Tunnel Rats (music group)

Last updated
Tunnel Rats
Also known asT.R.'z
Origin Whittier, California
Genres
Years active1993 (1993)–present (on hiatus)
LabelsBrainstorm, Thump, Uprok
Members
Past members
  • Donovan
  • Jamie
  • Jerms
  • JustMe (a.k.a. Sage)

Tunnel Rats is a West Coast underground hip hop collective founded in 1993 in Whittier, California. Named after the tunnel rats in the Vietnam War, the mixed-gender, multi-racial collective consists of some seventeen individual members and incorporates four affiliated groups, LPG, Future Shock, Foundation, and New Breed, which have recorded both within Tunnel Rats and independently. Several members also formed two additional side-projects, Footsoldiers and The Resistance, which recorded one album in 2006 and collaborated with KRS-One. Pioneers in the Christian hip hop genre, Tunnel Rats often met with resistance from church leaders who disliked the collective's aggressive style and felt that Tunnel Rats praised their rapping skills more than glorifying God.

Contents

In the early 2000s, the East Coast Christian hip-hop group The Cross Movement likewise criticized Tunnel Rats, claiming it did not place enough emphasis on the Gospel. Due to a high number of Mexican Americans in the collective, Tunnel Rats also encountered racism when performing in the South. Despite these hardships, Tunnel Rats managed to garner critical acclaim and significantly impacted the Christian hip hop movement. The collective has released four albums, plus numerous additional recordings from its affiliated groups and individual members. Though currently on hiatus, Tunnel Rats has not disbanded, according to a statement by member Peace 586.

History

Formation

The Tunnel Rats formed after rapper Dax Reynosa performed at a graffiti equipment store Hex's Hip Hop Shop. After the performance, he invited about two dozen rappers to his house for an open mic. [1] The performers came from racially diverse backgrounds, a mix of Latinos, whites, and blacks, groups which Reynosa says did not always get along then. [1] Among the standout performers that night were Reynosa's cousin Jurny Big, his sister Zane One, the four-member group Future Shock (consisting of Ahred a.k.a. Redbonz, Ajax Starglider, Sojourn, and DJ Trey-Qel), and Shames Worthy (a.k.a. Raphi), all of whom came together to form the Tunnel Rats. [1] Reynosa was inspired to name the group "Tunnel Rats" after his father, who served in the Vietnam War as a tunnel rat. [1] Ahred, a member of Future Shock, stated in an interview that "We just put a name to it and called it Tunnel Rats. In Vietnam, the tunnel rats were the guys who went underground to make sure that the tunnels were clear so the soldiers could go through. We considered ourselves as those guys going first to make the way clear for people to go after us." [2] Reynosa recounts that "we never believed that we were called to emcee or rap, never. We were called to minister." [3]

The Tunnel Rats performed at churches throughout Southern California, and eventually throughout the Northeast and Deep South. While the group found some acceptance from progressive church leaders, who thought that hip-hop might be a way to reach youth, many church leaders took issue with the group's style, which fell somewhere between battle rapping and street preaching, and accused the group of sinfully glorifying their rapping skills as opposed to glorifying God. [1] In addition, the group, consisting predominantly of Mexicans, encountered prejudice when performing in the South. Reynosa recounts how one night in Mississippi, an establishment would not serve the group because some of the members were Mexican. [3] When they went to a Motel 6, member Redbonz screamed "WHY?" continuously into a pillow. [3] "He couldn't believe that we had given up our lives to minister the gospel through rap music and ... had nothing." [1] The group also was paid very little, often not at all, for its church performances, and Raphi recounts that if a church managed to book a hotel for the group, he, as the youngest member, often was relegated to sleep in the bathtub. [1]

Early successes

Since the mid-1980s, Reynosa and his cousin Jurny Big performed as the duo LPG, and they released The Earthworm in 1995. [1] [4] With breakbeats, melodic riffs, and strong production, the recording broke new ground at a time when most Christian rap was considered a cheesy and watered-down imitator of secular rap, and according to LA Weekly , many consider the album "to be the first gospel-rooted album to feature real hip-hop." [1]

