How Brazilian Hip-Hop Stars Have Influenced SA Hip Hop

Hip-hop is one of the most popular music genres around the world – crossing generations, cultures, and growing from a nichê art style to one of the most popular music genres in the world! Brazil is certainly no exception to this. There are plenty of incredibly talented Brazilian hip-hop stars who have influenced modern music and modern culture as we know it.

But who are these hip-hop stars, and how have they contributed to the music world? Well, let’s find out, going beyond their love for glamour and Brazil Quina. Here are some of the most popular/famous Brazilian hip-hop stars. 

Emicida

Emicida is one of the top Brazilian hip-hop stars of this generation. You simply can’t talk about the subject without mentioning him. Born and raised as Leandro Roque de Oliveira in São Paulo, this rapper primarily rose to fame through his lyrical genius and frequent participation in freestyle/rap battles. 

This is also how Emicida got his name: a cross between Portuguese for MC and homicide – literally, to ‘kill’ other rappers in rhyming contests and freestyle battles. It’s not as bleak as it sounds; in the context of rapping, ‘kill’ just means to embarrass an opponent and win a battle.

Don’t be fooled, Emicida isn’t your average rapper: he combines standard Brazilian sounds, from samba to Afro-Brazilian rhythms, with witty lyrics.

It’s not uncommon to see a Brazilian dance crew dancing to Emicidia’s music, something you wouldn’t expect from this genre. 

His influence also spreads much further than the rap world. Not only does he include important messages in his songs, but he is heavily involved in fashion. He even has his very own fashion line that promotes Afro-Brazilian culture. 

Karol Conká

Then there is Karol Conká, one of the premier women in Brazilian rap, whose songs often have surprisingly positive lyrics. Karol is from Curitiba, and went on to have a hit with her song Boa Noite which mixed afrobeat, electronic and Brazilian grooves.

Her lyrics often feature messages about important issues like feminism, human rights, empowerment, and self-confidence. One such example of this is her debut album, Batuk Freak, which was positively received across the board for its exploration of themes like black identity and body positivity.

The album featured a mix of different genres and not only shared important messages but was also a smash hit in its own right. 

Karol isn’t only popular because of her music of course – she also had a stint on the Brazilian version of Big Brother! Karol stood out among the rest, primarily because she became the centre of controversy surrounding her questionable behaviour. It’s not all sunshine and rainbows – rappers are people just like us. 

Nevertheless, Karol Conká has played a key role in uplifting Brazilian women through her songs, and she remains one of the most vocal social activists in Brazil. 

Rashid

Michel Dias Costa, better known as Rashid is one of the more famous – and arguably iconic Brazilian rappers. Rashid has a very smooth flow and his lyrics are poignant, usually revolving over themes of love, ambitions and the struggles with coming of age in São Paulo´s difficult neighbourhoods. Rashid stepped on to the scene first by way of freestyles, and eventually distinguished himself through his sharp penmanship and intellectual bars.

Rashid’s music is less about the fun beats and flows, and more about telling a story. Tracks like “A Coragem da Luz” and “Tão Real” pulse with vivid story-telling of both the personal and universal variety from his LPs. While most rappers might rap about a hardened exterior, Rashid’s music brings out the emotional complexity of life in Brazil’s city hoods.

His close interactions with the fans stand out and he capably represents his native city in Brazilian hip-hop. The music of Rashid is rap at its least bravado and most vulnerable: rap stripped down to the nitty gritty of what it means to be human. In a rap game saturated to the point of redundancy, he stands far apart from the rest.

Conclusion

So, have you ever heard of any of the stars on our list? While you might not have directly heard of any of them, chances are, you will have heard them mentioned in passing or have experienced their influence on modern hip-hop culture. Despite not being known on the world stage (although this is quickly changing), Brazilian music stars have a huge influence on modern music.

You can hear their influence in many of the most popular songs worldwide – Brazilian music is just too good. And that goes without even mentioning the important social messages many of them talk about in their songs – the effects they have had on Brazilian culture are profound. See you in the next one!