Brokencyde
American crunkcore group
title: "Brokencyde" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["american-hip-hop-groups", "crunkcore-groups", "musical-groups-from-new-mexico", "american-musical-quartets", "musical-groups-established-in-2006", "2006-establishments-in-new-mexico", "rappers-from-new-mexico", "suburban-noize-records-artists", "southern-hip-hop-groups"] description: "American crunkcore group" topic_path: "arts" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brokencyde" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::summary American crunkcore group ::
::data[format=table title="Infobox musical artist"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | Brokencyde |
| image | Brokencyde Warped Tour Hartford, CT (3761005114).jpg |
| caption | Brokencyde at the 2009 Warped Tour in Hartford, Connecticut |
| image_upright | 1.25 |
| origin | Albuquerque, New Mexico, U.S. |
| genre | {{flatlist |
| * Crunkcore<ref name | "amg" |
| * {{nowrap | trap{{cite web |
| years_active | 2006–present |
| label | {{flatlist |
| website | |
| :: |
| name = Brokencyde | image = Brokencyde Warped Tour Hartford, CT (3761005114).jpg | caption = Brokencyde at the 2009 Warped Tour in Hartford, Connecticut | image_upright = 1.25 | origin = Albuquerque, New Mexico, U.S. | genre = {{flatlist|
- Crunkcore
- trap (later) | years_active = 2006–present | label = {{flatlist|
- PushDrive
- X-Ray
- Cleopatra
- BreakSilence
- Suburban Noize | associated_acts = | website = | current_members =
- Mikl
- Phat J | past_members =
- Se7en
- Antz
Brokencyde (stylized as brokeNCYDE) is an American hip hop group from Albuquerque, New Mexico, founded in 2006. The group's lineup consists of Michael "Mikl" Shea and Julian "Phat J" McLellan, and musically are one of the founding groups in the crunkcore genre, which (in general description) is crunk hip hop music with screamed vocals.
History
Formation, record deal and debut album (2006–2009)
Main article: I'm Not a Fan, But the Kids Like It!
Brokencyde was founded by singers Se7en and Mikl. The name of the group supposedly originated from the idea that their music was "broke inside" due to personal problems. After the band began promoting themselves online, members Phat J and Antz joined Brokencyde. They released their debut mixtape, The Broken!, in July 2007, followed by another mixtape, Tha $c3ne Mixtape (2008).
Brokencyde toured with bands such as Breathe Carolina, The Morning Of, Karate High School, and Drop Dead, Gorgeous. In July 2008, Brokencyde appeared on MTV's Total Request Live, where they performed the single "FreaXXX" on the segment "Under the Radar". They signed with Suburban Noize Records later that summer, and released the BC13 EP on November 11, 2008 during a promotion with the retail chain Hot Topic.
In 2008, the group performed dates on the Millionaires-headlined "Get F$cked Up" tour, and appeared twice on "Fearless Music TV", performing "Sex Toyz" and "FreaXXX" in December 2008.
The group's first full-length release, I'm Not a Fan, But the Kids Like It!, debuted at #86 on the Billboard 200 in July 2009. Brokencyde was featured on the US Warped Tour 2009, but left the tour in August to play featured appearances in Europe.
Later Brokencyde played dates on "The Original Gangstour" tour with Eyes Set to Kill, And Then There Were None, and Drop Dead, Gorgeous. They played dates on the "Saints and Sinners Tour 2009" with Senses Fail, Hollywood Undead, and Haste The Day.
''Will Never Die'', ''Guilty Pleasure'' and departure of Phat J and Antz (2010–2014)
Main article: Will Never Die, Guilty Pleasure (Brokencyde album)
::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1a/BROKENCYDE_(4616281880).jpg" caption="Brokencyde performing in 2010"] ::
In early 2010, the band released two songs for free download on their Myspace. The songs were "I'm Da Shizzit" and a cover of the song "Sexy Bitch" by David Guetta. In the summer Brokencyde co-headlined the 2 DRUNK 2 FUCK tour with Jeffree Star. Soon after the tour ended they announced that they were in the studio. In the beginning of fall their new album was announced to be complete with the title of Will Never Die. The album was released on Break Silence Recordings on November 9. In winter 2010, Brokencyde co-headlined the KA$H 4 KU$H tour with the Millionaires. On October 30, the video for "Teach Me How to Scream" was released via MySpace.
