Hip Hop and Baile Funk are very strong magnets for stereotypical reactions. While Marcelo D2 and Rappin Hood have become a flavor-of-the-week and enormously trendy import here in America- it still remains steadily popular in Brazil. Rap Proibidao represents a more intense strain of our gangster rap. And to that extent, they have gangster rap over there also- however there might be a cultural shift in values. The major difference is the way that the Brazilian government censors them. Lyric-wise, we can really get away with alot in the US. But, back to the point at hand, the stereotypical draw of Brazillian Rap and Funk- just because of the subject matter in the songs its associated with the poor- the stereotypically and racially criminal minorities. Again, it's similar here. If you hear a subwoofer bouncin half way down the road with Rap blarin from the windows, there's a good chance you'll assume it's a black person. But, the world is changing and many people listen to rap- still this association is made by many people, most of the time subcontiously. The same racial problems we have here in these cities is present in Brazil. Rap and Funk are some of these stereotypical icons associated with the favelas. However, singers like Marcelo D2 are serving as our Outkast- a sound that is evolving and becomming readily available to many races. Still, it all links back to our survival instinct to group, and if we don't actually have to use our eyes to identify these groups- all the better. We are a lazy race, if we can here the rap it's got to be a black person in the car. This is, however, approaching the judgemental phase of stereotyping where one thinks: Oh, it's a black person listening to rap music...I'm going to get robbed. Honestly, I think the same person who thinks these things needs to open up their intelligence and look at places like Rio where the population is incredibly mixed. For them, racism still exists, but for us, we think that there is either black or white and therefore could learn alot from a mixed culture such as Brazil. And of course, in a mixed culture you get a mixed style of music: Hip Hop, Baile Funk, DIPLO, Rap Proibadao, and so on.
The music in Brazil is getting more open to various class groups, but it is still going to be attatched to that judgement of the poorer people in the favelas.
Whitey McWhiterson here. It is not difficult to cast broad judgement over hip hop or baile funk. I already find myself making stereotypes about the people that listen to it-- yellow puma-wearing mac enthusiasts with slick little cars and cushy teaching theaters. But I try to remain objective, nonetheless. I view current funk as something asthetically similar to what Disney's been doing to pop music since 1995. While lacking in its tendencies towards pederasty, it's nonetheless obnoxious, and creating obvious cultural shockwaves, even if, as Morgan mentions, they're mere flavors of the month here in the U.S. of Awesome. Drew, you already gave us the rundown of how it made its way all the way to MIA-- it's impressive, the global circuit.
Gangster Rap is for losers. Prohibidao is for gangsters. I think even white kids have a few songs they teach their children that are in the same vein- "anything you can do, I can do better" seems to make a nice stereotyping blanket for my perception of the art. All I know is, Outkast is webcasting x-rated versions of his track "Pussy Poppin'" and it's widely available to any little kid who knows how to type in an 18-year old age verification. Regardless of its evolution, it's still purile, even if it's kinda cool.
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Hip Hop and Baile Funk are very strong magnets for stereotypical reactions. While Marcelo D2 and Rappin Hood have become a flavor-of-the-week and enormously trendy import here in America- it still remains steadily popular in Brazil. Rap Proibidao represents a more intense strain of our gangster rap. And to that extent, they have gangster rap over there also- however there might be a cultural shift in values. The major difference is the way that the Brazilian government censors them. Lyric-wise, we can really get away with alot in the US. But, back to the point at hand, the stereotypical draw of Brazillian Rap and Funk- just because of the subject matter in the songs its associated with the poor- the stereotypically and racially criminal minorities. Again, it's similar here. If you hear a subwoofer bouncin half way down the road with Rap blarin from the windows, there's a good chance you'll assume it's a black person. But, the world is changing and many people listen to rap- still this association is made by many people, most of the time subcontiously. The same racial problems we have here in these cities is present in Brazil. Rap and Funk are some of these stereotypical icons associated with the favelas. However, singers like Marcelo D2 are serving as our Outkast- a sound that is evolving and becomming readily available to many races. Still, it all links back to our survival instinct to group, and if we don't actually have to use our eyes to identify these groups- all the better. We are a lazy race, if we can here the rap it's got to be a black person in the car. This is, however, approaching the judgemental phase of stereotyping where one thinks: Oh, it's a black person listening to rap music...I'm going to get robbed. Honestly, I think the same person who thinks these things needs to open up their intelligence and look at places like Rio where the population is incredibly mixed. For them, racism still exists, but for us, we think that there is either black or white and therefore could learn alot from a mixed culture such as Brazil. And of course, in a mixed culture you get a mixed style of music: Hip Hop, Baile Funk, DIPLO, Rap Proibadao, and so on.
The music in Brazil is getting more open to various class groups, but it is still going to be attatched to that judgement of the poorer people in the favelas.
Whitey McWhiterson here. It is not difficult to cast broad judgement over hip hop or baile funk. I already find myself making stereotypes about the people that listen to it-- yellow puma-wearing mac enthusiasts with slick little cars and cushy teaching theaters. But I try to remain objective, nonetheless. I view current funk as something asthetically similar to what Disney's been doing to pop music since 1995. While lacking in its tendencies towards pederasty, it's nonetheless obnoxious, and creating obvious cultural shockwaves, even if, as Morgan mentions, they're mere flavors of the month here in the U.S. of Awesome. Drew, you already gave us the rundown of how it made its way all the way to MIA-- it's impressive, the global circuit.
Gangster Rap is for losers. Prohibidao is for gangsters. I think even white kids have a few songs they teach their children that are in the same vein- "anything you can do, I can do better" seems to make a nice stereotyping blanket for my perception of the art. All I know is, Outkast is webcasting x-rated versions of his track "Pussy Poppin'" and it's widely available to any little kid who knows how to type in an 18-year old age verification. Regardless of its evolution, it's still purile, even if it's kinda cool.
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