Trap Rap Versus Conscious Rap Also a Thing in Brazil's Baile Funk

The evolution of Brazilian baile funk music parallels that of American hip-hop. It’s an urban grassroots musical movement that emerged in the 1980s with in low-income, violence-ridden communities sharing their stories. Like American hip-hop, it evolved into a genre largely concerned with bragging about a lavish life as it moved into the mainstream.

Of course, not all baile funk artists decided to go that route. Some old school artists, like MC Galo, didn’t stray far from the traditional practice of singing about crime, tension with the police, and precarious living conditions. Following in his footsteps, a new crop of performers use the popularity of the genre to raise awareness of the underlying issues in their community.

Each of the two warring subgenres of baile funk has its own name: “funk ostentação” (aspirational or bragging about riches) and funk consciente (conscious, or community-minded). But guess which style has taken off and made the big bucks?

Of course big record labels and international stars caught on. In 1999, Warner Music released the album MC Catra, the biggest baile funk MC in Brazil today. Diplo and M.I.A. have incorporated baile funk elements in much of their music.

As this genre gains steams, the ego of braggadocious funk artists have grown. Much like Cash Money, some of the hottest artists make up a crew called Grupo Ostentação. MC Guimê is one of the leading artists, making over US$200,000 in profit from performing 50 shows a month, and is also a friend of soccer god Neymar.

“From a Ranger Rover to an Evoke [two expensive Land Rover cars]

I kill it on the racetrack

A selfie goes on Instagram