RUSLAN
= Vocals + Production
Born in Azerbaijan Baku raised in San Diego, Ca.
BELEAF
= DJ + Vocals
Transplanted from Baltimore Maryland to North County San Diego, Ca.
MIC B
= Drums
Born in Baltimore, raised in Oceanside, Ca. Drums
Name Brand
= Production
Born and raised in Vista.
Influences
The Roots, Jay-Z, Nas, BlackStarr, Mos Def, Talib Kweli, 4th Avenue Jones,
Future Shock, Tribe Called Quest.
(God is in HIS owns Category)
Sounds Like
theBREAX sound can be described as an artistic concoction of Kanye West soulful swagger, Saul Williams spoken word poetry, the live instrumentation of the Roots, and the spirit of U2.
Critics and fans are raving about theBREAX and their brand new album "When theBREAX Sold Out":
"It’s a testament to their talent that, even while you may agree with the anti-commercial message they’re preaching, theBREAX will still have you bobbing your head and chanting along to stuff they’re pointing out...But such is the power of witty wordplay and beats that beckon with the irresistible sexiness of a just-released techno-gadget. Everything about this project is BIG – from the glossy floss of the cover photo to the arena anthem screech of a song like “More.”...Honestly, outside of Lupe Fiasco’s The Cool, this may be one of the smartest CDs you should own this year."
- Sketch the Journalist - IllSpot.net
"When theBreax Sold Out is full of well-crafted emceeing, well-orchestrated beats, and humor and wit that you won’t find in most of today’s releases.... Sold Out is a prime example of how to reach out to diverse audience without preaching to them on a soapbox. I can honestly say that this release is what most Christian, hip-hop-based artists should aim for when trying to spread their messages of hope and salvation."
- James Smith - Okayplayer.com
if “selling out” is showing that you can hang with radio-friendly hip hop, then I ain’t mad. This album is still better than most of the stuff you hear on radio today.If anything, this album does show the group’s diversity and ability to go head-to-head with mainstream hip hop acts. The production on the album is so cutting-edge and fresh, that Eye Am Productions could easily trade beats with the likes of Kanye, Just Blaze, or any other producer you hear on the radio today."
- kevinnottingham.com
"theBREAX are professionals...They have fantastic things to say and Ruslan is an outstanding linguist...they prove to be a promising team"
- Okayplayer (home of The Roots)
"Hip-Hop without all that Raa-Raaa cursing and flauncing. I mean, poetry in action. What would you get if Dead Prez met Mos Def at church with Nas being the preacher and Jesus on the drums"
- Smoothini (World Class Urban Magician)
"With a live drummer and a flair for the past, TheBreax is a strong hip-hop trio—.....Ruslan has a strong percussive flow, gruff-voiced as he toasts positive things and disses his superficial counterparts and DJ Beleaf puts the old-school Philly soul samples to good use...."
- Troy Johnson (San Diego City Beat)
"theBREAX show that rap can carry substance without sounding corny...
this group made me enjoy topics that I usually wouldn't discuss. With a bracing mix of jazzy, melodic beats and a touch of spoken word"
- Train of Thought (Blog)
"theBREAX are freaking awesome!... I love theBREAX"
- Pigeon John (Quannum Projects)
"theBREAX are Quality Music, thats why they represent the Rawkus 50"
- Slopfunkdust (Rawkus Records)
"I would describe theBREAX as the Jack of all trades... they do it all"
- Afaar (End of Earth Records)
" maaaan...I just listened to the whole breax album front to back. think i just found my new favorite hip-hop group."
- CAS METAH (Scribbling Idiots)
"Rap music with an old-school asthetic but still keeping things hot and for today's audiences...have something to offer that a lot of other groups do not"
- The Run-Off Groove
"Cutting Edge and Phenomenal... theBREAX are the most conscious group out right now"
- Chris Wilson (CRW Enterprises, Collective Purpose)
theBREAX are breaking out the box of Hip-Hop music, religion, and political correctness, pushing the envelope of music, giving the masses what they want: enjoyable feel good music with an uplifting message that changes lives.
Formed in 2006, theBREAX exploded on the Southern California Hip-Hop and Spoken word scene and took it by storm with incredible performances, becoming crowd favorites at Elevated, Vibes and the Hot Monkey Love Cafe, three of San Diego’s largest open mic venues. The group continued to electrify audiences, sharing the stage with notables such as: Tonex, Fred Hammond, 4th Avenue Jones, Pigeon John, The Visionaries, LMNO, LA Symphony, Future Shock, and Guinness Book Record Holder, Supernatural.
The members are an eclectic cast from: Azerbaijan, Baku (Ruslan: Emcee/Producer), Baltimore, MD (Beleaf: DJ, Emcee) and Oceanside, CA (Mic B: Drummer/ Production) and Vista, Ca (Name Brand: Producer). Their signature “Breaking out of the box” sound is a flavor that defies conventional songwriting with a combination of energy and precision. With their globally appealing sound and amazing live show, theBREAX are creating a diverse and loyal following of supporters. Mixing musical genres, while maintaining their own style has given them the ability to reach a wide array of people.
After the success of previous works like Out of Order (2004), Thoughts Aloud: The Mixtape (2005), and the critically acclaimed self-titled album "theBREAX". The group has demonstrated that it definitely has a bright career ahead of them. There is no question after hearing and watching these four very different people come together with the same passion, that music history is being made. This group has re-written the rules in the hope to change the future of music as well as pop culture.
After making a solid buzz with the 2007 release of their self titled album, Rawkus Records declared theBREAX one of the “next 50 important Hip-Hop acts” gaining the group international attention. theBREAX brought in 2008 with a strong appearance on Syntax Record’s Night Owls 4 featuring LMNO. All seemed well until they remixed Jay-Z’s album American Gangster naming their version Eye Am Gangster. Clearly being Jay-Z’s favorite undeclared remix album of all time, Eye Am Gangster was received with praise, placing the remix in the top five of many online blogs and remix contests. It was also met with a level of backlash and distrust by fans that developed different expectations from the group based on their previous project.
In the spirit of “breaking out of the box,” theBREAX have decided to go for the Benjamin’s in 2008 with their new album entitled When theBREAX Sold Out. The album features guest appearances from Rufat, TruthbTold (Ifunds), Afaar, Kinfolk, Roc Rok, Yung Tage, Proverb the Poet, and flaunts Production credits from Nathan Soultrain, MotionPlus, Rocwilder, Soleternity, Steve Stanz, Ruslan, and Name Brand. The album will also mark DJ Beleaf’s producing debut as he contributes a track to the project. So have theBREAX really sold out? How far will they go with this project? Have they lost their moral compass? Is this a joke? Or is this artistic brilliance? Fans and critics will have to wait and buy the album to find out.
Click here to BUY theBREAX brand new album... When theBREAX Sold Out. Get it here first for only $11.99!
What up fam.. Ru.. Congrats to you and your soon to be wife.. Might as well tell you now before your week progresses and things start to come up.. I pray that people in your circle will love and support you and your wife (your family).. Not sure you would ever ask, but if you need something let us know. Take care
well ive been alright, was just with Proverb, we had a sleepover, and thank you for the chance to be in the video. it says zimbabwe cuz i change it every once in a while.
