Hip hop outfit Marcelo D2 are one of Brazil’s most influential artists from the last two decades and are set to perform at London’s Electric Brixton on August 22, their first performance in the UK since 2012.
MD2 have long been considered the band that reinvented hip hop in Brazil mixing samba rhythms and samples with chopped up beats and socially conscious lyrics, waxing lyrical about the challenges faced when living in the favelas. MD2 are fronted by Marcelo Maldonado Peixoto, a rapper from Rio who started his musical career with 90’s hip hop/rock crew Planet Hemp. In 1998, Marcelo subsequently followed a new path and so hip hop’s bridge to samba was built.
The band has since been popularising. Marcelo D2’s collaborations with hip hop royalty are numerous including 2013 single ‘Danger zone’, featuring Aloe Blacc. In 2011 Marcelo D2 recorded ‘Obrigado, Brasil’ with Snoop Dog and released on the LA rapper’s own label Doggystyle. The band has collaborated with Will.i.am from the Black Eyed Peas and recorded with Sergio Mendes on his ‘Timeless’ album.
Away from their recent starlit past, it is the band’s contribution to the popular songbook that is of significance to any narrative about contemporary popular music in Brazil. The combination of samba and rap simply did not exist on any scale until the arrival of Marcelo D2. By mixing the two genres, MD2 have managed to connect swathes of young Brazilian hip hop fans to the original swing of samba. This unique combination predominantly under an umbrella of black consciousness has given MD2 the rightful tag as pioneers in samba rap offering up a fresh new genre to the urban music landscape.
It was 2005 when MD2 released their much-lauded album, ‘Looking for the Perfect Beat’, on UK label Mr Bongo. Their latest album released through EMI in 2013 entitled ‘Nada Pode Me Parar’ features Aloe Blacc and has proven a smash hit with millions of YouTube plays.
MD2 arrives as a 7-piece band and will be performing at Electric Brixton as part of a larger European tour. The show is put together by promoters B Mundo and Portuguese booking agency Primeira Linha.
When: 22 August
Where: Electric Brixton
Entrance: £25 + Booking Fee
Info: www.electricbrixton.uk.com
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