About

Straight out of Central Islip, Strong Island comes DJ Knes formerly of the hip-hop group called Kemelions from BMG/Zoo Street Records back in the early 90s with an EP release titled, "Basement Arrangements." Influenced by groups like, The Cold Crush Brothers, Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five,...
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Straight out of Central Islip, Strong Island comes DJ Knes formerly of the hip-hop group called Kemelions from BMG/Zoo Street Records back in the early 90s with an EP release titled, "Basement Arrangements." Influenced by groups like, The Cold Crush Brothers, Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, to label mates such as Tool and mentored by members of the alternative punk group called Fishbone, Knes developed and pioneered a unique sense for fashionable expression earning him recognition by various teenager, hairstyle and hip hop magazines to include the Source, where his group, Kemelions earned 3.5 stars for their release. Knes wrote his first rhyme and touched a turntable in 1979. Free styling raps since 1983 would later lead him to form a Christian rap group called "Brothers In Christ" or B.I.C., writing and performing his first Christian rap in 1987 at Roanoke Bible College, now known as Mid-Atlantic Christian University from Elizabeth City, North Carolina where he studied to become a youth minister. Down with the Universal Zulu Nation under DJ Power and TC Islam, Knes and his hip hop group called "Mob Versa" signed their first recording contract with Uni Records/MCA with a single release called "Def is the Status." Knes is one of the founding members of the dance group called "Step Féns" He started deejayin' back in 1985 when he was influenced by his uncles who went by the name of "Unlimited Power Crew" and a local deejay (Bryant Stephens) who lived in the neighborhood. That local deejay eventually sold him the pair of Technics SL-D2 turntables and a Gemini mixer, along with some lessons for operating them to set Knes on the path of turntablism. Deejay Diamond formerly known as Diamond Jay, founding member of the deejay outfit called "The X-Men, also known as "The X-ecutioners" took Knes under his tutelage making him one of the baddest deejays to ever touch the one's and two's. Wendy Day of Rap Coalition later would introduce Knes to the Cold Crush Brothers, Deejay Charlie Chase, Grandmaster Caz, and the other members, which led Knes to eventually meet the one and only, Grandmaster Flash (Pioneer of Hip-Hop and producer for the Kemelions). It was with Flash that thru numerous recording sessions, emceeing and deejaying at his recording studio in Harlem, he would mentor Knes nto using the turntables as instruments. Grandmaster Flash would later sign a graffiti book, giving it to Knes addressing it to him saying "to the dopest emcee I've heard in a long time." DJ Knes has performed at house parties, family reunions and weddings, retirement and break-dance/b-boy parties, college radio stations to include; RAM Nation Radio (Farmingdale University), WBAU (Hofstra University), WNYT (New York Tech) and WUSB (Stony Brook University) to name a few. DJ Knes also played at clubs to include; Q Club and Krystals in Queens, House Nation (underground hip hop and house music), 40-40 Club (Jay-Z's) in Manhattan, Planet E and Sugar Ray's in Hempstead, The Harbor Club and The Funky Fish, several Dublin's all around and other locations way out to the Hamptons on Long Island. Knes worked out on the west coast as well for an independent record company called "Afterliphe" deejaying for a local artist called "Black Mikey" in the San Diego/Bay Area. DJ Knes is now committed to fulfilling his calling into the ministry by instructing young deejays in the fine art of turntablism and continues his writing and performing gospel hip-hop with the group called "Emperial Walkurz."
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DJ Knes aka V-Man mixes with Serato

DJ Knes aka V-Man on the web: