Dax Reynosa

Dax Reynosa, often mononymously known as Dax and by the former stage name Theory, is an American underground hip hop artist, producer, songwriter, smooth jazz singer, and music manager from Whittier, California. As a hip hop artist, he co-founded the underground Christian hip hop collective Tunnel Rats and the affiliated groups LPG, Footsoldiers, and The Resistance. He also co-founded the Latin funk and R&B band Elé and formed The Dax Band. He has contributed vocals and songwriting to numerous jazz recordings.

Dax Reynosa
Born	1969/1970 (age 50–51) Whittier, California
Occupation	Rapper, singer, songwriter, hip hop and film producer, music manager
Relatives	Zane Reynosa (sister) Jurny Big (cousin)
Musical career
Also known as	Theory
Genres	Christian hip hop, freestyle rap, smooth jazz, underground hip hop
Instruments	Rapping, singing, production equipment
Years active	1983–present
Labels	Antagonist, Brainstorm, independent, Solar, UpRok
Associated acts	The Dax Band, Elé, Footsoldiers, LPG, The Resistance, Tunnel Rats

Biography

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]

Discography

Tunnel Rats

LPG

As featured artist

Title	Other artists	Year	Album
"What I Feel"[14]	Future Shock	1996	Remember the Future
"Costume and Rumors"[14]	Future Shock	1996	Remember the Future
"Peace in the Puzzle"[14]	Future Shock	1996	Remember the Future
"Welcome"[15]	Raphi, Macho	2002	Cali Quake
"Better"[16]	Raphi	2002	Cali Quake
"Speak Life"[17]	Sev Statik	2002	Speak Life
"My People"[18]	New Breed	2002	Stop the Music
"Keep On Singin'"[19]	Propaganda	2003	Out of Knowhere
"Kick Kick"[20]	LMNO, Knows, Zane, Dezin8ed, and Sev Statik	2003	Underground Rise, Volume 1: Sunrise/Sunset
"Cyphers"[20]	Elsie and Propaganda	2003	Underground Rise, Volume 1: Sunrise/Sunset
"Remember this Day"[20]	2Mex, Neogen, Dert, Reconcile, Professor Who, Dokument, Chosen1, Griffin, Lazarus, Raphi, Drastic, Propaganda, and Macho	2003	Underground Rise, Volume 1: Sunrise/Sunset
"Lost Angels"[21][22]	Jurny Big	2003	Biggest of 'em All
"Freedom"[9]	KRS-One, Ishues	2006	Life
"Not Anymore"[23]	Zane One	2008	L.A. Woman
"Rise"[24]	Propaganda	2009	Listen Watch Focus
"Watch (Healing)"[25]	Peace 586	2009	HeAr
"Yes"[26][27]	Euge Groove	2009	Sunday Morning
"Let Me Love You"[28]	Paul Brown	2010	Love You Found Me
"Shine Shoes"[29]	Marcin Nowakowski	2011	Shine
"Live Your Dream"[30]	Macho	2011	Remember
"Drum"[31]	Shihan the Poet	2013	Music is the New Cotton
"Where Do We Go From Here"[32]	Daniel Chia, Lew Liang	2017	In the Moment
"Say You Will"[32][33]	Daniel Chia, Paul Brown	2017	In the Moment
"I Never Knew"[34]	Triune, DJ Joey C	2019	The Love Album

Production discography

Year	Title	Artist
1996[35]	Remember the Future	Future Shock
1996[36]	Experience	Tunnel Rats
2001[37]	Tunnel Vision	Tunnel Rats
2002[38]	Cali Quake	Raphi
2003[38]	Stop the Music	New Breed
2003[38]	Zion	Zion
2005[39]	"Now I Know"	Bigg Milt

The Resistance production discography

Year	Title	Artist
2005	Both Sides[40]	Tunnel Rats
2006	Life[10]	KRS-One
2006	Live This[41]	Footsoldiers

Additional credits

Year	Work	Artist	Credit
2003	The Gadfly	LPG	Executive production[42]
2006	Life	KRS-One	Executive production, vocals[38]
2010	Love You Found Me	Paul Brown	Vocal production, vocals, composition[38][43]
2012	"Love Don't Come EZ"	Paul Brown	Composition, vocals[44]
2013	Real Life	Bart Brandjes	Vocals, composition[38]
2013	"Take You Here"[45]	Tierra[46]	Composition[45]
2014	Wishing on Love	Melina	Vocals, composition[47]
2014	"Sunrise on Sunset"	Paul Brown	Composition[48]
2016	"Midnight Passion"	Bennet B	Composition[49]
2018	"Yesterday Love"	Rob Zinn	Vocals, composition[50]

Filmography

Year	Title	Producer	Notes
2004	The Battle for L.A.: Footsoldiers, Vol. 1[51]	[11]	Documentary film

