BREAKADAWN JUAN (Richmond, CA) – Oh Mary /// UndergroundHipHopBLOG.com

Emerging from the dust of the Hyphy movement, one rapper carves a cautious yet alluring scene of life in the San Francisco Bay Area. Hailing from Richmond, California, it is BreakaDawn Juan who inhales an odor of money, women, and drink, and exhales a slew of funky but fresh raps. Inspired by decades of thumping rap, funky soul, and in-your-face rock, BreakaDawn Juan releases a sonic force of unrelenting flow and surprising energy captured in both studio recordings and live performances.

Growing up in the glorified grit that 1990’s Richmond had to offer as well as the rich musical history of Oakland and San Francisco, this Bay Area rapper combined his surroundings with his passion for rap and Hip Hop culture. After years of loveless jobs, corner freestyling, and open mics, he decided to independently release music in the early millenium as one-half of the Melodic Giants crew. Soon realizing that his personality and attitude were too gritty for “conscious” rap, BreakaDawn Juan reverted to his roots—minding local big names such as Too Short—and surged from the entrails of a hungover East Bay into live venues. Pulling from the days of early rap when the MC’s purpose was to move the crowd over basic yet bouncy beats, BreakaDawn recorded his groundbreaking album Alpha Delta Juan in 2005 with the help of fellow Richmond producer and long time partner in crime, Charlie Giant.

BreakaDawn’s smooth and punchy flow finds its support in classic boom-bap drums, funky bass lines, and other world sounds meant to jerk the head forward in hypnosis. The combination of gritty samples and clean synthesizers heard in Alpha Delta and post-work illustrate Charlie Giant’s vision of dance floor chaos and unsteady woofers that the average rap fan can move to and appreciate. Self-promotion and networking eventually landed BreakaDawn slots in well-known San Francisco clubs where he garnered the attention of fans, fellow performing artists, and promoters alike. Feeding from the crowd’s energy, BreakaDawn Juan quickly ascertained himself as the show, not part of the show.

Now, with the decline of local rap’s popularity and new projects in the works, BreakaDawn looks to inspire the San Francisco Bay Area with a fresh new sound and direction.

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