The Tunnel Rats proper released its debut album, Experience, in 1996 on Brainstorm Artists International, and started receiving letters from teenagers who were inspired by the group to leave gangs or excel in school. The group's efforts also started impacting the Christian hip hop genre, which started garnering serious critical attention. [1] In 1997, the Brainstorm label folded, but Tunnel Rats' membership expanded, with Sev Statik of Deepspace5 and the brother-sister duo New Breed joining the group. [2] At this point, the group Future Shock decided to leave Tunnel Rats and go on independently. [2]

Dispute with The Cross Movement

In 2001, The Tonic, a member of Christian hip hop group The Cross Movement, criticized the Tunnel Rats in an interview, accusing the group of placing more importance on musical credibility than sharing the Gospel. [1] Fans of The Cross Movement also criticized The Tunnel Rats, claiming that they did not distinguish themselves enough from aggressive, secular West Coast rappers. In response to the accusations, Tunnel Rats released Tunnel Vision , which featured a raw, turbulent sound which, according to Imade Nibokun in LA Weekly, "was a musical middle finger to anyone who found their battle-rap bravado sinful." [1] Nibokun cited in particular the song "T.R.'z", which criticizes Christian rappers with sub-par musical ability, where Dax Reynosa aggressively opens with the rapped line "I pull a pistol out my pocket and I cock it". [1]

Subsequent successes and hiatus

Tunnel Vision impressed critics and influenced a whole generation of Christian rappers. Rapper and poet Propaganda, rapper-producer duo The Foundation (consisting of Dokument and Jermz), and Griffin joined the group in time to record on the Tunnel Rats' next two albums, the compilation Underground Rise, Volume 1: Sunrise/Sunset , released in 2003, and Tunnel Rats , released in 2004. [1] [3] [5] In 2006, Tunnel Rats members Propaganda, Triune, and Raphi joined with rappers Ishues and Random to form Footsoldiers, with Dax Reynosa helping bring the artists, some of whom lived in different parts of the country, together. [6] Dert and Reynosa also formed the production team The Resistance, a production duo consisting of Reynosa and Dert. [7] [8] Footsoldiers and the Resistance collaborated with KRS-One on his album Life , and KRS-One in return appeared on the Footsoldiers' album Live This. [6] [8]

Tunnel Rats currently is on hiatus. [1] In a forum post in 2010, Tunnel Rats producer Peace 586 clarified that although the group has not been active for a long while, it still is together, and cited various personal and family commitments as making it difficult for the group to get together and record. [9]

Musical style

Part of the West Coast underground hip hop scene, Tunnel Rats features "minimalist boom-bap styles, lush, jazzy compositions, and scratch-laden music". [1] On Tunnel Vision, Tunnel Rats embraced an aggressive, turbulent sound. LA Weekly writes that the track "T.R'z." "features abrasive sound effects and full drums, and succeeded as something of a wake-up call to a still relatively staid genre." [1] Russ Breimeier of Crosswalk.com in a review of Tunnel Vision described the Tunnel Rats' style as "modern hip-hop that blends melodic hooks and world music sounds to the rap and beats." [10] Jayson Young of RapReviews.com noted that as the collective consists of men and women, black, whites, and Latinos, it offers a very diverse sound. [11] On the Tunnel Rats' self-titled release, reviewers noted that producer Dert had matured in his sound, pursuing a more mainstream approach and branching out to pursue a more diverse and complex style. [12] [13]

Influence

According to Jason Bellini of Wade-O Radio, the Tunnel Rats were often distinguished by their self-proclaimed title of "rapper-who-were-Christians" as opposed to "Christian rappers", placing a strong value on quality and purity in hip hop art, and a willingness and desire to perform outside churches and compete and collaborate with non-Christians. [4] Bellini compiled a list of seventeen artists influenced by the Tunnel Rats, either directly or indirectly, listing Christon Gray, Lecrae, TheBREAX and Dream Junkies, RedCloud, Propaganda (who even joined the group), Japhia Life, Playdough, LA Symphony and member Pigeon John, High Society (composed of Sho Baraka, Swoope, J.R., and Natalie Lauren), Heath McNease, Heesun Lee, Braille, Scribbling Idiots, Rhema Soul, Shad, and 4th Avenue Jones. [4]

Discography

Filmography

YearTitleRoleNotes
2004 The Battle for L.A.: Footsoldiers, Vol. 1 Themselves [14] Documentary film, includes features of Propaganda, Raphi, Zane One, Jamie, and Jurny Big

Related Research Articles

<i>Life</i> (KRS-One album) 2006 studio album by KRS-One

Life is the eighth solo studio album by American rapper KRS-One. It was released on June 13, 2006 via Antagonist Records. Produced by the Resistance, it features guest appearance from the Footsoldiers. The album received generally positive reviews from music critics.

