BackWordz is a hip-hop-influenced metal quintet from Texas known for blending politically charged lyrics with music inspired by artists such as Nas and Lauryn Hill, as well as metal acts like Korn and Pantera. The band consists of frontman Eric Dewayne July, bassist and vocalist Alex James, drummer Robbie Rosales, and guitarists Kevin Kerestes and Brian Bradley. BackWordz formed in late 2014 after July left the group Fire from the Gods and connected with James, Rosales, Kerestes, and Bradley, who shared a similar artistic vision. July, who identifies as a Christian Anarcho-Capitalist Libertarian, delivers the band’s lyrical content through a combination of rapping and screaming, while James contributes harmonic backing over the group’s heavy riffs and dynamic drumming. Their debut album, Veracity, was released in 2017 in partnership with Stay Sick Records. The album appeared on multiple charts, including alternative, rock, and rap, and reached number two on the Billboard Heatseekers chart. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.