Kenny Dope and Little Louie Vegas aka Masters At Work are like the Outkast of house music. Very different personalities, but the one thing they share in common is their love for making and playing music.

I got a chance to meet Masters At Work during the Red Bulll Music Academy activities in San Fran. I caught a picture with both Kenny Dope and Little Louie Vega but it near impossible to get a pic with both of them in it.

Anyway check out the pics as well as listen to audio for their party at 103 Harriet via Red Bull Music Academy Radio.

Their name says it all – Masters At Work. ‘Little’ Louie Vega and Kenny ‘Dope’ Gonzalez celebrate 20 years together, channeling dance music down new paths with their inventive production style and imaginative feel for different musical forms. The two native New Yorkers have amassed an overwhelming body of work including hundreds of original productions and defiantly mix everything they can find – house, hip hop, funk, disco, Latin, African and jazz – into a universal groove. XLR8R’s Shawn Reynaldo sits down with them on the couch during Red Bull Music Academy’s ‘New York City to SF Bay’ lecture series in San Francisco to discuss the start of their careers and dissolving the barriers between genres.

Lecture: Masters at Work (San Francisco, 2012) from Red Bull Music Academy on Vimeo.

Masters At Work Live In San Fran Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

What’s really good party people. I recently made a trip out to the Bay Area to the great city of San Francisco. If you took New York City from the east coast and put it in California, added some mountains, some palm trees, and a BUNCH of hills… San Francisco is what you would get. I really had a good time out that way, and luckily I was able to take a few pictures to share from my travels. Things I saw: The Bay Bridge, Alcatraz Island (from afar), Hills, Haight & Ashbury (Birthplace of Hippies & Ben&Jerrys), random Year Of The Dragon things in Chinatown, and I even saw Dave Chapelle (no picture though).

I was in the Bay for Red Bull Music Academy meetings, and events. Saw shows with Gary Bartz, Bilal, Aloe Blacc, Blu & Exile, Stretch & Bobbito, and Masters At Work. I’ll be posting more pics in other posts, but for now check these out.

This was my theme music while I was walking around in San Fran.

What a week this has been already. My phone broke on sunday night and I’ve been out the matrix for the past few days… With that said, if your looking for me for the rest of the week you can find me in the BAY!!!

Headed to San Francisco to link up with my Red Bull Music Academy family. This is just a taste of what I’ll be getting into. Looking forward to seeing all my San Fran famalams, and hopefully I get the chance to ghost-ride somebodies whip. HA!

I’ll be sure to take some cool pics and hit you guys with a Blog update when I return.

During my recent trip to NYC I sat down with the good people from Brooklyn Bodega to talk about The Kaos Effect. Check it out.

10 days after the A3C Festival ended, I took a trip up to NYC for the 2011 CMJ Festival. On Tuesday night I made a surprise appearance during Fresh Daily’s set at Drom for the Brooklyn Bodega showcase.

Then on Thursday I rocked at the Thompson Hotel for the Digiwaxx showcase. Both were super short sets, but new fans were made, and that’s what counts. The Kaos Effect LP is coming 11.11.11. Can’t wait for y’all to hear it.

This past Wednesday I braved the mini tropical storm that was going on in NYC and trooped it out to Bushwick Brookyn to catch up with Crazy DJ Bizarro for Beatminerz Radio. Shouts to Mr. Walt for the invite. The studio that houses the radio show as I learned is also the same place where the Hip Hop classic Black Moon “Enta Da Stage” and countless other joints were made. Was a honor to be sitting in the same place that gave birth some of my favorite Hip Hop tracks.

When I got there Bizarro told me “Your gonna laugh today” and BOY was he right. It started with Dj Esquire’s Phil Collins Vs. Michael McDonald battle.. Afterwards Bizarro took over for Bizarro’s World. Check it out.

I talked about the new album, why I’m in NYC, and Bizarro debuts two new joints for the world to check. I had a great time. Salute to the Beatminerz fam.

What’s going on party people. I JUST got returned from NYC from the 2011 CMJ Festival. I performed in NYC for CMJ back in 2009 at Public Assembly in Bklyn, I missed 2010, so I was thrilled to be back in the city for CMJ this year.

On Wednesday night I made a stop by WNYU for the Halftime Radio Show with DJ Eclipse, DJ Avee, DJ 3D. Shouts to DJ Skizz, Petey Cologne, Navani, Immortal Technique, Apollo Brown, Miss Al Boogie, and Punchline.

Immortal Technique debuted some new music, Me and Punch kicked some rhymes, Apollo Brown speaks to NYC about what he has going on. Check it out. Video footage via U-Stream.

Congrats to DJ Eclipse who just had a kid recently.

This past Wednesday night I stopped by WNYU for Halftime Radio with DJ Eclipse and special guest DJ’s Avee & DJ 3D.

A couple of nights ago the homie DJ Rasta Root posted some footage via Facebook of Jax (R.I.P.) during his trip to Japan. Jax traveled to Japan with Rasta Root and Phife (ATCQ) to promote the 12inch that featured “4 Da Cream.”

I remember being around Jax and hearing the story of how they drove all the way to Detroit to re-record or mix “4 Da Cream” with Zo. Jax also had a song “We Can Do This” on the NBA Ballers video game. Then the next thing you know, BONG, he was being invited to Japan by Roots and Phife to perform on several dates.

This footage has never been seen before. Shouts to DJ Rasta Root for posting this for us to see after all these years.

I’m SUPER late with making this post. But better late than never. Back in February I was in invited to visit New Orleans for the Red Bull Music Academy 2011 meetings. Each day myself as well as all the RBMA reps (Mr./Mrs X’s) from around the country were treated to discussions, as well as Q&A sessions with New Orleans producer Mannie Fresh and U.K. DJ/Producer Sinden. I also got a chance to meet Chairman Mao (Ego Trip), and Walter Lee (Stooges Brass Band). I learned a little more about the culture of the city from the Mardi Gras Indians, to the history of Bounce Music that the NOLA has become famous for.

All in all the trip was amazing, and it’s always good to be back in New Orleans. I actually haven’t been in the NOLA since the year before Hurricane Katrina happened. The food is amazing, the music is upbeat, the people are unique, and the city has a lot of heritage.

It was great to hear Mannie Fresh talk about his history in the music business, as well as New Orleans bounce music history. I got a chance to witness the Glen David Andrews band get down the first night I was there at DBA. I also got a chance to open up for Camp Lo at Howlin Wolf, and hit Mothers for a Po Boy sandwich. I think I ate enough seafood during my stay to potentially have iodine poisoning. HA

Check out some pics from the trip below.

The Baby Dolls performing with the Stooges Brass Band at Howlin Wolf.