LPG is an American Christian hip-hop duo from Whittier, CaliforniaWest Covina, California and part of the underground hip hop collective Tunnel Rats. It is composed of cousins Dax Reynosa and Jurny Big. Their name was understood to stand for "Lord's Personal Gangsters", but now is "Living Proof of Grace". They released their first album, Earthworm, in 1995.

Gary James Watson, who goes by the stage name Sivion, formerly Vision, is an American Christian hip hop musician and member of the hip hop supergroup collective Deepspace5. He was also a member of the duo Phat K.A.T.S., which he formed with his brother, who goes by the name Wushu. He has released four studio albums, Spring of the Songbird (2006), Mood Enhancement (2006), Butterfly Sessions with Dert (2010), and Group Therapy (2013), as well as additional live and remix albums and an EP.

Joseph T. Evans, known professionally as Sev Statik and Stu Dent, is a hip hop musician and promoter from Albany, New York. Active as a rapper since the early 1990s, he has performed and recorded both as a solo artist and as a member of the hip hop collectives Deepspace5 and Tunnel Rats. Evans has also been a member of various Albany-area hip hop groups, including All Bully, Master Plan, Body Language, currently fronts the rap rock band Goldtooth, and is active in Pitch Control Music, a musical collective and arts movement he co-founded in order to promote and develop hip hop in the Albany area. Evans is a freemason in East Greenbush, New York.

Rene Vasquez, known by the stage name Peace 586, is an American Christian hip hop producer and emcee. His career began in the late 1980s, and has continued until the present.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Propaganda (musician)</span> Musical artist

Jason Emmanuel Petty , better known by his stage name Propaganda, is an American Christian rapper, spoken word artist, and poet from Los Angeles, California. He has released seven albums as an independent artist, including one collaborative album with Odd Thomas and one with Derek Minor, and has performed and recorded as a member of the underground hip hop group Tunnel Rats and associated act Footsoldiers.

The combined discography of Tunnel Rats, a West Coast underground Christian hip hop collective founded in 1993 in Whittier, California, is three studio albums, a collaborative compilation album, several compilation appearances, one guest appearance, one music video, and a collection of unfinished material. Named after the tunnel rats in the Vietnam War, the mixed-gender, multi-racial collective has included twenty individual members and incorporated six affiliated groups: LPG, Future Shock, Footsoldiers, the Foundation, New Breed, and the Resistance, which have recorded both within Tunnel Rats and independently. The collective has released three albums under the Tunnel Rats name: Experience (1996), Tunnel Vision (2001), and Tunnel Rats (2004). They also collaborated on a compilation album released through Uprock Records, Underground Rise, Volume 1: Sunrise/Sunset (2003). Though currently on hiatus, Tunnel Rats has not disbanded, according to a statement by member Peace 586.

<i>Tunnel Vision</i> (album) 2001 studio album by Tunnel Rats

Tunnel Vision is the second studio album by West Coast underground hip hop collective Tunnel Rats, released on October 25, 2001, through Uprok Records. Featuring a brash, aggressive sound, the album drew admiration from critics and proved highly influential for the Christian hip hop movement.

<i>Underground Rise, Volume 1: Sunrise/Sunset</i> 2003 compilation album by Tunnel Rats and Various Artists

Tunnel Rats Present... Underground Rise, Volume 1: Sunrise/Sunset is a 2003 compilation album by Uprok Records in collaboration with underground hip hop collective Tunnel Rats. Around thirty-five rappers appear on the compilation, which features, in addition to the Tunnel Rats, numerous other underground hip hop artists and groups, Christian and non-Christian, including LA Symphony, LMNO and 2Mex of The Visionaries, Remnant, Mass Reality, Sekou the Misfit, and Deepspace5 members Playdough, manCHILD of Mars Ill, and Listener. Production was handled by Tunnel Rats members Dert, Donovan Luke Henry, Jermz and Raphi. Most of the album was recorded over a single weekend. CCM Magazine noted that on the song "One Voice", the entire Tunnel Rats and LA Symphony crews come together, with seventeen rappers appearing on the same track. Critics received the album well, noting that, it offered a diversity of musical styles and showcased the many talented artists in the underground and Christian hip hop scenes.

