for many a women and it doesn’t seem like he’s gonna let up on that any time soon.

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Omari Hardwick

Omari Hardwick

Omari Hardwick arrives for the premiere of “The Mother” at the Westwood Regency Village Theater in Los Angeles, California, on May 10, 2023.
Omari Hardwick arrives for the premiere of “The Mother” at the Westwood Regency Village Theater in Los Angeles, California, on May 10, 2023.
Photo: Michael Tran / AFP (Getty Images)

The “power” that Omari Hardwick has definitely solidifies him to be on our Ken list. Full stop.

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Boris Kodjoe

Boris Kodjoe

Boris Kodjoe at the Los Angeles red carpet premiere of Hulu’s “The 1619 Project” on January 26, 2023 in Los Angeles, California.
Boris Kodjoe at the Los Angeles red carpet premiere of Hulu’s “The 1619 Project” on January 26, 2023 in Los Angeles, California.
Photo: Michael Buckner/Variety (Getty Images)

Boris Kodjoe has supreme Kenergy and this will not argued.

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