Brasil has long been a country known for providing sexy rhythms and erotic culture, as well as its explosive favelas or slums made famous by the critically acclaimed movie City of God. It is also a place giving birth to new sounds of international music, ranging from the favelas baile funk to its own brand of hip hop. The latest movement is being paved by newly formed group, BRAZA which encompasses US Rap, Brasilian music and Funk Carioca.
BRAZA, which means 'fire' in Portugese and is slang for Brasil, consists of three members: Cabal, Mr. Bomba and Preto Rima, whom are all established artists/producers individually. All hailing from Sao Paulo, they each bring different skills and sounds to the table.
Mr. Bomba, the oldest member of the crew, hails from one of the most influential groups of Brazil "SP Funk," who are responsible for changing Brasilian rap from solely militant political rhymes to a more accessible sound. Bomba is also a top-notch MC and producer with two SP Funk albums under his belt released by Trama Music, the largest and most respected indie label in South America. He also learned English through listening to American hip hop music, drawing influence from the likes of Notorious B.I.G., Jay-Z, and Nas.
Cabal, called Brasil's breakthrough artist of 2004, is a top rapper well known for his single "Senhorita" the first song in Brasilian history to sell 100,000 ringtones; and a new tune called "Mexe seu Corpo," which is blazing up the Brasilian airwaves in heavy rotation. In addition to working with BRAZA, Cabal will be releasing his first solo album "Prova Cabal" on Prohiphop/Universal Music Brasil. Having spent 4 years living in Brooklyn, Cabal also brings to the table a solid tongue in English.
Preto Rima at age 21 is the young gun of the crew. He was a loyal fan of SP Funk and discovered by Cabal at a show. Cabal instantly recognized his talent and took him under his wing, helping him develop his lyrical skills. Preto Rima also spent some time living in the United States as a foreign exchange student and is able to incorporate the English fluently with Portugese in his rhymes.
BRAZA was in essence brought together and will primarily be produced by American producer Disco D who's credits include working with 50 Cent, Nina Sky, Kevin Federline, Trick Daddy and more. Cabal had reached out to Disco D through popular networking site, Myspace.com and Disco, a part time resident of Brasil because his fianc is a well-known Brasilian actress, quickly responded.
"We always worked together, but not as a group. We have our careers here as rappers and producers, but when Disco D asked if we wanted to record an album together for the US we accepted the challenge instantly," says Preto Rima. "Writing in a way that both the US and Brasil people would understand was something that none of us never did or thought of."
With each having their own individual accolades, the formation of this group is both exciting and revolutionary for Brasilian hip hop. All three are ready to conquer the international market and with the assistance, talent and influence of Disco D, it seems only a matter of time until history is made. The first single, Son Do BRAZA (Sound of BRAZA) features Mr. Shock, one of the hottest baile funk artists from the favelas of Rio and Aori, one of Rios premier true school hip hop artists, and is already creating a strong buzz for the group. With two raw music videos already shot in the favelas and bailes of Rio, BRAZA is ready to show the rest of the world what Brasil is REALLY like. Welcome to Brasil!
