Tunnel Rats (album)
| Tunnel Rats | ||||
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| Studio album by Tunnel Rats | ||||
| Released | March 3, 2004 | |||
| Genre | Christian hip hop, West Coast hip hop, underground hip hop | |||
| Label | UpRok | |||
| Producer | Dert, Jermz, Raphi | |||
| Tunnel Rats chronology | ||||
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| Professional ratings | |
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| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Christianity Today |   |
| Cross Rhythms |   |
| Rapzilla |  |
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.
Tunnel Rats formed in Los Angeles in 1993 after group leader and founder Dax Reynosa held an open mike at his house. Committed to ministry and sharing the Gospel, the group eschewed joining a major, corporate record label, which could have suppressed its artistic and ministry potential, and preferred instead to take a more underground approach. Wade-O Radio explains that over the next few decades, the Tunnel Rats "expanded and contracted through nearly three 'generations'," and shifted from a heavy California focus to include artists from Boston, Texas, and New York City. The group released its first studio album, Experience, in 1996, through the independent label Brainstorm International. After some line-up changes, including the addition of members Sev Statik (also of Deepspace5) and brother-sister duo New Breed, Tunnel Rats released its second studio album, Tunnel Vision, in 2001 through the independent label Uprok Records. After this release, several more new members joined the group, including rapper-producer duo The Foundation (consisting of Dokument and Jermz) and Propaganda.Christianity Today's Andree Farias pointed out that the lineup additions that occurred since 2001 nearly doubled the collective's membership and expanded the collective's sound. In 2003, the group released a compilation entitled Underground Rise, Volume 1: Sunrise/Sunset in conjunction with Uprok, and followed in 2004 with its self-titled studio release. Farias found himself somewhat surprised that the Tunnel Rats' decided to release a self-titled release after over ten years of activity, especially since by the time of the release and recording of Tunnel Rats, Uprok Records had declined, overshadowed by its parent company BEC Recordings, and very little promotion was devoted to any of the remaining artists on the Uprok roster.
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