So, rap music is established as one of the main genres in the US for a long time, but what do you know about the hip hop culture outside US or UK? I, as a brazilian, had recently the idea of showing a little bit for you guys what hip hop is here and I wish to know what do you think about it... the similar points, the different ones etc. If you're from a non English speaking country, feel free to show us some of your country's rap too, if you want! 
In Brazil, the biggest rap scene is at São Paulo, followed by the scene of Rio de Janeiro. Brazilian hip hop was born at São Paulo, but there is rap being made at all regions of the country actually. But it's important to say that rap isn't a mainstream genre here yet like it is on the US, and I believe it has not much interest in being; imo, for not being attached to big labels, brazilian rap has total freedom to express one of its best features: large creativity, both on the lyrics and the beats.
Now I'll show you guys some tracks of rappers or rap groups that I really appreciate... Please comment if you like!
ConeCrewDiretoria - Chama os Mulekes (the song starts at 1:58)
Rio de Janeiro. In the rap scene, most people love or hate ConeCrew. I think they could improve lyrically a little bit, but I still enjoy very much listening to their tracks, specially the album Com Os Neurônios Evoluindo.
Emicida (feat. Rael) - Levanta e Anda
São Paulo. He is the most highlighted brazilian rapper today. Most of people like his songs, but some criticize him for being "not-modest". I don't agree with it. I think being modest it's not an obligation if you are extremely talented like I think he is. He came from a very poor childhood, frequently rhymes about it and the life in the streets, and some people also criticizes him for doing this and being a lot at the media at the same time. I don't agree either. (Oh, he is the guy with the white shirt at 3:07)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hfe24uHY_wQ
A.X.L., Projota, Rashid, Mattenie & Kamau - É Noiz (remix)
São Paulo. Projota is starting to be sort of highlighted too. I think he is just ok. Rashid is one of my favorite brazilian rappers. Imo his flow is great and his lyrics are extremely intelligent, sometimes deep. Kamau is one of the old school ones... I could say he has one of the best flows in brazilian hip hop. His rhymes always fit great into the beats. I don't know much about AXL and Mattenie though. Order of appearance: Projota, AXL, Rashid, Mattenie, Kamau.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVu9TLMGZ3I
Filipe Ret - Neurótico de Guerra
Rio de Janeiro. Imo his music is a faithful example of Rio's actual rap style. The hip hop of Rio, musically saying, is kind of more smooth, more of a "smiling" kind of rap... and it's present not just on the rhymes, but on the beats too.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBt21_24zqU
MV Bill - O Soldado que Fica
Rio de Janeiro. MV Bill is, no doubt, the best actual rapper from Rio in my point of view.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rhKyMtd0sfQ
Haikaiss (feat. Shawlin) - Linhas Tortas
Haikaiss from SP, Shawlin from Rio. I may be wrong, but I think you can see that white people making rap is more common here than in the USA. Imo, here you couldn't even say hip hop is part of black music, considering the amount of white people that were important to the growning of the scene just like the blacks. As you can see, Haikaiss is a rap group formed just by whites.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s04G9f8nqe4
Racionais MC's - Eu Sou 157
São Paulo. Racionais is considered by many as the best and most important rap group from Brazil... sort of our Wu-Tang Clan. Composed by Mano Brown, Edi Rock, Ice Blue and KL Jay, they're known for writing about themes like the real life into the slums, social justice, police violence, racism and crime. Racionais MC's, formed in the late 80s, was one of the first examples of the hip hop culture in Brazil, but just became popular in a national level with their last album (Nada Como um Dia Após o Outro), released at 2002.
Some others tracks that I really recommend, if you're interested (the underlined ones are music videos):
MC Marechal - Espírito Independente (Rio)
Marcello Gugu - Gil Scott Heron (SP)
Rashid - Hora de Acordar (SP)
Shawlin - Á Área (Rio)
Emicida & Rodrigo Ogi - InSOMnia (SP)
ConeCrewDiretoria (feat. Don L) - Special (Rio/Fortaleza)
Laudz (producer) & RAPadura (rapper) - O Terror (Curitiba/Fortaleza)
Racionais MC's - 1 Por Amor 2 Por Dinheiro (SP)
Cartel MCs - Canto da Sereia (Rio)
Don L - Beira de Piscina (Fortaleza)
Gabriel, o Pensador - Tô Feliz (Rio)
Start - Transação da Thailandia (Rio)
Gil Metralha (feat. ConeCrew & Shawlin) - O Bonde (Rio)
Kamau - Poesia de Concreto (SP)
Marcelo D2 - Qual É?
