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.
Despite these hardships, Tunnel Rats managed to garner critical acclaim and significantly impacted the Christian hip hop movement.
The Tunnel Rats formed after rapper Dax Reynosa performed at a graffiti equipment store Hex's Hip Hop Shop.
[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.
"[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.
[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.
'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][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.
[9] Part of the West Coast underground hip hop scene, Tunnel Rats features "minimalist boom-bap styles, lush, jazzy compositions, and scratch-laden music".
[12][13] 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.