A chat with the Master At Work before we celebrate Halloween with the Dopewax gang, Saturday, October 29th at Le Bain.
LE BAIN: You were raised in Sunset Park, Brooklyn. Can you share your earliest memory of Halloween in the mid/late 70’s?
KENNY DOPE: In all honesty, Halloween doesn't really bring any big memories as far as music or costumes go. What it does bring to mind is stealing eggs from the local bodega and going out with a crew bombing people for halloween.
KENNY DOPE: In all honesty, Halloween doesn't really bring any big memories as far as music or costumes go. What it does bring to mind is stealing eggs from the local bodega and going out with a crew bombing people for halloween.
"One of my biggest gifts is reading the crowd"
From the age of 15 to 21, you worked as a buyer for a local record shop, and that’s where you fall in love with digging for records. I read you have more than 50,000 records today. How do you organize them?
There are records everywhere, but they are organized. I keep them in alphabetical order by genre. Every record is in its place. When I go to a friend's house and I see their records all crazy, my stomach drops.
With so many productions and records and music styles under your belt, how do you prepare your selection for a night like this Halloween party?
Sometimes it's hard to say. With a layout like Le Bain, I feel like that crowd is a combination of tourist and locals as well as friends and family. When I've played there in the past, it's been all different types of House music. I feel on Halloween I can probably bob and weave through other genres as well. It all depends on the crowd. I've been doing this a long time, and one of my biggest gifts is reading the crowd. Whatever I play, I aim to make them happy and keep them dancing.
Sometimes it's hard to say. With a layout like Le Bain, I feel like that crowd is a combination of tourist and locals as well as friends and family. When I've played there in the past, it's been all different types of House music. I feel on Halloween I can probably bob and weave through other genres as well. It all depends on the crowd. I've been doing this a long time, and one of my biggest gifts is reading the crowd. Whatever I play, I aim to make them happy and keep them dancing.
"Dopewax Approved" Kenny Dope & Friends
(Album Sampler)
You'll be playing under the Dopewax banner and bringing some friends into the booth. What can we expect?
Dopewax has been making some noise over the last few years and even more this month with the release of "Dopewax Approved", featuring 25 tracks....We have been working on growing the brand with more artists than ever before. There's so much music out there with really no outlet if you are young or haven't gotten your foot in the door. So the night will be about the crowd first and our friends: I'm bringing with me Ant La Rock, a new and upcoming producer and DJ on the label and a veteran from my label Mr.V... Todd Terry, who has also some collaborations with me on the album, might pop through if he can get into the city from a previous gig. We'll see. All I can say is that no one will go home unhappy.
Dopewax has been making some noise over the last few years and even more this month with the release of "Dopewax Approved", featuring 25 tracks....We have been working on growing the brand with more artists than ever before. There's so much music out there with really no outlet if you are young or haven't gotten your foot in the door. So the night will be about the crowd first and our friends: I'm bringing with me Ant La Rock, a new and upcoming producer and DJ on the label and a veteran from my label Mr.V... Todd Terry, who has also some collaborations with me on the album, might pop through if he can get into the city from a previous gig. We'll see. All I can say is that no one will go home unhappy.
What would you say is the creepiest dance music record ever released? Please explain your choice. Will you play it?
WOW, I thought I knew it all...This one has me stumped for some reason...If I come up with it before Saturday, I will play it if I can make it fit in.
Kenny Dope feat. Robert Owens "Bricks Down"
(Master At Work remix)
You’ve been making NYC and the world dance for the last 30 years. Could you tell us about the wildest Halloween party you've attended?
I haven't really done too many Halloween nights. There was one Halloween party I did overseas and I can't even remember where. It had to be like 7 years ago. Costumes were bananas, everyone outside the booth was doing drugs, it was just insane. We've been having our own personal Halloween party at the house where we go all-out decorating every room: glow hallways, chop shops, etc....We haven't had one since the triplets were born, but now that they are two. Maybe next year.
Saturday, October 29th, Le Bain presents A Dopewax Halloween
featuring Kenny Dope and Friends
The Standard, High Line | 10pm
Header photo by Jos Kottman
