At noon I played a song from an amazing Brazilian MC named Rael. Formerly known as ‘da Rima’, Rael is the biggest voice from the rap scene in São Paulo right now. Rocking hip hop with a live band, he connects traditional Brazilian sounds, raps like a poet, and puts the one-drop on a sound that is also influenced by dub and reggae. On his new album Ainda Bem que Eu Segui as Batidas do Meu Coração, Rael has teamed up with K-Salaam and Beatnick, producers who have worked with the likes of Lauryn Hill, as well as friend and fellow São Paulo rapper Emicida to craft an album that exists at the unlikely but funky interstice of hip hop, reggae and even afrobeat.
If this is exactly the sort of thing you were looking for, feel free to scoop his brand new album for free HERE!