Dax Reynosa

In 1983, influenced by the newly emerged hip hop culture at Radiotron in MacArthur Park, Reynosa started b-boying and battle rapping.[1][2] His lyrics discussed both his Christian faith and the crack epidemic he grew up amidst.[1] He cites his formative influences as David Guzman and Soldiers for Christ.[3] He also formed a dance crew, Cousins Three, with his cousins V.Night and Jurny Big, and they would compete at both dance and rapping at Pico Rivera Park.[2][3] Reynosa in 2012 recounted the fiercely competitive nature of the rap battles he engaged in: "When you lose, you change your name cuz I’m gonna iron your name on the back of my sweater. We battle for rhyme books and you can never rap those rhymes again. I would burn it in front of you."[2][3]

In 1993, he formed the collective Tunnel Rats, taking inspiration for its name from his father, who served as a tunnel rat in the Vietnam war.[1] Mostly finding audiences at churches, the group struggled to find acceptance from many Christians due to their lyrical braggadocio.[1] The group also encountered racial prejudice when touring in the Southern United States because the majority of the group was of Mexican descent.[1][2][3] Shortly after the formation of Tunnel Rats, Reynosa and Jurny Big, as LPG, released The Earthworm in 1995,[1][4] a breakthrough album in Christian hip hop.[1] The next year, Tunnel Rats released its first album, Experience.[1] LPG released a second album, 360 Degrees, in 1998,[5] and Tunnel Rats released the groundbreaking Tunnel Vision through Uprok Records in 2001.[1] LPG dropped The Gadfly in 2003,[6] and Tunnel Rats led the Uprok compilation Underground Rise, Volume 1: Sunrise/Sunset.[7] Tunnel Rats released its self-titled album in 2004.[1] In 2006, Reynosa helped organize the Tunnel Rats-affiliated group Footsoldiers,[8] and formed the production duo The Resistance with Tunnel Rats producer Dert.[9][10] Footsoldiers and the Resistance collaborated with KRS-One on his album Life, and KRS-One in return appeared on the Footsoldiers' album Live This.[8] Reynosa co-produced the 2003 documentary film, The Battle for L.A.: Footsoldiers, Vol. 1, with director Darren Doane.[11] Tunnel Rats currently is on hiatus, and Reynosa currently contributes vocals to jazz recordings.[1] In 2013, he co-founded Elé with Adelaide "Addie" Benavides, and works as the band's manager.[12] Elé mixes together R&B, pop, funk and blues with Latin genres such as cumbia, merengue, and salsa.[12] He also formed a self-described jazz band, The Dax Band.[13]