Their debut song was not a big hit but they were quickly compared to the more famous at the time Zion y Lennox, refering to the way that one of them has a nice singing voice (Ken-y, Zion) and the other one raps (Rakim, Lennox).
Their first label was The Money Machine which was owned by veteran Notty Play. That year they also appeared on Ban2 Korrupto which was released by their label. They kept making more appearances like on "The Noise Live" but were still practically unknown.
They decided to release a mixtape to the streets and Internet called "Los Reyes del Mambo". This mixtape, produced completely by Ken-Y (who not only sings but also Dj's), caught the eye of Nicky Jam, who showed it to Raphy Pina, the owner of the infamous Pina Records label, which was up until now known as the War label, being that most of their artists (such as Lito y Polaco and Nicky Jam himself) were famous for their for beefs with artists from other labels.
Raphy liked the mixtape so much that he wanted the rookie duo in his label, so, after their contract with Money Machine was over, he convinced them to sign with Pina.
Their first appearance with the label was in the compilation album "Pina All - Stars 2", which was a compilation of many hit songs released by Pina Records. Raphy used this cd to release some new songs by Rakim y Ken-Y to the public.
Around this time, the awaited Nicky Jam album "Vida Escante" came out. On it they had a song in which Nicky Jam introduced them as the new members of Pina Records. This song of course, was "Me Estoy Muriendo". While not common on other labels, it is not uncommon in Pina Records for an artist to "present" the rookies. They also had a song with Nicky Jam called "Pasado", which originally came out in their mixtape but Nicky liked it so much he wanted a version with him for his cd.
Both this songs had videos which gave them great exposure to people who had not seen what they looked like before.
Fans realized that they were unlike most other duos in Reggaeton, being that they did not use curse words in their songs and they composed romantic music compared to the dancing music the others make.
Don Omar, a former member of Pina Records who was now arguably one of the most famous people in the genre, was about to release a cd called "Los Bandoleros", which was a cd executive produced by him (NOT MUSICALLY PRODUCED) to help his friends gain more exposure. He invited all his former label mates from Pina Records to the cd: Lito, Nicky Jam, Polaco and Rakim y Ken-Y.
He was impressed by Ken-Y's singing voice and wanted to have a song with them. The song, called "Si la Vez", was what definitely turned Rakim y Ken-Y into a mainstream duo. This was the biggest hit from the cd although it was not released as a single.
This gave them the most exposure they had never received and were soon becoming more and more popular while Zion y Lennox were starting to crumble.
Boy Wonder, producer of the cd/dvd Chosen Few El Documental and Chencho, of the popular duo Plan B, were producing a cd called "El Draft" del reggaeton which was made to give rookies a chance to shine. Fans were given the chance to vote for their favorite rookie and Rakim y Ken-Y won by a landslide beating many others reggaeton singers, even some that had released albums and very well known stars like John Eric, Jomar, Kartier, among others.
Their song "Tu No Estas" from El Draft was chosen as the single and the video for it shows Rakim y Ken-Y arriving to New York for El Draft with Raphy Pina.
Rakim, who is 27 years old and Ken-Y, who is 21, were now one of, if not the most, famous duo in Puerto Rico and fans were delighted when Raphy Pina announced their cd "Masterpiece" La Obra Maestra. Things took a bad turn though when someone broke in the Pina Records studio and destroyed everything.
All the work they had put on the cd was lost. Instead of moping around however, they quickly resumed work right away at a rented studio but the release date had to be pushed back, which conveniently ended up being Valentine's Day.
Finally, after much anticipation and hard work, Masterpiece was released. Masterpiece debuted #2 in the Latin Billboards, behind only Daddy Yankee's Barrio Fino: En Directo.
The song "Down" however, debuted at #1. The album sold extremely well, much better than anyone could have imagined and featured Nicky Jam, Polaco, La India, and Cruzito and Carlito's Way, two newcomers to Pina.
They are as strong as ever right now and are preparing for a massive concert in El Coliseo de Puerto Rico, the most important venue on the island, on August 18th.
