The story of Kon and Amir begins in the record bins of Boston. A chance encounter at Biscuithead Records in 1996 would lead to one of the best-kept alliances in the beat digging world. Within a year of their meeting, the pair cut On Track Volume 1, the first in what would be a five part series of mix discs, infecting ears with seamless blends of unparalleled beats and breaks. Over a lifetime of collecting, they’ve unearthed records that define the word rare, pulling from the best in deep funk, soul, jazz, R&B, Latin, reggae, and of course, hip-hop. After the conclusion of the On Track series, the duo secured a five-record deal with BBE/Rapster and have already released three entries to the On Track companion series Off Track, with a fourth installment set for release in 2011. No bin is too dirty for Kon and Amir; the DJs have scoured all manner of records spots in their day, braving seedy barrooms and rabid fanatics along the way. It’s all been a part of what is now a discography that goes eight albums deep, including The Kings of Diggin’ with their Japanese contemporary DJ Muro.
In the studio, Kon has positioned himself in the middle of a group of anonymous multi-track collectors known only as the “Super Friends” who posses digital versions of the original recording sessions of some of pop music’s greatest artists such as Stevie Wonder, Barry White, Michael Jackson, Cerrone, Slave, Teena Marie, George Benson, Mizell Brothers, Slave and many more. This resource along with Kon’s vast knowledge of music has resulted in him creating some of the most dance-floor friendly re-edits today. His productions and mixes have caught the ear of taste makers such as Gilles Peterson, Soul Clap, Jazzanova, Dam-Funk, and King Britt. Amir has worked in the A&R department and was head of distribution at Fat Beat Records and, more recently, as Label Manager for Wax Poetics Records.
Over the course of their fourteen year career, Kon and Amir have gained legendary status oversees while achieving domestic recognition from some of the most beloved beat-diggers, DJs, and producers in the game. Lord Finesse has referred to the team as “two of the most extraordinary but underrated beat diggers in the game,” and turntable virtuoso A-Trak regards their compilations and mixtapes as underground DJ classics. Like the vinyl they collect, Kon and Amir are of a rare breed. They consistently shake up dancefloors the world over, and their popularity is so high that fans actually offer up their own dusty singles and LPs as a gift to these beloved collectors. Their working command of music history makes them breathing tomes of wax knowledge; to that effect, Shady Records, Dr. Dre, Pete Rock, Diamond D, and Capitol Records (to name but a few) have called upon their expertise.
“I love Kon and Amir’s comps for so many reasons. First off, for pure listening pleasure, you can throw one on for an hour and know you’re going to hear a bunch of amazing long-lost soul treasures, as they have impeccable taste. And secondly, as an ex-pseudo beat-digger, I have a giant amount of wonderment and awe for the fact that these guys keep digging up these shattering breaks-n-beats, just when you think every magic 2-bar loop has been discovered, they drop something that makes me go, 'what the f**k is that!' Oh, and Amir is a nice guy too.”
-Mark Ronson
“Those BBE records were just phenomenal. I think they were very much ahead of the curve when it comes to just digging that much deeper and ever since all those came out, there’s been a whole heap of new generation compilations - very next level stuff. Where the hell can you get all that music from?! Proper diggers!”
-Gilles Peterson
“Kon is the best Disco/Funk/Soul/Boogie DJ in the world, yeah I said it. Yes of course, I know. You’re probably saying ‘but but but, what about DJ BLAH BLAH’! Well, Kon will not only mix circles around whoever you’re thinking about but then at the end of the night he’ll go home and sleep in Dorchester. Being from Boston is 10 extra points.”
-Soul Clap
“KON and AMIR are many of my peers dream selectors. They have ALWAYS kept the art form of true diggin’ as well as unearthing stellar, yet forgotten gems from ALL genres alive! From they’re important work on BBE, to their vast knowledge of the music, they keep the standard & bar raised HIGH for all WAX diggers, collectors, & selectors to strive for in the game. Much luv & respect to the internationally known KON and AMIR!!”
