{{Short description|Canadian music producer and DJ}} {{Use mdy dates|date=November 2022}} {{Infobox musical artist | name = K-Cut | image = | caption = | birth_name = Kevin McKenzie | alias = The Golden Boy | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1971|7|25}} | birth_place = Toronto, Ontario, Canada | genre = Hip hop | occupation = Record producer, disc jockey | years_active = 1989–present | label = Wild Pitch Records, EMI, Tumblin' Dice Productions }} '''Kevin McKenzie''' (born July 25, 1971),<ref name="thestar"/> professionally known as '''K-Cut''', is a Canadian record producer and DJ, most notably as a member of East Coast hip hop group Main Source.
==Early life and family== Born in Toronto to a Jamaican father and an Afro-Guyanese mother, Sandra McKenzie, K-Cut's family moved to Queens, New York City, when he was a child.<ref name="views">{{cite web|url=https://hiphopcanada.com/views-k-cut-of-main-source/ |title=Views Before The 6 Ep. 3: K-Cut of Main Source |website=HipHopCanada |date=March 6, 2017 |accessdate=July 23, 2021}}</ref><ref name="thestar">{{cite web|url=https://www.thestar.com/entertainment/music/2016/08/15/main-source-a-hip-hop-classic-with-toronto-ties-turns-25.html |title=Main Source: A hip-hop classic with Toronto ties turns 25 |website=Toronto Star |date=August 15, 2016 |accessdate=July 23, 2021}}</ref> He and his brother Sir Scratch (Shawn McKenzie) were both DJs and attended John Bowne High School in Flushing, Queens, where K-Cut met future group member Large Professor.<ref name="vmp"/><ref name="now">{{cite web|url=https://nowtoronto.com/music/raps-main-source |title=Rap's Main Source |website=NOW |date=December 19, 2002 |accessdate=July 23, 2021}}</ref> His mother was very supportive of her sons' aspiring hip hop careers, funding their studio time and becoming the manager of their group Main Source.<ref name="thestar"/><ref name="vmp"/>
K-Cut is the cousin of fellow producer Rashad Smith, as well as musician Eddy Grant.<ref name="now"/><ref name="views"/> His maternal grandfather was a Toronto-based soul/disco singer in the 1970s.<ref name="thestar"/><ref name="vmp"/>
==Career== In 1989, Main Source released their first independent 12" single, "Think" b/w "Atom", under the mentorship of producer/engineer Paul C.<ref name="thestar"/><ref name="vmp"/> On July 17, 1989, Paul C was murdered in his home; K-Cut later stated that Main Source "basically inherited Paul C's style" and strove to "carry the torch" of his sound going forward.<ref name="views"/> During this period, K-Cut helped teach DJ Premier sampling techniques on the E-mu SP-1200.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/main-source-mn0000237949/biography |title=Main Source – Biography & History |website=AllMusic |accessdate=July 23, 2021}}</ref><ref name="thestar"/><ref name="now"/> After self-releasing their second 12" single "Watch Roger Do His Thing" in 1990, the group signed to Wild Pitch Records.<ref name="vmp">{{cite web|url=https://magazine.vinylmeplease.com/magazine/breaking-atoms-legendary-album-invented-sound-classic-new-york-hip-hop/ |title=Breaking Atoms: The Legendary Album That Invented The Sound Of "Classic" New York Hip-Hop |website=Vinyl Me Please |accessdate=July 23, 2021}}</ref>
In 1991, the group released their debut album, ''Breaking Atoms'', which is regarded as one of the greatest hip hop albums of all time.<ref name="thestar"/><ref name="vmp"/> Although Large Professor produced the majority of the album, K-Cut was praised for his "creative, energetic scratching", particularly on the track "Peace Is Not the Word to Play", which he produced.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/breaking-atoms-mw0000262514 |title=Main Source – Breaking Atoms |website=AllMusic |accessdate=July 23, 2021}}</ref><ref name="vmp"/> Also that year, K-Cut's production appeared on Queen Latifah's album ''Nature of a Sista''', and he produced the bulk of ''The Black Tie Affair'', an album by Toronto rapper Maestro Fresh Wes, which was certified gold in Canada.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rapreviews.com/archive/BTTL_blacktieaffair.html |title=Maestro Fresh-Wes – The Black Tie Affair |website=RapReviews |accessdate=July 23, 2021}}</ref><ref name="views"/>