And of course we have shitty rappers too
:
Bonde da Stronda - Mansão Thug Stronda (Rio) (dope beat wasted with shitty rappers)
Pollo - Piritubacity (SP)
BONUS: The 2010 final of "Liga dos Beats", a brazilian beatmaking championship
So, what do you think about it?
In Brazil, the biggest rap scene is at São Paulo, followed by the scene of Rio de Janeiro. Brazilian hip hop was born at São Paulo, but there is rap being made at all regions of the country actually. But it's important to say that rap isn't a mainstream genre here yet like it is on the US, and I believe it has not much interest in being; imo, for not being attached to big labels, brazilian rap has total freedom to express one of its best features: large creativity, both on the lyrics and the beats.
Now I'll show you guys some tracks of rappers or rap groups that I really appreciate... Please comment if you like!
ConeCrewDiretoria - Chama os Mulekes (the song starts at 1:58)
Rio de Janeiro. In the rap scene, most people love or hate ConeCrew. I think they could improve lyrically a little bit, but I still enjoy very much listening to their tracks, specially the album Com Os Neurônios Evoluindo.
Emicida (feat. Rael) - Levanta e Anda
São Paulo. He is the most highlighted brazilian rapper today. Most of people like his songs, but some criticize him for being "not-modest". I don't agree with it. I think being modest it's not an obligation if you are extremely talented like I think he is. He came from a very poor childhood, frequently rhymes about it and the life in the streets, and some people also criticizes him for doing this and being a lot at the media at the same time. I don't agree either. (Oh, he is the guy with the white shirt at 3:07)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hfe24uHY_wQ
A.X.L., Projota, Rashid, Mattenie & Kamau - É Noiz (remix)
São Paulo. Projota is starting to be sort of highlighted too. I think he is just ok. Rashid is one of my favorite brazilian rappers. Imo his flow is great and his lyrics are extremely intelligent, sometimes deep. Kamau is one of the old school ones... I could say he has one of the best flows in brazilian hip hop. His rhymes always fit great into the beats. I don't know much about AXL and Mattenie though. Order of appearance: Projota, AXL, Rashid, Mattenie, Kamau.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVu9TLMGZ3I
Filipe Ret - Neurótico de Guerra
Rio de Janeiro. Imo his music is a faithful example of Rio's actual rap style. The hip hop of Rio, musically saying, is kind of more smooth, more of a "smiling" kind of rap... and it's present not just on the rhymes, but on the beats too.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBt21_24zqU
MV Bill - O Soldado que Fica
Rio de Janeiro. MV Bill is, no doubt, the best actual rapper from Rio in my point of view.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rhKyMtd0sfQ
Haikaiss (feat. Shawlin) - Linhas Tortas
Haikaiss from SP, Shawlin from Rio. I may be wrong, but I think you can see that white people making rap is more common here than in the USA. Imo, here you couldn't even say hip hop is part of black music, considering the amount of white people that were important to the growning of the scene just like the blacks. As you can see, Haikaiss is a rap group formed just by whites.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s04G9f8nqe4
Racionais MC's - Eu Sou 157
São Paulo. Racionais is considered by many as the best and most important rap group from Brazil... sort of our Wu-Tang Clan. Composed by Mano Brown, Edi Rock, Ice Blue and KL Jay, they're known for writing about themes like the real life into the slums, social justice, police violence, racism and crime. Racionais MC's, formed in the late 80s, was one of the first examples of the hip hop culture in Brazil, but just became popular in a national level with their last album (Nada Como um Dia Após o Outro), released at 2002.
Some others tracks that I really recommend, if you're interested (the underlined ones are music videos):
MC Marechal - Espírito Independente (Rio)
Marcello Gugu - Gil Scott Heron (SP)
Rashid - Hora de Acordar (SP)
Shawlin - Á Área (Rio)
Emicida & Rodrigo Ogi - InSOMnia (SP)
ConeCrewDiretoria (feat. Don L) - Special (Rio/Fortaleza)
Laudz (producer) & RAPadura (rapper) - O Terror (Curitiba/Fortaleza)
Racionais MC's - 1 Por Amor 2 Por Dinheiro (SP)
Cartel MCs - Canto da Sereia (Rio)
Don L - Beira de Piscina (Fortaleza)
Gabriel, o Pensador - Tô Feliz (Rio)
Start - Transação da Thailandia (Rio)
Gil Metralha (feat. ConeCrew & Shawlin) - O Bonde (Rio)
Kamau - Poesia de Concreto (SP)
Marcelo D2 - Qual É?
And of course we have shitty rappers too
:Bonde da Stronda - Mansão Thug Stronda (Rio) (dope beat wasted with shitty rappers)
Pollo - Piritubacity (SP)
BONUS: The 2010 final of "Liga dos Beats", a brazilian beatmaking championship
So, what do you think about it?