R.K.M & Ken-Y

José Nieves (R.K.M) and Kenny Vázquez (Ken-Y), both from Gurabo, Puerto Rico, were a Grammy Award-nominated reggaeton duo. And separated in 2013 to make music on their own.

Early career

The duo started their music career in high school. R.K.M (formerly known as "Rakim" but changed to avoid confusion with the established hip-hop artist Rakim) was inspired by the explosion of reggaeton music in the 1990s. He encouraged Ken-Y to join him to form a duo; they performed at 16th birthday parties and public events.

Nicky Jam gave them a chance to make an appearance on his album, Vida Escante. They were featured on "Pasado" and "Me Estoy Muriendo". These singles were hits in Latin America. They also won The Draft, a contest for upcoming Latin artists. They won the best Latin and reggae award in 2007.

Professional career

This success attrcated Raphy Pina, the reggaeton moguls. They signed to the label and a year later released Masterpiece. The album was nominated for Premio Lo Nuestro of 2007. Their first hit single was "Down", reaching #1 on the Billboard Hot Latin Songs chart in 2006. Four other singles were released from the album, as well as music videos. It won many awards. The album went platinum and sold about 600,000 copies. The duo went on a tour across the world. They have released the songs performed on tour on an album entitled Masterpiece: World Tour (Sold Out). They have also released a special edition version of the album entitled Masterpiece Commemorative Edition.