The following year, K-Cut produced the Main Source single "Fakin' the Funk", which appeared on the ''White Men Can't Rap'' soundtrack and peaked at number one on the ''Billboard'' Hot Rap Singles chart.<ref name="vmp"/><ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/rap-song/1992-08-22 |title=Hot Rap Songs – Fakin' the Funk |magazine=Billboard |accessdate=July 23, 2021}}</ref> In 1993, he produced the Fu-Schnickens single "What's Up Doc? (Can We Rock)", featuring Shaquille O'Neal, which peaked at number 39 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and was certified gold in the United States.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/music/shaquille-oneal/chart-history/HSI |title=Shaquille O'Neal Chart History (Hot 100) |magazine=Billboard |accessdate=July 23, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.riaa.com/gold-platinum/?tab_active=default-award&se=Fu-Schnickens#search_section |title=Gold & Platinum – Fu-Schnickens |website=Recording Industry Association of America |accessdate=July 23, 2021}}</ref> That year, Large Professor left Main Source due to business differences, with K-Cut taking over as the main producer for their 1994 album ''Fuck What You Think''.<ref name="now"/><ref name="views"/> The album's single, "What You Need", was sampled for Madonna's 1995 worldwide hit "Human Nature", which credits K-Cut as a songwriter.<ref>{{cite book | last = O'Brien | first = Lucy | title = Madonna: Like an Icon |page = 289| year = 2008 | author-link = Lucy O'Brien | publisher = Bantam Press | isbn = 978-0-552-15361-4}}</ref>
By the late 1990s, K-Cut moved back to Toronto, further contributing his production to the city's hip hop scene.<ref name="thestar"/><ref name="views"/> In 1997, he produced the Infinite single "Gotta Get Mine" (featuring Divine Brown) and contributed to Citizen Kane's EP ''The Epic'', both of which were nominated for a Juno Award for Best Rap Recording.<ref name="views"/><ref name="junos">{{cite web|url=https://junoawards.ca/awards/past-winners-nominees/?search_year_val1=1998&search_year_val2=2000&search_category_val=225&search_wins_val=no&tag_search_val=&submit=submit |title=Junos – Past Nominees + Winners |website=Juno Awards |accessdate=July 24, 2021}}</ref> He also produced two tracks for Choclair's 1999 debut ''Ice Cold'', which won the aforementioned Juno Award.<ref name="views"/><ref name="junos"/>
In the early 2000s, K-Cut mentored a young Toronto producer named Watts.<ref>{{cite web |title=Watts Interview on HHC |url=http://www.hiphopcanada.com/2007/08/interview-austin-watts-garrick/ |website=HipHopCanada |access-date=July 23, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150509142348/http://www.hiphopcanada.com/2007/08/interview-austin-watts-garrick/ |archive-date=May 9, 2015}}</ref>
As of 2016, he served as the touring DJ for Canadian singer Kiki Rowe.<ref name="thestar"/>
==Musical style== K-Cut drew inspiration from the reggae music in his grandparents' record collection.<ref name="ebony">{{cite web|url=https://www.ebony.com/entertainment/breaking-atoms-main-source-hip-hop/ |title=[90s 'Til Infinity] 'Breaking Atoms,' An Unsung Hip Hop Classic |website=Ebony |date=February 2017 |accessdate=December 20, 2021}}</ref> When producing music, he visualizes an artist performing over the beat, before presenting the beat to said artist; one such instance was when he produced "How We Roll '98" for Big Pun.<ref name="ebony"/>
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{Main Source}}
Category:1971 births Category:Living people Category:20th-century Canadian male musicians Category:21st-century Canadian male musicians Category:20th-century Black Canadian musicians Category:Canadian hip-hop DJs Category:Canadian hip-hop record producers Category:Canadian people of Guyanese descent Category:Canadian people of Jamaican descent Category:Musicians from Queens, New York Category:Musicians from Toronto Category:21st-century Black Canadian musicians