Donald Sturge Anthony McKenzie II

Donald Sturge Anthony McKenzie II – Biography

Donald Sturge Anthony McKenzie II is an American drummer, composer, and producer from Brooklyn, New York. A world-class musician often described as apowerhouse of deep-pocket rhythm and avant-garde finesse, McKenzie is celebrated for his mastery across hip-hop, funk, jazz, rock, and experimental sound design. Guitarist Vernon Reid (Living Colour) has called him “one of the best in the industry,” a statement reflected by McKenzie’s dynamic range and fearless versatility.

McKenzie began his musical training at the age of ten, quickly gaining recognition for his precision and expressive depth behind the kit. He studied under Everett Collins (The Isley Brothers) and the late Dom Famularo, developing both technical brilliance and a deep understanding of rhythmic theory.

His extensive performance and recording career has taken him across Europe, North America, South America, Africa, and Australia, performing to sold-out audiences in Paris, London, Amsterdam, Carthage, São Paulo, and New York City, among many others.

A boundary-defying artist, McKenzie has collaborated with some of the most innovative figures in modern music, including Vernon Reid, Elliott Sharp, Marc Ribot, and Roswell Rudd (featured on the BBC projectMALIcool). In hip-hop and R&B, his credits include performances and recordings with Pharoahe Monch, P. Diddy, Gravediggaz, DJ Spinna, Mr. Complex, Martin Luther, Cody ChesnuTT, Polyrhythm Addicts, Sweetback, and The Persuaders.

McKenzie’s long-standing creative partnership with Vernon Reid as a member of Masque remains one of his most recognized contributions. His composition“Kizzy”—described as“dreamy, atmospheric, and powerfully evocative”—appears on the band’s acclaimed third album,Other True Self.

A committed composer and conceptualist, McKenzie leads multiple projects under his Clavedon LLC umbrella, including his Silenced series (Silenced I, II, and III), ESREAC, and collaborations with artists such as Zebedee Row, Brandon Ross, Kevin Ross, Elliott Sharp, On’Ka Davis, and Nels Cline (Wilco). His work merges improvisation, sound design, and rhythmic architecture, embodying a 21st-century hybrid of jazz, experimental, and urban sound forms.

Known for his humility and philosophy of service to the music, McKenzie often says:

“A good drummer needs to be the foundation for the melodic and harmonic instruments while leading the way—it’s a dichotomy, but a necessary one. The older I get, the less I want to lead and the more I want to support.”

Elliott Sharp describes his approach as“hard-hitting asymmetrical jazz flavors and light-fingered sonic abstractions.”Whether onstage, in the studio, or behind the console, Donald McKenzie’s musicianship exemplifies balance—precision with soul, discipline with risk, and intellect with instinct.