Ever since Rafael Vargas,aka DOSE, aka FULANITO, introduced his first international hit " Do What You Want" in 1989, he has been doing just that when it comest o his music and lyrics. While growing up in Washington Heights in New York City, DOSE was influenced by all the great music and culture the 80's had to offer. As a teen living in a Dominican household and neighborhood, Merengue, Salsa and Spanish ballads were the sounds that dominated the airwaves at home and at family gatherings. Though disinterested in Latin rhythms at the time, all that music his mother, aunts and uncles listened and danced to would later play a vital role in his career. But the sounds he really enjoyed and pumped in his boom box and walkman, were the urban sounds of Freestyle, House and Hip hop. Artists like Run DMC, L.L Cool J, Eric B and Rakim, Mantronix and Boogie Down Productions were his influences.
Throughout his 20-plus years in the music biz, Rafael has enjoyed fusing all the different types of music genres he grew up with and making it his own. In 1990 he joined forces with DJ and remixer Roger Pauletta and Cutting Records CEO Aldo Marin and formed a group called 2 In A Room. They put together a groundbreaking Dance Hip hop album consisting of hits like "Do What You Want, She Got Me Going Crazy and Wiggle It (just a little bit) just to name a few. "Wiggle It" reached #1 on the dance Billboard charts and went to become one of the most successful singles of 1990 in addition to reaching Platinum and Gold status in the U.S and the rest of the world. Then in 1994, under the 2 In A Room name DOSE teamed up with the super producing team of Danny and Victor Vargas (of "Wepaman" fame) and a friend from high school named Elvin Ovalles (Floodlight) and created the International Latin Hip house smash hit called "El Trago" from the "World Party" Album.
By 1995 Rafael partnered up with a Bronx producer and engineer named Winston Rosa and formed the 740 Boyz. Together they recorded the Gold selling worldwide dance classic titled "Shimmy Shake" that was brilliantly remixed by Mixmaster Constantino Padovano and led to many live performances with audiences from Russia and all throughout Europe, Africa and Mexico dancing to his catchy tunes.
By the end of 1997, with a strong desire to tap into their Latin Roots, Winston and DOSE produced the iconic "El Hombre Mas Famoso De La Tierra" CD under the name of Fulanito with the assistance of the legendary Dominican accordionist Arsenio De La Rosa. This worldwide platinum selling CD, consisting of Merengue Hip hop groundbreaking party starting classics such as "Guallando”, “El Cepillo” and “La Novela", has proven to still be DJ essentials for nearly 20 years now. Then right about the turn of the millenium, FULANITO followed up with the gold selling, Grammy nominated "El Padrino" CD, which churned out classics like "Quien Es Fulanito”, “Chillando Goma”, “Mi Con Con” and “Serenata Negra" which were featured in the John Singleton directed blockbuster movie "Shaft".
In 2000, DOSE and the boys earned prestigious awards in the Latin entertainment forum, winning a "Premio Cassandra", "Premio A.C.E" and performing at Chile's Festival De Vina Del Mar, where they earned the prestigious "Gaviota Award", confirming his place among Latin music's elite artists. In early 2001 Fulanito released a remix CD which included a Reggaeton club banger called "Take It Off" that had all them boys and girls grinding on dance floors throughout the U.S . He later released "Americanizao", which produced such hits as "Callate", "Asi Es Que Vivo Yo", "El Generalisimo" and "Pecho a Pechuga".
In 2007 "Dose"enlists the production team of Guary y Cleyton to work on the critically acclaimed and Grammy nominated "Vacaneria" CD which featured such artists as Tony Tun Tun, Kevin Ceballo, Truko and Magic Juan. With tracks like "Mira”, “Ajena” and “Dejalo Ahi”, which featured La Banda Gorda, "Vacaneria" has proven to be some of Rafael's best work to date.