Kenny 'Dope' Gonzalez

Last Night a DJ Saved My Life

 

Kenny ‘Dope’ Gonzalez needs little or no introduction. He is house music royalty. Also known as K-Dope and of course one half of Masters At Work, The Bucketheads, Nuyorican Soul and others he has been a pivotal figure in the scene since 1985 and a constant in my crates over my own house music journey.

 

Gonzalez started his DJ career in 1985 organizing neighborhood block parties in his home of Brooklyn, New York, with his then musical partner, Mike Delgado. Under the Masters at Work moniker, the parties became quite successful and attracted Todd Terry who later borrowed the group's name for two record releases from 1987. Terry later loaned Gonzalez a drum machine, which began his interest in production.

 

A four time Grammy nominated artist he known for his fusions of house, hip-hop, Latin, jazz, funk & soul, reggae and more. A true master of music, boasting a record collection said to something in the region of 50,000 records.

 

In 1990 Kenny and Louie Vega began a creative partnership. As the MAW sound regularly heard in the clubs, they became more sought after by artists and labels, eventually remixing artists such as Michael Jackson, Madonna, Daft Punk, Barbara Tucker, India, Luther Vandross, George Benson, to name just a few.

 

During the 90s Kenny was traveling back and forth from England a lot. At a MAW gig during the Southport weekender Kenny watched the jazz dancers in the jazz room, seeing the dancers is what gave him the idea for syncopated beat (dubbed broken beat). This is when Kenny developed “the broken beat” style.

 

MAW’s Nuyorican Soul was born in 1993. Titled after their heritage (Puerto Rican), residence (New York City), and style of music (Soul). Nuyorican soul released its first single “The Nervous Track” on Nervous Records that year. “The Nervous Track” was the first broken beat record. This is where Kenny got to showcase the syncopated beat style he developed earlier.

 

The second single “Mind Fluid“ was released in 1996 also on Nervous Records. The Nuyorican Soul album was completed and signed by music maestro Gilles Peterson.

 

Kenny Dopes break through as a solo artist came in 1995. One night disheartened by the music that was being released throughout the business, Kenny went home and pulled out a series of classic records. After 3 days Kenny produced an entire album under the guise of  The Bucketheads. The Bomb track, with its driving drums, screeching sound effects and extended sample from Chicago’s ‘Street Player’, the song was huge and an instant hit across European charts.

 

While production and touring account for most of his time, the last 2 decades Kenny Dope has had his hands full releasing literally thousands of tracks, remixing hundreds of singles, and globetrotting to DJ all over the world. Gonzalez continues to build his reputation …Whether its sitting behind the control board playing to his followers, or searching for the next great re-release classic, the beat master will continue to shine as “THE” Master at Work.