A few (or more) years ago, I embarked on a project to tell the story of the Godfather of Tampa Hip-Hop, Kenny “Kenny K” Waters. Kenny K was the first notable hip-hop DJ in Tampa. From 1986 to 1993, Kenny hosted his rap show on WMNF 88.5. He played the big New York artists at the same time they were being played in New York, at a time when other cities had to wait for the labels to distribute. He introduced a generation to the music of the streets.
Kenny was also notable for being a founding member of old school hip-hop group Digital Underground. Known for their smash hit “The Humpty Dance” in 1991, Digital Underground played around the world while Kenny stayed in Tampa with his show and working on his own solo music projects.
Sadly, Kenny passed away in 1994 from a liver disease, his own album never completed. Since his death, there have been a handful of articles and memorial pieces, but no one has put together his whole life story.
This week my team and I are happy to release the trailer for the Kenny K Documentary. We still have many people yet to talk to, but we wanted to show the world what we have. This is a big step in the biggest project I have ever worked on.
