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Miami Kings

Miami Kings -- Biography

Rarely does a artist come along that evokes such emotion and puts a positive spin on the Hip Hop / Rap genre of music, and one that stands out above all others as is the case with the dynamic act Miami Kings. The duo formed in 2008 consists of Yosbel Munoz and Luis Bezanilla aka Felonia.

Yosbel Munoz, born in 1986 in Holguin Cuba, was introduced into the world of music at the age of 13 by his father Pedro, also a musician in Cuba. In 2001,Yosbel, then 15 years old, came to the United States where he began to devote himself to his first love – music.

Luis Bezanilla aka Felonia was born of Cuban decent in 1973 in Miami Florida and was raised in the slums of Hialeah. In 1986 at the age of 15 Luis, a descendent of the Spanish music culture, was introduced to the world of hip hop music. Never turning back from that moment, Luis knew he was destined to be a musician and became well known on the streets by his now stage name Felonia. In 2005, at the age of 15, Felonia released his first independent record titled 911/Fuego which received local radio air play and attracted a great deal of attention.

Coming up and meeting in 2005 with varying styles of music there was a great deal of controversy at first between these two stellar artists. Yosbel’s roots being derived from the RnB genre while Felonia’s were deeply entrenched in the hip hop and rap culture. As it turned out, in 2008, these two varied styles of music became a benchmark for something brand new and innovative and the integration of these two genres became known as the Miami Kings.

The songwriting process this hip hop duo engages is unique in many ways. “We both write lyrics and music,” states Felonia, “Our music comes from within and it’s actually part of the culture we live on a daily basis”. With musical influences rooted in Latin music culture, and coming from a wide variety of genres, the act combines merrenque, timba, mambo, salsa, hip hop and rap, to create a truly unique and genuine sound that can only be illustrated by the likes of the Miami Kings. “We believe our music is based on reality and brings a new style and music mix to our culture, and that’s what makes us stand out from the rest,” states Felonia.

The first two songs from this group were Muevelo and Pa Que. The effort was assisted by Yasiel (Edge) Landrian, an engineer from Slip n Slide Records, the very well know production team from Villa Records, and Platinum/Gold recording engineer Michael Fuller, who is also responsible for the mastering of the bands music. The songs went on to be a permanent part of the group’s repertoire.

This dynamic duo is no stranger to the big stage. Having performed at the Calle 8 Flamingo Fest, stunning their audience of almost 30,000 fans, and also supporting Grammy™ nominated, and Platinum recording recipient Elvis Crespo, the group has also appeared on multiple television shows with many more lined up for 2010.

The Miami Kings have come a very long way in their quest and are looking to 2010 to be their year to blow up big. With plans to release their new album “En Zona” (In My Zone) the album title says it all for these vibrant young performers. The scheduled date for this record to drop is tentatively set for July 2010. The group is also filming a new video for the new album to be released subsequently. Miami Kings will also hitting the road to tour their home state of Florida and many regions of the US in support of their new record in July of 2010.

With an honest belief that even with huge commercial success, they can maintain their artistic integrity, Felonia says, “I want our audiences to feel the joy of our music in their souls, and to bring them the kind of happiness that will make even an 80 year old get up and dance.” “Music and performing is our life”, states Felonia, “without it I’d probably wind up back in prison or on the streets hustling again, and that’s just not an option for me any longer.”

The Miami Kings are set to explode in 2010. This is one hip hop act you do not want to miss. For more information on the group, and to stay up to date on their record release and tour you can visit their website www.myspace.com/miamikingsofficialpage http://www.facebook.com/miamikings