Lenny Kravitz is still ripped, rocking and ‘letting love rule’

It’s been 30 years since Lenny Kravitz first introduced his flower-child rock with “Let Love Rule,” his debut album released on Sept. 6, 1989. But the New York native is still always on the run: After “representing” at the MTV Video Music Awards on Monday at the Prudential Center — where he’ll be up for a Best Rock Video Moon Person (for “Low”) — he’ll bring his “Raise Vibration” tour to Radio City Music Hall on Tuesday.

Here, the 55-year-old singer, guitarist and actor reveals what he owes to Chuck Berry, how he stays diesel and why he still lets love rule.

What do you remember most about your first VMAs?

You know, I’m not exactly sure when my first one was. It might be when I won [Best Male Artist] for “Are You Gonna Go My Way.” Our bass player at the time was missing the night of that awards show, so I called John Paul Jones — of Led Zeppelin, of course — and he played with us. That was an amazing night.

Your latest album is called “Raise Vibration.” So what does Lenny Kravitz do to raise his vibration? 

Not to go back to another title, but it’s about letting love rule in every situation. We’d all be in a beautiful place … But unfortunately, as human beings, that’s not what so many of us think about. So many of us think about greed and power and control and all of this. So “Raise Vibration” is really a call to action for all of us, including myself.

You’re in sick shape to be in your mid-50s now, so what’s your secret?

It’s body, mind, spirit. I take care of all three of those, bro . . . Age is a very interesting thing because you could have somebody who’s 25, who’s run-down and beat-up and not in good shape because of what they eat, what they think, what they don’t do physically. And you could have somebody who’s 75 running around like a 25-year-old person. Like Mick Jagger, for instance. I know Mick well — he’s disciplined, he’s about his health, he’s dedicated. So it’s all about how you take care of yourself.

Did you ever imagine you would still be doing this 30 years later?

Look, when I put my first album out, I didn’t know if there’d be a second album. You just do what you do and all of a sudden the time goes by. And I’m so thankful that I still get to do what I love. It’s an amazing gift. I’m in a constant state of gratitude.

And you went your own way as a black man playing rock music. Did you realize that you were pushing boundaries?

People always said that, but I always thought, “Why is it that we forget that African-Americans invented rock ‘n’ roll?” When I’d go back to my [old] neighborhood in Bed-Stuy, I used to have black youth say, “Why you play that white music?” And I’d have to stop and say, “Listen, little brother or sister, we invented this music. Go back and listen to Chuck Berry, go back and listen to Bo Diddley, go back and listen to Little Richard.” And so forth and so on.

Were you leery of your daughter Zoë getting into the business as an actress, singer and model?

I had nothing to do with her getting in the business [or not]. I thought she’d go the opposite direction when she was a kid. But that’s where she went on her own accord, and I couldn’t be more proud of her. She’s such an individual and has a vision for herself.

Do you have any special memories of playing Radio City?

The first time I played it, Joey Ramone was in the front row and I was bugging out. He sat for much of it too, ’cause he was so tall, but I was just bugging out. The thing about Radio City, more than anything, is that my grandmother used to take me there, man. We used to put on some nice clothes, leave Brooklyn, get on the train and she’d take me to go see the stage show, whether it was the Easter one or the Christmas one [with] the Rockettes. Or we’d go there and see a movie. And so it really reminds me of my childhood, man. Radio City was like going to Oz.