RKM + Ken-Y Biography

As is the case with many musicians, José Nieves, aka Rakim or more recently R.K.M., and Kenny Vásquez, aka Ken-Y, come from humble musical beginnings. Joining musical forces in 2004, they began by playing at house parties in the small city of Urao, very close to their Puerto Rican home, Gurabo. But, unlike most big stars, Rakim and Ken-Y shot to the top of the game in a very short time. They gained the notice of Producer Chendo with one of their mixtapes and were quickly taken on by the label The Money Machine, owned by industry veteran Notty Play. This gave them some recognition, providing them with appearances on shows like The Noise Live.They did produce a mixtape, with Ken-y as the DJ and singer, which gained the attention of Nicky Jam who showed it to Raphy Pina who convinced them to join his label, Pina Records. At Pina they were given a spot on Nicky Jam's album where he introduced them as the newcomers to Pina. With this introduction they were began to climb into the public view.Their big break came when they were chosen by the audience as the winners of "El Draft" with their song "Tu No Estas." "Down" was immediately a favorite among fans of Reggaeton and debuted at number one. This successful start gave the duo the opportunity to go on a world tour which resulted in the release of the second album, Masterpiece World Tour 2006.