A founding member of the Stronghold underground rap collective, MC Breez Evahflowin (born Enrique DaSilva) emerged as a leading force in the New York and national battle rap scenes during the late ’90s, and was crowned the national grand champion of the famed Blaze Battle competition in 1999. During his freestyle rap days, Breez released his own independent solo 12-inch Forsaken in 1996, which appeared on the BBE Music compilation Hip-Hop Forever (1998) by DJ/producer Kenny Dope. In the early 2000s, Breez recorded singles for an assortment of different indie labels, including the Boston-based Detonator Records, as well as contributing a slew of guest appearances on records and tours. During his tenure, Breez has worked with several underground rap artists including Vast Aire, Slug, Chali 2na and the Molemen, and released his own solo EP Fly on Just Be Records in 2003. Breez Evahflowin’s first proper full-length album Troublemakers - a collaboration with producer Dirt E. Dutch - was released on Little Ax Media in 2008.