<i>Tunnel Rats</i> (album) 2004 studio album by Tunnel Rats

Tunnel Rats is the third studio album by West Coast underground Christian hip hop collective Tunnel Rats, released on March 3, 2004, through Uprok Records. Featuring several new members among the group's ranks, the album was well received by critics, with Christianity Today and Rapzilla considering it the best album so far by the group.

New Breed is a Christian Latin hip hop duo from Boston, Massachusetts, consisting of brother and sister Rosario "Macho" and Elsie Ortega. An affiliate of the underground hip hop collective Tunnel Rats, the duo has recorded and toured both as part of the Tunnel Rats and independently. After joining the Tunnel Rats in 1998, New Breed appeared on the DJ Maj mixtape Full Plates with the song "What's My Name" in 2001, and later that year on the Tunnel Rats album Tunnel Vision. The duo released its first album, Stop the Music, in 2002, and then appeared on the Tunnel Rats albums Underground Rise, Volume 1 in 2003 and Tunnel Rats in 2004. A second album from New Breed, Nine, came out in 2004.

<i>Stop the Music</i> (album) 2002 studio album by New Breed

Stop the Music is the debut album by Christian Latin hip hop brother-sister duo New Breed, a Tunnel Rats affiliate, released on March 12, 2002, through Uprok Records in the United States and through EMI Christian Music Group in the United Kingdom. Featuring a Latin-influenced East Coast hip hop sound that revealed the duo's Puerto Rican heritage, Stop the Music met with positive critical reception from critics.

The discography of Propaganda, an American Christian hip hop and spoken word artist and poet from Los Angeles, California, consists of five studio albums, two EPs, twelve compilation appearances, eleven music videos, including one as a featured performer, and twenty-three guest appearances.

Dax Reynosa, often mononymously known as Dax and by the former stage name Theory, is an American underground hip hop artist, producer, songwriter, smooth jazz singer, and music manager from Whittier, California. As a hip hop artist, he co-founded the underground Christian hip hop collective Tunnel Rats and the affiliated groups LPG, Footsoldiers, and The Resistance. He also co-founded the Latin funk and R&B band Elé and formed The Dax Band. He has contributed vocals and songwriting to numerous jazz recordings.

<i>Speak Life</i> 2002 studio album by Sev Statik

Speak Life is the debut studio album by Albany, New York-based hip hop musician Sev Statik, released on November 9, 2002, through Uprok Records. While Sev Statik, real name Joseph Evans, had released a previous studio album, Altered State, in 2001 under the moniker "Stu Dent", Speak Life is considered his debut. Sev Statik had recently joined to the hip hop collective Tunnel Rats, and the release features several artists from that group. It also features Listener from Deepspace5, another collective of which Sev Statik is part. Speak Life marks the debut appearance of Propaganda, who would join Tunnel Rats the following year. The album garnered a mixed response from critics, receiving praise for its positive lyrics, East Coast sound and use of sampling, but criticized for its lack of innovation and inconsistency in overall quality.

<i>Back to Dust</i> 2007 album by Sev Statik and DJ Dust

Back to Dust is a studio album by Albany, New York-based rapper Sev Statik and Atlanta-based producer DJ Dust, originally released on October 9, 2007, through Rawkus Records. It was the fourth studio release by Sev Statik and the second studio release for DJ Dust. Back to Dust features numerous guest appearances, including Manchild and Playdough of Deepspace5, Theory Hazit, Supastition, LMNO of The Visionaries, and Raphi, Griffin, and Triune of Tunnel Rats. The album was selected by Rawkus for inclusion in its "Rawkus 50" promotional campaign, and was released as a digital download. A physical version of the album was released on July 7, 2008, through Braille's Hip Hop IS Music label. Back to Dust met with critical acclaim. In 2010, Theory Hazit released a remixed version of the album.

<i>Group Therapy</i> (Sivion album) 2013 studio album by Sivion

Group Therapy is the fourth studio album by Dallas-based Christian hip hop artist Sivion. It features guest appearances by 26 other artists, including Manchild, Sintax the Terrific, Ozay Moore, Sareem Poems, Propaganda, Jurny Big, Zane, Macho, DJ Aslan, and Shames Worthy. Released on October 15, 2013, through Illect Recordings, it was met with a mixed reception from critics.

