Rakim y Ken Y Music Videos, Pictures and Photos including Tu Primera Vez (remix), Vicio Del Pecado, Mis Dias Sin Ti, Lloraras, Igual Que Ayer, Me Matas, Tu No Estas Music Videos on Blastro

Rakim y Ken Y

Rakim (Jose Nieves, who also occasionally uses the alias R.K.M.) and Ken-Y (Kenny Ruben Felix Vazquez) are a reggaeton duo from Gurabo in Puerto Rico. Reggaeton - a dance-oriented fusion of reggae, hip-hop, and ethnic Hispanic music popular throughout Latin America - rose to prominence in Puerto Rico in the late 1990‘s, when stars like Hector "El Father" and Don Omar began to dominate the island’s music scene. Inspired by the genre’s founding fathers, best friends Rakim and Ken-Y formed a reggaeton group while in high school in 2003, performing at local talent shows, events, and parties.

The duo made their first mainstream appearance in 2004, when reggaeton legend Nicky Jam invited them to appear on the track "Pasado" from his highly successful album Vida Escante. Soon after this brush with stardom, Rakim and Ken-Y won first place in El Draft (an American Idol-like competition for amateur Latin artists) with their song "Tu No Estas", further enhancing their image. Rakim and Ken-Y’s reggaeton style is slower and more melodic than many contemporaries, borrowing heavily from R&B. For this reason their sound is often termed "reggaeton romantico", or romantic reggaeton.

Influential reggaeton label Pina Records (Carlitos Way, Karis, Pablo Portillo) picked up Rakim and Ken-Y in 2006, releasing their first album Masterpiece later that same year. A smash hit, Masterpiece sold over 500,000 copies within a year and produced four hit singles, including "Down" and "Igual Que Ayer". Masterpiece has since been re-released twice, with a live version (Masterpiece: World Tour (Sold Out)) released in 2006 and an extended/remixed version (Masterpiece: Commemorative Edition) released in 2007. Amidst heavy touring, the duo plans to release a second original full-length album entitled The Royalty in summer 2008.