- DâM-FunK
The story of Kon and Amir begins in the record bins of Boston. A chance encounter at Biscuithead Records in 1996 would lead to one of the best-kept alliances in the beat digging world. Within a year of their meeting, the pair cut On Track Volume 1, the first in what would be a five part series of mix discs, infecting ears with seamless blends of unparalleled beats and breaks. Over a lifetime of collecting, they’ve unearthed records that define the word rare, pulling from the best in deep funk, soul, jazz, R&B, Latin, reggae, and of course, hip-hop. After the conclusion of the On Track series, the duo secured a five-record deal with BBE/Rapster and have already released three entries to the On Track companion series Off Track, with a fourth installment set for release in 2011. No bin is too dirty for Kon and Amir; the DJs have scoured all manner of records spots in their day, braving seedy barrooms and rabid fanatics along the way. It’s all been a part of what is now a discography that goes eight albums deep, including The Kings of Diggin’ with their Japanese contemporary DJ Muro.
In the studio, Kon has positioned himself in the middle of a group of anonymous multi-track collectors known only as the “Super Friends” who posses digital versions of the original recording sessions of some of pop music’s greatest artists such as Stevie Wonder, Barry White, Michael Jackson, Cerrone, Slave, Teena Marie, George Benson, Mizell Brothers, Slave and many more. This resource along with Kon’s vast knowledge of music has resulted in him creating some of the most dance-floor friendly re-edits today. His productions and mixes have caught the ear of taste makers such as Gilles Peterson, Soul Clap, Jazzanova, Dam-Funk, and King Britt. Amir has worked in the A&R department and was head of distribution at Fat Beat Records and, more recently, as Label Manager for Wax Poetics Records.
Over the course of their fourteen year career, Kon and Amir have gained legendary status oversees while achieving domestic recognition from some of the most beloved beat-diggers, DJs, and producers in the game. Lord Finesse has referred to the team as “two of the most extraordinary but underrated beat diggers in the game,” and turntable virtuoso A-Trak regards their compilations and mixtapes as underground DJ classics. Like the vinyl they collect, Kon and Amir are of a rare breed. They consistently shake up dancefloors the world over, and their popularity is so high that fans actually offer up their own dusty singles and LPs as a gift to these beloved collectors. Their working command of music history makes them breathing tomes of wax knowledge; to that effect, Shady Records, Dr. Dre, Pete Rock, Diamond D, and Capitol Records (to name but a few) have called upon their expertise.
“I love Kon and Amir’s comps for so many reasons. First off, for pure listening pleasure, you can throw one on for an hour and know you’re going to hear a bunch of amazing long-lost soul treasures, as they have impeccable taste. And secondly, as an ex-pseudo beat-digger, I have a giant amount of wonderment and awe for the fact that these guys keep digging up these shattering breaks-n-beats, just when you think every magic 2-bar loop has been discovered, they drop something that makes me go, 'what the f**k is that!' Oh, and Amir is a nice guy too.”
-Mark Ronson
“Those BBE records were just phenomenal. I think they were very much ahead of the curve when it comes to just digging that much deeper and ever since all those came out, there’s been a whole heap of new generation compilations - very next level stuff. Where the hell can you get all that music from?! Proper diggers!”
-Gilles Peterson
“Kon is the best Disco/Funk/Soul/Boogie DJ in the world, yeah I said it. Yes of course, I know. You’re probably saying ‘but but but, what about DJ BLAH BLAH’! Well, Kon will not only mix circles around whoever you’re thinking about but then at the end of the night he’ll go home and sleep in Dorchester. Being from Boston is 10 extra points.”
-Soul Clap
“KON and AMIR are many of my peers dream selectors. They have ALWAYS kept the art form of true diggin’ as well as unearthing stellar, yet forgotten gems from ALL genres alive! From they’re important work on BBE, to their vast knowledge of the music, they keep the standard & bar raised HIGH for all WAX diggers, collectors, & selectors to strive for in the game. Much luv & respect to the internationally known KON and AMIR!!”
- DâM-FunK