The new sibling trio known as Souljahz has been likened to groups such as The Fugees, Arrested Development, and dc Talk but defies easy categorization. Are they hip-hop, R&B, pop, or Latin? If you answered "all of the above and more," you're absolutely correct. The three Washingtons (23-year-old Joshu'a, 21-year-old Je'kob, and 18-year-old Rachael) were eager to discuss their unique sound and their desire to use it to carry the Good News of the gospel.

How would you describe your sound to someone who hasn't heard Souljahz before?

Je'kob: It's really hard to describe our music style. I'd say it's rooted in hip-hop, but this album touches on so many different genres of music. It's eclectic, it's soulful, it's … wow, this is really tough. Just remember the sound is rooted in hip-hop, and we'll let each listener define our sound by what they hear. How's that?

That'll work for me. Would you talk a little about Tonéx's influence on your work?

Joshu'a: Tonéx has created full rock albums and has an incredible catalog of material. So he has a very large influence, and he encourages us to try new things. The cat does exactly what we do vision-wise. We share a studio together in California, and he's just an awesome guy. Musically, we all listen to a lot of different kinds of music and we're all eclectic in our tastes.

Chris Rodriguez also encourages and influences us in the same way. He also produced on the album.

What are your live performances like?

Rachael: "Electric" — that's a good word to describe us live. The show itself goes through a lot of different moods. It brings you up and encourages you, and then it shoots around like a roller coaster. Our album is a lot like that, too. The songs flow into each other and make up the entire experience. We always like to have a live band for our performances. That adds so much.

Our performances are probably unlike any you've ever seen before. We go from a worship song to a latin song, then a hip-hop song to a soulful R&B song, and then on to something else. It's a lot of fun to do.

It sounds like a jukebox on the fritz.

Rachael: A jukebox. Exactly! I like that.

Tell me about your parents' involvement in your careers.

Je'kob: Our parents ARE our career. The only reason we're doing this is because of them. They brought us up and taught us everything about life. And the one thing we thank God for the most is for our parents. They're so open-minded to what we're doing.

When we first started, my dad didn't know what we really wanted to do musically. But when he started listening to the lyrics and hearing us, he realized it wasn't just a little "thing" we were going through. He saw that we wanted to tell others about the things that he and my mom taught us. Our parents have been there for us completely, and they couldn't support us more.

What themes are found in the songs of The Fault Is History?

Joshu'a: The songs are about life situations and issues — issues everyone from young to old deal with while simply living life.

We talk and sing about racism in, "The Color Hate." But it's really about understanding each other and about racial equality. The song explains how God created us all equal, and how we're fighting over stuff that animals don't even fight over.

The song "Keep Risin'" is encouragement for kids to understand that when someone puts you down, you need to rise up, work harder, keep the faith, and not give up.

Child abuse is examined on "Beneath the Surface." It's a song about a father abusing his kid. Then the kid finds a new Father through Christ.

We also get into premarital sex, poverty, and other universal topics. They're all topics we've dealt with or our friends have dealt with. These subjects are close to us, and we want to talk about them in our music.

What's your greatest fear?

Joshu'a: That I'll wake-up and start life over from a young age.

Je'kob: Knowing if I'll marry the right person someday.

Rachael: Failing in God's eyes.

If you were able to add a 25th hour to each day, what would you do with it?

Joshu'a: Sleep!

Je'kob: I'd take piano lessons.

Rachael: I'd take time to go swimming. I can't spend enough time underwater … well, in the water.

What job would you like to do for a day?

Joshu'a: Jet pilot

Je'kob: I'd be a "00" agent — not 007 — that's already taken.

Rachael: Dolphin trainer

Who do people say you look like?

Joshu'a: Craig David

Je'kob: Lenny Kravitz

Rachael: Alicia Keyes, Beyoncé Knowles

If you owned your own record label, what 3 artists would you want on your label?

Joshu'a: Creed, P.O.D., and Tonéx

Je'kob: Chris Rodriquez, Dan Needham, and Wes Montgomery

Rachael: Michael Jackson, Lauren Hill, and Kenny Rogers

What qualities do you admire most in people?

Joshu'a: Patience

Je'kob: Humility

Rachael: I agree with Je'kob. Humility.

If you had to change your first and last names, what would you choose?

Joshu'a: Deja Rodriquez

Je'kob: Prime Time Washington

Rachael: Israel Faith Washington

What do you think you should do better?

Joshu'a: Eat better.

Je'kob: Walking in the Spirit all day.

Rachael: Prioritize better.

What can't you live without?

Joshu'a: Horchata

Je'kob: The ocean nearby

Rachael: Fresh Cougar Cakes in the morning (regional treat in California). Also, music. I need music.

Learn more about Souljahz at our artist page for the trio. Also read our review of The Fault Is History, as well as our Best New Artists of 2002 write-up. You can pick up your own copy of their debut at Musicforce.com.

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