The Fault Is History (CD - 2002)

Additional personnel: Tonex (vocals, keyboards, programming); Craig Young (guitar, bass, programming); Phillip LaRue, Vejea Jennings, Yvette "Zsa Zsz" Williams, New Hope Academy Children's Choir (vocals); Moritz Enders (guitar, programming); David Davidson (violin, viola); John Catchings (cello); Carl Hergesell, Mark Polack (keyboards); Dan Needham (drums); Javier Solis (percussion); DJ Niques (scratches).

Producers: Tonex, Chris Rodriguez, SoulJahz.

Recorded at Signature Sound Studios, Big Fish Studios, San Diego, California, Bay 7 Studios, Valley Village, California, The Phatkins Institute, Franklin, Tennessee, and at Recording Arts, Nashville, Tennessee.

Personnel: Tonéx (vocals, keyboards, drum programming); Phillip LaRue (vocals); Craig Young (guitar, drum programming); Kiko Cibrian (guitar); David Davidson (violin, viola); John Catchings (cello); Carl Hergesell (keyboards); Dan Needham (drums); Javier Solís (percussion).

Audio Mixer: F. Reid Shippen.

Recording information: Bay 7 Studios, Valley Village, CA; Big Fish Studios, San Diego, CA; Recording Arts, Nashville, TN; Signature Sound Studios, San Diego, CA; The Phatkins Institute, Franklin, TN.

Photographer: Beth Herzhaft.

The Fault Is History is the debut Warner Bros. release for the brother/sister trio known as Souljahz (pronounced soldiers). The disc starts out with a huge bang: the cut "Let Go" has an Uncle Kracker-meets-hip-hop vibe. The tune pinnacles with a powerful chorus swirling around sassy vocal improvisations by Rachel Washington, while her brothers, Josh'u and Je'kob, lay down a bevy of impressive raps. When the band is funky they fire on all cylinders ("Jubilee"), and when they break down vocally and deliver the goods on cuts like "Reflection," they rock as well. Credit have to be given to Rachel, who flows with the raps as well as her male siblings. What the band manages to do on the disc is weave hip-hop, rap, and vocal style in a disc that doesn't sound forced, but flows like a good rhyme. ~ Steven Douglas Losey minimize