Amigo
Rakim Y Ken-Y Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Solo una cosa a mi Dios yo le pido
Que entre sus brazos te encuentres dormido
Amigo, para nosotros siempre seras amigo
Te haz marchado pues lo quizo el destino
En nuestra (mente) siempre estaras vivo
Amigo ... amigo ...
Entre llantos y tristezas hoy amigo te despido
Pidiendole al Señor que en sus brazos tu estes dormido
Con mis lagrimas voy recordando todo lo que hicimos
Las ocurrencias que hicimos en el barrio cuando crecimos
Mirando al cielo pido a Dios que te perdone,
Siempre te recordaremos en nuestros corazones
Fuistes un amigo en las buenas y en las malas
Siento un dolor tan grande ahora por que te marchas
Amigo ya que al cielo tu haz partido
Solo una cosa a mi Dios yo le pido
Que entre sus brazos te encuentres dormido
Amigo, para nosotros siempre seras amigo
Te haz marchado pues lo quizo el destino
En nuestra (mente) siempre estaras vivo
Amigo ... amigo ...
Que es lo que debo hacer para yo conformarme?
Si dia a dia lo que hago es recordarte
Quisiera tenerte frente a frente y explicarte
Para que veas cuanta falta tu me haces
Que es lo que debo hacer para yo conformarme?
Si dia a dia lo que hago es recordarte
Quisiera tenerte frente a frente y explicarte
Que aunque te hayas ido tu siempre seras
Amigo ya que al cielo tu haz partido
Solo una cosa a mi Dios yo le pido
Que entre sus brazos te encuentres dormido
Amigo, para nosotros siempre seras amigo
Te haz marchado pues lo quizo el destino
En nuestra (mente) siempre estaras vivo
Amigo ... amigo ...
The lyrics of Rakim Y Ken-Y's song "Amigo" express the sorrow and grief of losing a dear friend who has passed away. The first stanza speaks directly to the departed friend, asking God to hold him in his arms and let him rest in peace. The chorus emphasizes the enduring bond of friendship, even in death, and assures the departed friend that he will always be remembered and cherished.
The second stanza is a lament from the perspective of the singer, reflecting on the moments they shared and the memories they created together. The lyrics convey a sense of longing and regret, wishing that they could have more time together and wondering how to cope with their loss. Despite the pain, the singer acknowledges the importance of forgiveness and holds their friend close in their heart.
Overall, the lyrics of "Amigo" are a heartfelt tribute to the power of friendship and the enduring spirit of those who have passed on. The song captures the emotional journey of grief, from its raw beginnings to a place of acceptance and healing.
Line by Line Meaning
Amigo ya que al cielo tu haz partido
Friend, now that you've gone to heaven
Solo una cosa a mi Dios yo le pido
There is only one thing I ask of God
Que entre sus brazos te encuentres dormido
That you may rest in His arms
Amigo, para nosotros siempre seras amigo
Friend, you will always be our friend
Te haz marchado pues lo quizo el destino
You have left because it was destiny
En nuestra (mente) siempre estaras vivo
You will always be alive in our minds
Amigo ... amigo ...
Friend... friend...
Entre llantos y tristezas hoy amigo te despido
Amid tears and sadness, today I farewell you friend
Pidiendole al Señor que en sus brazos tu estes dormido
Asking the Lord that you may rest in His arms
Con mis lagrimas voy recordando todo lo que hicimos
With my tears, I remember all we did
Las ocurrencias que hicimos en el barrio cuando crecimos
The things we did in the neighborhood when we grew up
Mirando al cielo pido a Dios que te perdone,
Looking up to the sky, I ask God to forgive you
Siempre te recordaremos en nuestros corazones
We will always remember you in our hearts
Fuistes un amigo en las buenas y en las malas
You were a friend in good times and bad
Siento un dolor tan grande ahora por que te marchas
I feel such immense pain now that you leave
Que es lo que debo hacer para yo conformarme?
What must I do to make myself content?
Si dia a dia lo que hago es recordarte
If every day what I do is remember you
Quisiera tenerte frente a frente y explicarte
I wish to have you face to face and explain to you
Para que veas cuanta falta tu me haces
So that you see how much I miss you
Que aunque te hayas ido tu siempre seras
That even though you're gone, you will always be
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind