Bio
Six members. One dream. You can call it fate or luck but the talent is undeniable. ThaiKoon is a Thai-American hip hop group based out of Los Angeles, CA. Formed in late 2007, the rap group is composed of Dennis “Menace” Dhajobhars, Jaycein “Karmanize” Saardphak, Kris “KK” Boonmark, Nattavuth “N-A-Double T” Karakon, Watcharaphon “Big P” Haklindee and resident singer Danny “Cadillac” Bunnathong. They came together with one goal in mind and that’s to bring a LA-style hip hop to Thailand.
“I wanted to bring together the most talented Thai MC’s in LA and form an all-star team,” says Menace. “I shared my idea with the individuals I thought was most talented and the rest is history.”
A chance meeting one night at a local bar in Hollywood’s Thaitown with artists KK, N-A-Doublt T, Big P, and Karmanize lead to the inception of the group.
“D [Menace] approached me with the concept and I was feelin’ it.” KK said. “I was doing my own thing with my group [Bad Brotherz] at the time, but I thought it would be a cool project.”
“I was down with it. I just wanted to put Thai people on the map,” says Big P. “Me, Karmanize, and N-A-Double T had our own group called Dek North and we’re all down.”
As things started to materialize, everybody pulled their resources together. A home studio was built and the first song recorded was the energetic and infectuous single “Turp Noi.”
“We knew we had a special chemistry when we were working on this song.” says the rapid fire N-A-Doublt-T. “The energy was off the chain!” added the youngest member of the group Karmanize.
Working on the second single, an R&B inspired melodious track entitled “Long Ruk Tur” the group decided to bring on board a local singer, Danny “Cadillac” Bunnathong.
“I was always passionate about music but didn’t get a chance to truly express it.” says the crooner. “I sang locally and just started writing songs. When this opportunity came, I was excited.”
Now complete, ThaiKoon moved forward with performances and hosting duties at various events throughout Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Las Vegas. Having performed at major venues such as the Avalon, Level 3 and Cabana Club, their first big break came when the group opened a show for the famed Thai musical pioneer Jay Jetrin. With that momentum, ThaiKoon soon established a great fan base with commanding attention; which eventually led them to open shows for such acts as BODYSLAM, Thaitanium, ZAZA and CLASH.
With their highly anticipated debut album titled “The Movement” soon to hit the streets, their biggest concern is not sales but rather putting forth a represenation of Thai people in the Hip Hop community.
“We want to keep the momentum going for Hip Hop in Thailand. Hip Hop is how we grew up, how we think, how we talk, it’s a big part of our lives.” As one member put it, “It’s about being able to support our families while doing something we love which is music. We have been blessed to have come this far and to live our dreams.”
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