Music blasts through the walls of UC Berkeley's Zellerbach Hall as the kick drum thumps loudly downstairs, resonating through the hallways and dressing rooms of each performer. Hip-hop beats vibe through the atmosphere, and as a group of performers rehearse their set, the Activism Right There (A.R.T.) Festival is underway.

Geoff, otherwise known as G-OFF, 40Love's emcee sits on a chair holding a bottle of Jameson and Coke Zero. Donning Creative Recreations and aw matching SF New Era cap, he freestyles to a track from DJ Whooligan's MacBook Pro. His girlfriend Haze, also wearing Creative Recreations with a matching pink shirt, black jeans, and makeup, is the female emcee of 40Love and starts where G-OFF stops, complementing his methodical lyrics with her own soulful voice and creative lyricism. Mikos, another emcee and producer, Whooligan, the group's DJ, and G-OFF listen intently.

40Love, a Bay Area-based hip-hop group, is unlike many others, especially in the underground scene. In a male-dominated genre, Haze, whose real name is Hazel, does more than hold her own, writing and rapping hard-hitting lyrics alongside G-OFF. Speaking about their female emcee, Whooligan says, "Honestly, people give us a lot of mixed feelings, but nonetheless Haze is one of the illest emcees in the city, female or male."

"I would say when I step on stage through a crowd that doesn't necessarily know us, they would be surprised when they hear me spit," says Haze. "So that kind of energy just fuels me for definitely being one of the few female emcees in the game, and just drives me and makes me want to kill every verse."

Mikos, who provides the catchy and smooth beats that Whooligan cuts, lays the foundation. And when coupled with the group's chemistry and the creativity that flows through their work, 40Love stands out from the rest in the scene.

But 40Love is about more than just hip-hop. Aside from having a female lyricist who attends UC Berkeley, the members are all practicing Buddhists, a belief that has tied them closer together and influences some of their music. While some performers might pray or have other pre-performance rituals, 40Love makes it a point to chant before taking the stage, reciting the Buddhist prayer called Devotion to the Mystic Law.

"It's like before a show, you know, where you might have all of these things running through your mind, whether it's the noise around you, problems at work or with your personal relationships, all that shit that's keeping you distracted--it's like the prayer helps us to all get on the same page, the same level so that we're not focused on ourselves but on what we're about to do," says Whooligan, who was added to the original trio of G-OFF, Haze, and Mikos nearly a year-and-a-half ago.

While their Buddhist beliefs influence some of their lyrics, 40Love uses their music as a vehicle to deliver their message on spreading the love and attempts to show a deeper insight on how they view the world.

"In regards to our lyrics, everything in this universe has positive and negative qualities," says G-OFF. "And I think that 40Love, with the timeframe we're in with the recession and people trying to get work on the streets, we're just really trying to take that negative energy and flip it into a positive. Sometimes our tracks might seem hard, but we're just trying to speak on positivity."

The group released their sophomore album titled "Bangerang" in February, and while having performed several shows throughout the Bay Area, the young three-year-old group continues to make strides toward setting a different standard for the modern hip-hop groups, while collaborating with other well-known underground artists such as Malik of Aquarius and The Jacka of the Mob Figaz. With tracks like "Chant," "Politikin'," and "Throw All Your Rocks," 40Love makes a statement in this world and in the hip-hop game.

As time nears for them to hit the stage, they ask for some privacy, getting together in their dressing room to face one direction as they recite their Buddhist prayer to center themselves and get focused on their upcoming performance. After their chant, they approach the green room upstairs to get ready to rock the stage with some b-boys and b-girls. On a night commemorating the fortieth anniversary of the founding of the Third World Liberation Front strikes, 40Love is the opening act and is greeted with an enthusiastic crowd.

"We're just trying to turn poison into medicine," says G-OFF.