The Battle for L.A.: Footsoldiers, Vol. 1 is a 2004 documentary film by Darren Doane about battle rapping and hip hop culture in the Los Angeles area. It was produced by Doane, Shane C. Drake, and Dax Reynosa, and executive produced by Natalie Doane and Josh Karchmer.

Zane Marie Reynosa, known by the stage names Zane and Zane One as well as the names Zane Valdez and Zane Marie, is an American rapper and fashion accessory designer from Whittier, California. She joined the pioneering Christian underground hip hop collective Tunnel Rats in 1993, which was formed by her brother, Dax Reynosa, and recorded three studio albums and a compilation with the group. She also founded the band Saturday Night Freestyle. She has featured on numerous songs and in 2008 released a solo studio album, L.A. Woman. She was active for years as a battle rapper in the Los Angeles scene and was featured in the 2004 documentary The Battle for L.A.: Footsoldiers, Vol. 1, directed by Darren Doane. She also created a fashion line, Zane Marie Bags, specializing in vintage handbags, luggage, wallets, and rhyme books.

<i>L.A. Woman</i> (Zane One album) 2009 studio album by Zane One

L.A. Woman is the debut solo album by the American Christian and underground hip hop rapper Zane One. After years of delays during the recording process, the album was released on March 10, 2009, through AudioSketchBook. The title references the album of the same name by the Doors and includes samples of various classic rock and folk songs taken from Zane's vinyl album collection.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 Nibokun, Imade (October 24, 2013). "Tunnel Rats: Controversial Christian Rap Collective Turns 20". LA Weekly . Voice Media Group. Archived from the original on October 25, 2013. Retrieved January 7, 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 Cummings, Tony; Stephen Adams (February 24, 2003). "America's Hip Hop Underground: Some of the best US acts". Cross Rhythms (73). Cross Rhythms . Retrieved May 8, 2014.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Borha, Imade Nibokun (December 2013). "Battle Rap Gospel: The Story of the Tunnel Rats". Ann Arbor: University of Southern California. ProQuest   1499232942.{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  4. 1 2 3 Bellini, Jason (June 4, 2014). "17 Artists The Tunnel Rats Have Influenced". Wade-O Radio. DJ Wade-O. Archived from the original on June 8, 2014. Retrieved June 9, 2014.
  5. ↑ "Propaganda". Jesus Freak Hideout. John DiBiase. Retrieved May 15, 2014.
  6. 1 2 Cordor, Cyril. "Footsoldiers". AllMusic . All Media Network . Retrieved May 14, 2013.
  7. ↑ Henly, Ralph. "Life". Shames Worthy. Bandcamp . Retrieved May 17, 2014.
  8. 1 2 Naber, Joshua (June 19, 2006). "KRS-One – Life". HipHopDX. Cheri Media Group. Retrieved May 17, 2014.
  9. ↑ Vasquez, Rene (February 13, 2010). "Re: Who Are the (Current) Tunnel Rats?". Sphere of Hip Hop. Archived from the original on May 17, 2014. Retrieved May 14, 2014.
  10. ↑ Breimeier, Russ (January 1, 2001). "Tunnelvision". Crosswalk.com . Salem Web Network. Archived from the original on May 17, 2014. Retrieved May 19, 2014.
  11. ↑ Young, Jayson (April 5, 2002). "The Tunnel Rats :: Tunnel Vision :: Uprok Records". RapReviews.com. Retrieved May 19, 2014.
  12. ↑ Gilbert, Brenten (March 18, 2004). "Review - Tunnel Rats 'The Tunnel Rats'". Rapzilla . Philip Rood and Chad Horton. Retrieved May 19, 2014.
  13. ↑ Farias, Andree (March 1, 2004). "The TunnelRats". Crosswalk.com . Archived from the original on May 19, 2014. Retrieved May 19, 2014.
  14. ↑ LeVasseur, Andrea. "The Battle for L.A.: Footsoldiers, Vol. 1 on AllMovie The Battle for L.A.: Footsoldiers, Vol. 1". AllMovie . All Media Guide . Retrieved May 20, 2014.

Further reading

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.