References

1. Nibokun, Imade (October 24, 2013). "Tunnel Rats: Controversial Christian Rap Collective Turns 20". LA Weekly. Voice Media Group. Archived from the original on October 25, 2013. Retrieved January 7, 2021.
2. Harris, Travis (November 18, 2019). "1: A History of Christians and Hip Hop". In Gault, Erika D.; Harris, Travis (eds.). Beyond Christian Hip Hop: A Move Towards Christians and Hip Hop. Abingdon: Routledge. pp. 37–40, 43. ISBN 978-0-429-58965-2.CS1 maint: location (link)
3. Borha, Imade Nibokun (December 2013). "Battle Rap Gospel: The Story of the Tunnel Rats". Ann Arbor: University of Southern California. ProQuest 1499232942. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
4. Bellini, Jason (June 4, 2014). "17 Artists The Tunnel Rats Have Influenced". Wade-O Radio. DJ Wade-O. Archived from the original on June 8, 2014. Retrieved June 9, 2014.
5. "LPG, "360 Degrees" Review". Jesus Freak Hideout. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
6. "LPG, "The Gadfly" Review". Jesus Freak Hideout. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
7. Legierski, Andrzej (September 1, 2003). "Various – Tunnel Rats Present Underground Rise Vol 1: Sunrise/Sunset". Cross Rhythms. Cross Rhythms (66). Retrieved May 15, 2014.
8. Cordor, Cyril. "Footsoldiers". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved May 14, 2013.
9. Henly, Ralph. "Life". Retrieved May 17, 2014 – via Bandcamp.
10. Naber, Joshua (June 19, 2006). "KRS-One – Life". HipHopDX. Cheri Media Group. Archived from the original on May 17, 2014. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
11. Farber, Jim (January 4, 2004). "RAPPING EACH OTHER TO SHREDS A pair of films gets down & dirty with hip hop's battling emcees". NY Daily News. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
12. Ng, Nick (May 23, 2014). "Elé Band Hits L.A. With 'Funky' Latin Music". Liberty Voice. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
13. "The Dax Band: About". Facebook. Retrieved January 9, 2021.
14. "Remember the Future – Album by Future Shock". Retrieved January 8, 2021 – via Spotify.
15. "Welcome by Raphi". Retrieved January 8, 2021 – via Apple Music.
16. Torreano, Bradley. "Cali Quake – Raphi". AllMusic. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
17. Evans, Joseph. "SPEAK LIFE, by 7EV STATIK". Retrieved January 8, 2021 – via Bandcamp.
18. Henly, Ralph. "Stop the Music, by Shames Worthy". Retrieved January 8, 2021 – via Bandcamp.
19. Mabee, Justin (September 16, 2005). "Propaganda, "Out Of Knowhere" Review". Jesus Freak Hideout. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
20. "Underground Rise – Sunrise Sunset (CD)". Sphere of Hip Hop. Archived from the original on November 19, 2012. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
21. "Jurny Big". Holy Hip Hop Database. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
22. Henly, Ralph. "Biggest of 'em All, by Shames Worthy". Retrieved January 8, 2021 – via Bandcamp.
23. Reynosa, Zane. "LA Woman, by Zane One". Retrieved January 8, 2021 – via Bandcamp.
24. "Propaganda, "Listen Watch Focus" Review". Jesus Freak Hideout. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
25. "Watch (Healing) [feat. Dax aka Theory] by Peace 586". Retrieved January 8, 2021 – via Apple Music.
26. "Euge Groove – Sunday Morning". Smooth-Jazz.de. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
27. West, Shannon (November 2009). "Euge Groove – Sunday Morning". Smooth Views. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
28. "Paul Brown – Love You Found Me". Smooth-Jazz.de. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
29. "Shine by Marcin Nowakowski". Retrieved January 8, 2021 – via Apple Music.
30. Ortega, Rosario "Macho". "Remember, by Macho". Retrieved January 8, 2021 – via Bandcamp.
31. "Drum (feat. Dax Reynosa) by Shihan the Poet". Retrieved January 8, 2021 – via Apple Music.
32. "In the Moment – Daniel Chia". AllMusic. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
33. Williams, Mark Eyton (May–June 2017). "CD Reviews: Daniel Chia". Smooth Jazz Magazine. p. 77.
34. "The Love Album". Retrieved January 8, 2021 – via Apple Music.
35. "Future Shock". Holy Hip Hop Database. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
36. "Tunnel Rats". Holy Hip Hop Database. Retrieved January 13, 2021.
37. "Dax Reynosa". Retrieved January 8, 2021 – via Tidal.
38. "Dax Reynosa: Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
39. "Power 2 the People – Bigg Milt". AllMusic. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
40. "Both Sides – Tunnel Rats: Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
41. "Live This – Footsoldiers: Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
42. "LPG". Holy Hip Hop Database. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
43. "Paul Brown – Love You Found Me". Smooth-Jazz.de. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
44. "The Funky Joint". AllMusic. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
45. "9 Mile Road – Various Artists". AllMusic. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
46. "9 Mile Road by Various Artists". Retrieved January 8, 2021 – via Apple Music.
47. "Wishing on Love – Melina". AllMusic. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
48. "Truth B Told – Paul Brown". AllMusic. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
49. "Midnight Passion – Bennett B". AllMusic. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
50. "Walk the Walk – Rob Zinn". AllMusic. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
51. LaVasseur, Andrea. "The Battle for L.A.: Footsoldiers, Vol. 1 (2003) – Darren Doane". AllMovie. Retrieved January 8, 2021.