In April 2011, the members of Brokencyde assaulted Punchline drummer Cory Muro at Smiling Moose in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. This resulted in Muro needing three staples in his head and his friend Johnny Grushecky having a broken nose.
The group released their third studio album Guilty Pleasure on November 8, 2011. An updated version was later released on March 13, 2012 titled Guilty Pleasurez which the band is supporting with a European "Guilty Pleasurez" tour.
In 2012, Brokencyde played dates on the "Fight to Unite Tour" alongside other acts including Blood on the Dance Floor, Deuce (formerly of Hollywood Undead), Polkadot Cadaver, William Control and The Bunny the Bear. On October 29, 2012, Julian "Phat J" McClellan announced via his official YouTube page that he was amicably leaving Brokencyde to pursue a solo career.
''All Grown Up'' (2014–2018)
In December 2014, Brokencyde launched an Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign, seeking US$30,000 to help fund the recording and marketing of a new album titled All Grown Up. By the time the funding period ended in February 2015, the band only managed to raise US$1,421 from 33 backers — less than 5% of their intended goal. Nevertheless, the group still self-released a 23-track album titled All Grown Up.
''0 to Brokencyde'', Se7en's departure and the return of Phat J (2018–present)
In April 2018, the band announced that they had signed a deal with Cleopatra Records through which they would be releasing their fourth album on Cleopatra Records' imprint, X-Ray Records. The album, 0 to Brokencyde, was released on June 22, 2018.
In 2022, it was announced that Se7en had taken a leave from the group and that Phat J had returned to the lineup.
Musical style and lyrics
Brokencyde are a crunkcore band, fusing elements of screamo and electro music. The band members are self-described "scene kids"; Kerrang! referred to them as a "Myspace band" due to their use of the platform to gain a following early in their career. Metal Hammer also gave them this label. AllMusic stated that the band "combines screamo and crunk into a high-energy party music hybrid," also stating that the band incorporates elements of pop rap, emo and dance music. Kerrang! referred to the band's lyrics as "seriously questionable". AllMusic said their lyrics were "filled with sick jokes and emotional outbursts." The band has explored topics such as sexual intercourse, panties and dancing in its lyrics.
Critical reception
Brokencyde is widely panned by critics. Cracked.com contributor Michael Swaim said the band sounded like "a Slipknot-Cher duet", while another Cracked contributor Adam Tod Brown commented on their song FreaXXX "I hate that song so much that I would hold it face down in a bathtub until it drowns if I could."
British comic book writer Warren Ellis considered Brokencyde's "FreaXXX" music video "a near-perfect snapshot of everything that's shit about this point in the culture". A writer for the Warsaw Business Journal attempted to describe their music: "Imagine an impassioned triceratops mating with a steam turbine, while off to the side Daft Punk and the Bee Gees beat each other to death with skillets and spatulas. Imagine the sound that would make. Just try. BrokeNCYDE is kind of like that, except it also makes you want to jab your thumbs into your eyeballs and gargle acid."
The New Musical Express stated in a review of I'm Not a Fan, But the Kids Like It!, that "even if I caught Prince Harry and Gary Glitter adorned in Nazi regalia defecating through my grandmother's letterbox I would still consider making them listen to this album too severe a punishment."
August Brown of the Los Angeles Times writes: "This 'Albucrazy'-based band has done for MySpace emo what some think Soulja Boy did for hip-hop: turn their career into a kind of macro-performance art that exists so far beyond the tropes of irony and sincerity that to ask 'are they kidding?' is like trying to peel an onion to get to a perceived central core that, in the end, does not exist and renders all attempts to reassemble the pieces futile."
In the late 2010s and early 2020s, several music critics described Brokencyde as an antecedent to hyperpop artists like 100 gecs.
