TheBREAX gives voice to positive side of hip-hop

By: JIM TRAGESER - Staff Writer | Wednesday, November 28, 2007 2:46 PM PST ∞

For the three men of theBREAX, an Escondido- and San Marcos-based hip-hop outfit, their music is all about breaking stereotypes.

Ruslan (they all used their stage names for this interview) said the basis for their founding theBREAX last year is to show the world that "there's this whole other side to hip-hop that's drug-free, alcohol-free and family-centered."

To that end, theBREAX is helping put on and is performing at an event Saturday titled "The Underground Movement" being held at theMovement, a church in San Marcos. All three members of the group attend services at the church, and they perform often at the church's on-site coffee shop, theCanvas Cafe.

"People only see the bad part" of hip-hop, said Beleaf, during a recent interview at the cafe. "When you come here, you'll see the other side."

With their first CD recently released, the men of theBREAX are moving quickly to advance their music career while also holding down jobs and/or attending university and college courses. Yet they also recognize that even though their schedules are crowded, their lives are less complicated now than they will be when marriage and families come along later in life.

"Our jobs are very flexible," Ruslan said. "We have a lot of freedom to take a week off, two weeks off." They're just back from a gig in North Carolina and are heading to Chicago in February ---- shows they attribute to the growing popularity and influence of the social-networking Web site MySpace.

Despite their being invited to play shows all the way across the continent, theBREAX's members say playing locally is more of a challenge.

Of the local hip-hop scene, Ruslan said, "In San Diego, it's different ---- like a secret society."

The fact that theBREAX performs Christian hip-hop (there's even a praise song, "39 Lashes," in theBREAX's regular set list) is both a blessing and curse. The mainstream (secular) hip-hop community doesn't know what to make of them, while the Christian music community can orient more toward acts that are strictly worship, which theBREAX is not.

"Ultimately, our music will reflect our faith, but also everyday struggles," Ruslan explained

Mic B, the third member of the combo, said he doesn't really care how their music is labeled as long as the music is good.

"People respect quality. If you put out a quality product, people will hear that first."

Outside the Christian tenor of their lyrics, the members of theBREAX also said that stylistically their music is different from most other hip-hop. Ruslan, whose family is of Armenian-Russian heritage and had to flee Azerbaijan due to repression of the family's Christian faith by extremist Islamic factions, said his own influences are West Coast, while both Mic B and Beleaf are transplants from Baltimore.

"There's a diversity that's almost polar opposites, but when it comes together, it's very natural," he said. "We never said, 'We're going to make this kind of music' ---- we just made our music."

Because their music does fall outside most of the pre-existing and easily recognizable niches, the three said they've decided to move forward on an independent track, not seeking to get signed to a major label. In fact, Ruslan said being with one of the big corporate labels could actually hurt the band.

"They keep doing the same thing expecting the same results they got 10 years ago."

And Beleaf added that as long as they're independent, they can call their own shots and not feel pressured to change the positive message they're putting out just to sell more records.

"We all feel more comfortable having control."

"The Underground Movement" with theBREAX, LMNO, NomiS, Afaar, Proverb the Poet and more

When: 4 p.m. Dec. 1

Where: theMovement, 1370 San Marcos Blvd., Suite 120, San Marcos

Cost: $10

Info: (760) 510-1160

Web: myspace.com/thebreax