Rock music, with a prescribed dose of hip–hop antidepressants – that’s REHAB, the dysfunctional musical duo so different from what you’d expect from deep in the heart of Atlanta. But, since the region has been dubbed hip–hop’s "dirty south," launching artists like Outkast and Goodie Mob, REHAB’s – "Danny" Boone and "Brooks" and their original brand of rocked–out rap is the next logical "step." And today, REHAB gains notice for a musical style all its own, based on a lifetime of life–changing experiences that differ from those of their hip hop counterparts.
How? Because it’s born from a dark place where few have had the courage to go – the ups and downs of rehab. Other artists have experienced the setbacks of alcohol and drug abuse. But REHAB’s "Danny" Boone and "Brooks" are wide open about their issues and efforts to rehabilitate their addictions. Yet one addiction –– regardless of what society, neighbors or some family members try to do – is untreatable. That`s REHAB’s addiction to producing straight–up, out–of–the–box hip–hop rock music.
"I attended a Christian school, growing up with a bunch of ‘red necks,’ then when my family transferred me to a public school, I heard Run DMC," recalls "Danny" Boone of his early exposure to old–school hip hop.
"I'd be out on the farm with tractors and jammin’ to hip–hop music. It was a trip. See, I was wearing nerdy pink button–down shirts, playin’ football and rappin’ with my crew, which consisted of three black kids and 10 white boys.
"But in public school, the kids were sportin’ Adidas, rat–tails and spiked hair. You could say I ‘found myself’ in rap. Much props to The Beastie Boys and Slick Rick. My hometown people (in nearby Warner Robins, GA) were like ‘What in the fuck are you doing? But I was just being me."
Meanwhile, also growing up in another section of Atlanta, "Brooks" was discovering he too was somewhat of a misfit. "There were the red necks hoping I’d one day come around, and then there was me – rockin’ Generra fashions, Italian shoes, slicked–back hair, looking like a white pimp," Brooks said.
"I was fly. But at this school, I found myself hangin’ mostly with the Punk Rockers, because they were the only ones who openly got high."
Boone and Brooks didn’t know each other at the time, but both –– fighting to gain acceptance for the music they preferred and the dysfunction they experienced while growing up –– were destined to meet once they crashed and burned. They escaped their stress by getting high. Drugs and alcohol were "ill" remedies that helped them temporarily forget their struggle to come out of hip hops closet. "But the only thing that actually kept me from losing my mind while growing up is music," Danny Boone said.
Both artists found themselves in and out of local rehabilitation centers walking up the 12–steps toward recovery. At the top of the staircase, they were united by another recovering addict. A mutual acquaintance knew that Boone and Brooks loved hip hop and introduced the two. "And we’ve been hanging together for the last seven years," Boone says. When they decided they’d pursue the music thing, it seemed times got even harder.
"When I was being released from rehab, the therapists told me I should quit music for about a year, since it seemed to be at the root of my problems," Boone said. "They didn’t understand my passion. I couldn’t give up the music."
Rehab performed in and around the Atlanta area for years before the group’s big break. "The music industry is a trip all its own," according to Brooks. "It’s like we went from being nothing for so long, no one seemed to give a shit about us. Then we were suddenly being signed to a major record label (Epic)," he said. "It blew our minds." Boone adds, "And as always, the people who always tried to tell us we were wasting our time with our music, had to shut up, sit back and watch."
Creating music in Atlanta, a respected home for southern–styled hip–hop, it’s no surprise that REHAB’s first single "Stormchaser" features Goodie Mob. "We respect the work of East and West Coast rap artists, but the southern shit that’s who we are," Brooks says.
REHAB’s music, like true art, reflects the artists personal experiences. "Our music can be considered somewhat dark," Brooks said. "Boone and I have been through some shit and that’s what we know, so that’s what we write about.
"’Stormchaser’ is our way of describing people who try to run away from everything – their problems, their issues."
"It Don’t Matter and I Don’t Care," according to Brooks, conveys what happens when you’re so depressed that you don’t give a flying fuck anymore. You gotta shitty job and everyone else looks happy and like they’re functioning well, but you can’t even seem to get out of bed. "But it’s not a ‘poor me’ song, it’s just that people get into a funk that’s sometimes hard to escape."
Danny Boone says, "Our whole album is a diary of what you would write when you’re feeling down."
Brooks: "But the thing about being in rehab is that you learn how to talk about your feelings. And that ability translates to the type of music we’re creating right now."
"This talks about those times when you’ve reached a point when you’re tired of being picked on and you finally just say, ‘just kick my ass’ and get it over with so I can move on."
REHAB’s first Epic CD release is the group’s rebellious answer to society. "We’re sick of people hiding behind causes," Brooks says. "You could say I’m a drunk alien sitting here saying ‘I’m FOR everything you’re against.’"
Brooks states "that in art there are no boundaries." Their art is hip hop. And their art makes them feel good – a high that other substances failed to provide. It’s the 13th step toward their recovery.
"We worked hard to get here," Boone said. "We were pulled in a lot of directions and we’ve leaned on all of our experiences to write the music we have today.
"It’s good that we’ve ended up here. We stayed true to our music and to what we’ve always wanted in life. Things are pretty good right now.
