Marcelo D2

The past ten years or so have seen a seismic revolution in Brazilian music with the young dudes of Rio and Sao Paulo seamlessly adopting hip-hop, electronica and drum & bass into their country's existing musical vocabulary. Rio rapper Marcelo D2 has been one of this revolution's most prominent foot soldiers. Having come to prominence as the leader of incendiary rap-rock combo Planet Hemp, of late he's been concentrating on a solo career that finds him arranging a marriage between samba and hip-hop. It's proving to be a story of true love, with the union receiving the blessings of turntable titans like LTJ Bukem and our old friend Mr Scruff. Marcelo's most recent album for the esteemed Mr Bongo label was stacked with quality personnel, including Seu Jorge and Mix Master Mike, while Beastie Boys producer Mario Caldato oversaw proceedings from behind the mixing desk. Its title, Procura Da Batida Perfeita, translates as 'looking for the perfect beat'. From where we're listening, sounds like Marcelo D2 need look no further.

In A Few Words Samba and hip-hop make perfect bedfellows
(Biography 2010)