Below Tha Surface

The sirens deafly sound, alerting the masses to take cover from the fate that awaits the monotonous state of hip-hop. At the surface, originality has become practically obsolete due to overused samples and redundant lyrical content. The market is saturated with rappers who place more value on the dollar bill than on the art form itself. As a result, the quality of the music suffers a staggering blow, and the public is forced to settle for mediocrity. However, when journeying "Below Tha Surface," an untapped reservoir of sublime artistry remains unscathed by its contemporary, corrupted counterparts.

Below Tha Surface is a hip-hop group whose sound is best described as "subliminal philosophy." The subliminal aspect comes to fruition through the intricate orchestration of the beats, leaving the listener with an embedded addiction. Their music takes its shape through the various timbres and beats, which transmit the energetic and satiated rhythms to the audience in a powerful fashion. The philosophical part stems from intellectual conversation, focusing more on metaphoric references and straying form cliché topics. The group encompasses different styles of rap within their sound, ranging from battle rhymes and story telling to introspective and complex poetic rhymes. Each rhyme is carefully constructed to ensure that a positive message purports its way into the ear and behavior of the listener. Their inspirations include Run DMC, Slick Rick, Too Short, Dr. Dre, OutKast, A Tribe Called Quest, 2Pac, and Nas.

The members of the group are Mala (pronounced may-lay) and Sev-Leven. They have been heavily involved in music for the past ten years, reflected by their stage presence and professional ambiance. Mala, the backbone of the group, produces the majority of tracks for Below Tha Surface while maintaining dual responsibility as a lyricist. Mala explains, "my production is different because I observe what everybody else is doing out there, and I create what they might play 5 years from now." His lyrical style is aggressive, yet humorous and thought provoking, while Sev-Leven adds eclecticism and cunningness with his complex delivery. Sev comments that his lyrics "lay the foundation and leave the rest to your imagination, meaning that it is like prose, and each individual's interpretation may be slightly different."

The duo originates from The 10th Planet, where they began writing rhymes and recording over sampled beats. After a year and a half, the group recorded and EP, "Tales from the Undaside," and distributed it independently through local Mom 'n Pop record stores, at school, church, out of their cars, and at live performances. The group went on to record more demos and continued to perform live after their debut release. In 1996, the group was highlighted in "Hip-Hop Headz," a local magazine that was distributed in the Midwest. In addition to an article written about them, they also appeared in the Lyrical Lounge, a section devoted to the "dopest lyrics of the month."

In the summer of 1998, Below Tha Surface migrated to Atlanta and has since participated in numerous talent showcases and other live venues. The group has made regular appearances at some of Atlanta's hottest hip-hop venues including Club 112, The Industry, Flavas 2000, Somber Reptile, Nomenclature, and Kaya. It was at Club 112 where they established their presence, winning the talent competition multiple times and making it to the talent finals two consecutive years.

Below Tha Surface currently seeks alternative routes to exploit their talent, namely a recording contract and worldwide distribution. They revere their predecessors who laid the foundation for hip-hop and hope to restore the true essence of this genre. The group establishes the forefront of a current revolution with lyrics and beats that evoke emotion, reviving the lifeline of creativity once again. Below Tha Surface transcends the barriers of a rerun, remixed, resampled, reissued music industry, and focuses its eyes on setting the standard for the future of hip-hop.

Photographs used with permission. Photographed by Lenin Rodriguez.