Jackson Free Press

"... the missing link between Public Enemy and Louis Armstrong." - Village Voice. "...a peerless group of musicians who kick ass..." - Offbeat. Straight outta N'awlins, the Soul Rebels bring the funk to their city's spirit of jazz tradition and deliver it--hip-hop style--into the 21st Century, without sacrificing the integrity of their musical heritage. On February 8. 2005 the Rebels release their third album, Rebelution (Barn Burner Music); it's their most progressive and poignant statement yet.

The Soul Rebels are steeped in the Deep South's rhythmic tradition. High-stepping it as drum majors in the world famous Southern, Grambling and Texas Southern University marching bands, and, during their tenure as Young Olympia (the junior division of Milton Batiste's brass band Olympia), Rebels Lumar LeBlanc (snare and vocals), Derrick J. Moss (bass drum, vocals) and Damion Francois (tuba) got connected with some like-minded players schooled in tradition but raised on hip hop. Finding it very necessary to scratch their hip-hop itch, Young Olympia began their uprising in 1991 and caught fire in '93, the night they played with hometown heroes the Neville Brothers.

"Cyril Neville saw us," remembers Moss, "And he said, ‘hey, you're a brass band, but y'all got funk and soul. Y'all are like soul rebels'. We knew right then that was our name."

In the tradition of street music-from the hip hop beat of the New York playgrounds to New Orleans' own "second line" rhythm--the Soul Rebels march to the sound of their own, always evolving, street beat. What better time for a Rebelution? Look for the Soul Rebels on tour this winter in support of their new album.