Macho Ortega and Elsie Van Clief are siblings, but you won’t find any rivalry between these Puerto Rican-American hip-hoppers. Raised in Boston and now located in L.A. as members of the Tunnel Rat family, New Breed is a brother and sister duo with a heart to make energetic music containing a solid message that will impact heads internationally.

“We’re mad ministry-oriented and our heart is for the people to know God,” says Macho.

New Breed’s debut Uprok Records album, Stop the Music, is an ultramodern, aggressive record designed for listeners who appreciate hip-hop with a lot of force. 

Dert, beat architect from the Tunnel Rats, controls the majority of the production. His creations contain the same hard-hitting dance grooves captured in popular hip-hop on the radio, as well as experimental cuts and the occasional relaxing breath before the adrenaline rush continues. Turn your speakers up loud.

Songs like Stand (feat. Raphi), Headlock (feat. LPG), Verse of the City and What’s My Name will shake the floor with the raw, east-coast emcee vocals and bass-heavy, up-tempo beats. 

Other songs like Your Voice, Breathless, Stop the Music and Papi will hit the listener with emotional and moving commentary on various spiritual and life topics. 

Macho knows that New Breed has been called to deliver an uncompromising message that will directly challenge youth, something they specialize in.

“We’re accepted more as ministry-minded where we do have songs like “Dry Bones” from our record that are straight scripture,” Macho says. “We’re just a little more rounded off in those areas and we bring a good balance to the Tunnel Rats. And they push us a little more and we push them. We just got a good tug with each other.”

Listening to party songs like the Latin-anthem My People and R’n’B-tinged Don’t Listen let you know this is going to be an album that will be very accessible to most young people.

“I think it’s gonna be successful,” Macho says. “I think people are gonna be touched by it, people are gonna be ministered to by it. We got songs there about runaways, a song about growing up in my house with a father who was an alcoholic for a large portion of our lives. We have a song just for the girls with my sister. Some fun stuff, some party stuff, it’s just a good, well-rounded album.”

New Breed’s Stop the Music is in stores now on Uprok Records!

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