Eu tenho o poder, I have the power. Brazilian rapper Marcelo D2 isn’t exactly quoting He-Man, or Snap! on his new track. He’s not even claiming the power just for himself, but instead, he’s referring the power we all have within ourselves and collectively. The power to change our lives and change the world.
The idea came to him right after listening for the first time the jazzy instrumental, produced by the Spanish super team Cookin’ Soul. The carioca MC, former vocalist of Planet Hemp and pioneer in blending hip-hop with samba, fell in love with the laid-back beat and chose it for the powerful first single of his upcoming solo album. This apparently marks a break from his affair with samba to go back to Marcelo’s original love, pure hip-hop (there’s also a Planet Hemp reunion in the works).
The video follows the story of a simple dude who parties with the girls, smokes ganja, tags and rides a skateboard in Rio de Janeiro but somehow, he later ends up in New York, joining the Occupy Wall Street protests and chanting against capitalism. “When you live in a repressive regime, those who have new ideas represent danger,” spits Marcelo on the second verse, “Sorry mom, it’s rebellion what moves me. You know I use the mind instead of the gun and those who change the world are always considered crazy.”
The track was recorded and mixed by the legendary Mario Caldato Jr. (Beastie Boys, Beck, Molotov) who has already worked with Marcelo on his groundbreaking releases A Procura Da Batida Perfeita and Meu Samba é Assim. Also, this is a couple years old, but if you haven’t seen it and you’re barely discovering Marcelo now (how dare you!), check him out on this other one with our friend Zuzuka Poderosa!
[insert-video youtube=68CU3MuY-rc]