Members
Current members
- Michael "Mikl" Shea – clean and rap vocals (2006–present)
- Julian "Phat J" McLellan – rap and growled vocals, keyboards, programming (2007–2012; 2022–present)
Touring members
- Paulo "Psuy?" Hidalgo – backing vocals (2011–present)
- Ace Neroexistence – keyboards, programming (2011–present)
- Chad "Big Chaco" Chadillac – drums (2011–present)
Former members
- David "Se7en" Gallegos – screamed and rap vocals (2006–2022)
- Anthony "Antz" Trujillo – additional vocals, programming (2008–2014)
Timeline PlotArea = left:100 bottom:120 top:10 right:60 Alignbars = justify DateFormat = mm/dd/yyyy Period = from:01/01/2006 till: TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal format:yyyy Legend = orientation:vertical position:bottom columns:2 ScaleMinor = increment:1 start:2006 ScaleMajor = increment:2 start:2006
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LineData = at:07/07/2007 color:Lines2 layer:back at:01/16/2008 color:Lines2 layer:back at:03/27/2008 color:Lines2 layer:back at:03/30/2008 color:Lines2 layer:back at:04/28/2008 color:Lines2 layer:back at:10/21/2008 color:Lines2 layer:back at:06/16/2009 color:black layer:back at:11/09/2010 color:black layer:back at:11/08/2011 color:black layer:back at:11/19/2012 color:Lines2 layer:back at: 02/14/2016 color:black layer:back at: 06/22/2018 color:black layer:back Legend = orientation:horizontal position:bottom BackgroundColors = bars:bars ScaleMajor = increment:2 start:2006 ScaleMinor = unit:year increment:1 start:2006
BarData = bar:Gallegos text:"Se7en" bar:Shea text:"Mikl" bar:McLellan text:"Phat J" bar:Trujillo text:"Antz" bar:Hidalgo text:"Psuy?" bar:Ace text:"Ace"
PlotData= width:11 textcolor:black align:left anchor:from shift:(10,-4) bar:Shea from:01/01/2006 till:end color:Vocals bar:Gallegos from:01/01/2006 till:01/01/2022 color:Vocals bar:McLellan from:06/15/2007 till:10/29/2012 color:Vocals bar:McLellan from:06/15/2007 till:10/29/2012 color:Guitar width:3 bar:McLellan from:06/15/2007 till:10/29/2012 color:keys width:7 bar:McLellan from:01/01/2022 till:end color:Vocals bar:McLellan from:01/01/2022 till:end color:Guitar width:3 bar:McLellan from:01/01/2022 till:end color:keys width:7 bar:Trujillo from:03/06/2008 till:09/16/2014 color:Vocals bar:Trujillo from:03/06/2008 till:09/16/2014 color:Keys width:3 bar:Hidalgo from:01/01/2011 till:end color:BV bar:Hidalgo from:01/01/2011 till:end color:TM width:3 bar:Ace from:01/01/2011 till:end color:TM width:3 bar:Ace from:01/01/2011 till:end color:Keys
Discography
;LPs ::data[format=table]
| Year | Title | Label | Release date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | I'm Not a Fan, But the Kids Like It! | BreakSilence | June 16, 2009 |
| 2010 | Will Never Die | BreakSilence | November 9, 2010 |
| 2011 | Guilty Pleasure | BreakSilence | November 8, 2011 |
| 2016 | All Grown Up | Self-released | February 14, 2016 |
| 2018 | 0 to Brokencyde | Cleopatra, X-Ray | June 22, 2018 |
| :: |
;EPs ::data[format=table]
| Year | Title | Label | Release date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | BC13 Mix | April 28, 2008 | |
| 2008 | BC13 | Suburban Noize | October 21, 2008 |
| 2022 | From The Mud | PushDrive | October 31, 2022 |
| 2023 | K$ EP (collab with BoyBandTroy) | June 2, 2023 | |
| 2024 | Polaroid Of My Heartbreak | PushDrive | May 10, 2024 |
| 2024 | While It Lasted | PushDrive | October 18, 2024 |
| :: |
;Other releases ::data[format=table]
| Year | Title | Label | Release date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | The Broken! | Self-released | July 7, 2007 |
| 2008 | Tha $c3n3 Mixtape | Self-released | 2008 |
| 2012 | The Best Of BC13 | BreakSilence | February 23, 2012 |
| 2012 | DJ Sku Presents: Brokencyde Vol. 1 | Self-released | February 23, 2012 |
| :: |
References
References
- "Brokencyde | Biography & History".
