Vince "Kazi" Mccoy

Vince “KAZI” McCoy was born on the Caribbean island of Antigua and has been performing as a drummer/vocalist since 1987. Kazi left Antigua in 1995 to pursue a music degree in the US. He received a BA in Music with Honors from Hunter College CUNY in 1999 and in 2002 he earned an MA in Music

Education also at Hunter College. Kazi has studied vibraphone and drums with Tom Mattioli, Cindy Blackman, Scott Neumann and he has also studied jazz with Dr. Anthony Branker.

Kazi performs such diverse styles as reggae, calypso, soca, R&B, pop and jazz on both drums and vocals. He has performed with many popular Caribbean artists such as Brigadier Jerry, Lukie D, Junior Jazz, David Rudder, Black Stalin, Chalkdust, Denyse Plummer, Frankie McKintosh, King Obstinate, King Swallow and King Short Shirt. He is currently the on-call drummer for International Reggae artists Causion and The Meditations (Ansel Meditation).

Kazi is very active on the NY reggae and jazz scenes. He is a NYS certified 

music teacher, a certified school building and district leader and is also an

adjunct lecturer at York College, CUNY.

He is also the organizer of the annual summer benefit concert in Antigua, “A Night For Statchel” which raises funds for the St. John Hospice.

Kazi uses Mapex and Yamaha drums, the Roland SPD-SX, Ableton Live, a

variety of cymbals, DW pedals, and is an endorser of SoCal Custom Drums, Cymbolts, Drumdots, Roadie Gear Works custom bags, Los Cabos drumsticks and Grover Pro Custom snares.