Many listeners were introduced to Macho’s booming voice and passionate rhyming on 2001′s Tunnelvision by the West Coast Hip Hop collective, Tunnel Rats. But few know that he wasn’t an immediate fan of the group. “When I first heard the Tunnel Rats [in the mid-'90s] I had the same impression that a lot of people, mainly from the East Coast, have. It sounds dope, I like how it feels, but I felt challenged by the aggressiveness of it.” The Tunnel Rats, steeped in battle rap culture, would use this same assertiveness to share the gospel on the mean streets of southern California. It wasn’t until 1997, when he met TR founder Dax, that Macho experienced a change of heart. “It took some getting used to. As humans, we have the tendency to make our personal beliefs into doctrinal beliefs. But [battle rapping] made me a better emcee and a well-rounded artist. Tunnel Rats get categorized with battle rapping, but the sound and the topics we cover are so varied.”
Want more? Check out Macho online @ machosmusic.com and read the full interview by picking up a copy of Heed’s latest issue — available digitally via Zinio or in print from MagCloud.