- (July 20, 2009). "Screamers, Whiners and Synthesizers: There's a Rave Going On". [[The New York Times]].
- Gail, Leor. (July 14, 2009). "Scrunk happens: We're not fans, but the kids seem to like it". [[The Boston Phoenix]].
- John McDonnell. "Screamo meets crunk? Welcome to Scrunk!". [[The Guardian]].
- (August 17, 2020). "The Musical Legacy of Brokencyde, Once of History's Most Hated Bands".
- "Brokencyde". Mainstream Killed the Indie Star.
- "hiphoppress.com".
- "Aim For The Skies in Bowling Green, KY - Sep 25, 2008 7:15 PM - Eventful". Eventful.
- "The Hype Magazine 24/7 News: Innovators of Crunkcore Brokencyde Release Debut EP Exclusively Through Hot Topic November 11th, 2008".
- [https://www.nme.com/video/id/vtWdvjZixJk/] {{Dead link. (July 2019)
- [{{BillboardURLbyName
- Rich Leigh. (December 28, 2008). "Warped Tour 2009 Line-up".
- (August 26, 2009). "Brokencyde Kicked Off Warped Tour? Nay!".
- [http://thingstodo.msn.com/seattle-wa/events/show/85706675-senses-fail-saints-and-sinners-tour]{{dead link. (July 2017)
- (April 27, 2011). "Members of Brokencyde assault Punchline drummer".
- "brokeNCYDE".
- "The Fight To Unite Tour".
- {{YouTube. HhQ8kcxsaoc
- Sharp, Tyler. (January 3, 2015). "BrokenCYDE have launched a $30,000 crowdfunding campaign for a new album". [[Alternative Press (music magazine).
- Ritchie, Andy. (February 12, 2015). "It Turns Out Only 33 People In The Entire World Want A New BrokeNCYDE Album". [[Rock Sound]].
- Redrup, Zach. (April 27, 2018). "NEWS: Brokencyde sign with Cleopatra Records!".
- "Brokencyde - 0 to Brokencyde (CD) - Cleopatra Records Store".
- "Mikl Shea & Phat J from Brokencyde are back! – kbrecordzz".
- Gallierpublished, Thea de. (2015-11-27). "Whatever happened to the MySpace bands?".
- "Brokencyde Songs, Albums, Reviews, Bio & More ...".
- (2019-09-24). "20 era-defining MySpace bands: Where are they now?".
- "The 6 Worst 'Professional' Music Videos on the Web". Cracked.com.
- "10 Great Songs By the Worst Bands of All Time".
- "Brokencyde – Warren Ellis".
- (April 12, 2010). "Tech Eye: Fresh ideas, sour tunes". [[Warsaw Business Journal]].
- (June 11, 2009). "NME Reviews - Album Review: Brokencyde - 'I'm Not A Fan, But The Kids Like It!'". Nme.com.
- "Pop & Hiss".
- (August 17, 2020). "The Musical Legacy of Brokencyde". [[Vice (magazine).
- (December 20, 2019). "Why 100 Gecs Deserves to be Taken Seriously". [[Uproxx]].
- (September 4, 2019). "The Riotous, Internet-Speed Sound of 100 Gecs". [[New York Times]].
- "I'm leaving brokeNCYDE". [[YouTube]].
- (March 5, 2012). "The Death Race Tour 2011 (behind the screams)". [[YouTube]].
- (June 24, 2009). "BrokeNCYDE: The Decline Of Western Civilization Part Three?".
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