They say that music is the universal language. And it's a damned good thing. Because otherwise, you might miss out on Brazilian rapper Marcelo D2. Unless, of course, you happen to speak Portuguese.
In any case, it'd be a shame if you missed the opportunity to be exposed to this hip-hopper's stee-lo. Admittedly, Miami's Brazilian population is not inconsiderable. This town does, after all, boast a whole lot of peeps who falar português. But Marcelo D2's delivery and throwback vibe tinged with modern electro underpinnings really extend beyond Brasileiro stuff.
Marcelo Maldonado Peixoto was born in Rio de Janeiro in 1967. He'd already been a member of hip-hop group Planet Hemp by 1998 when he launched his solo career at the age of 21 with the release of Eu Tiro E Onda (A Shot and a Wave), which earned instant street cred in Sao Paulo.
And he parlayed that into an increasingly successful career as one of Brazil's hip-hop voices, as evidenced by his 2003 followup, A Procura da Batida Perfeita (Looking for the Perfect Beat), later an Acustico MTV performance and last year's Canta Bezerra da Silva.
Marcelo D2 with Pitty, presented by the Rhythm Foundation. Friday, July 22. Fillmore Miami Beach, 1700 Washington Ave., Miami Beach. The show starts at 8 p.m. and tickets cost $36 plus fees via livenation.com. Call 305-673-7300 or visit fillmoremb.com.
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