Biography
Hailing from Boston's Puerto Rican neighborhoods in Massachusetts, the sibling Christian hip-hop duo New Breed pairs co-MCs Macho and Elsie Ortega. Their earliest recordings placed them inside the Tunnel Rats, California's underground Christian hip-hop collective. The pair delivered verses across multiple cuts on the collective's pivotal 2001 album Tunnel Vision, which directly led to their own debut full-length. Uprok, an emerging Christian hip-hop label, released that debut, Stop the Music, in early 2002; the project featured guest work from the Rats' Raphi alongside contributions from LPG, recognized CCM underground stalwarts. Macho and Elsie's assertive rhymes and pronounced Latin sensibility defined the record, which conveyed its gospel perspective without alienating non-religious listeners while still maintaining an affirmative message. In doing so, New Breed aligned with a broader CCM pattern, evident in both rock and hip-hop circles, that promoted a Christian way of life through song without resorting to lines like those in "Footprints." Labels such as Uprok, Tooth & Nail, and Essential advanced this approach, as did acts including KJ-52 and Jeremy Camp.
Albums
Singles
