NOISEY 078: MC PAPO

Most Brazilians are aware of MC PAPO, even if they don’t know exactly who he is. Born in Brussels to Belgian and Brazilian parents, PAPO (née Alexandre Materna) has become a mainstay in Belo Horizonte, his adopted home in Southeast Brazil. He’s established a reputation with a slew of online viral hits—his 2007 video for “Piriguete” racked up more than 11 million YouTube views before the beat was coopted by an assortment of other singers. But that was just one of the tracks from his first full-length to garner millions of online views. "Eu pixava sim (Lembranças de moleque),” his ode to his life and times as a graffiti artist, garnered almost two million views in a very short time.

PAPO calls his sophomore record, [El Magrelo] Diretamente do Espaço, “a sample of what differentiates [him] from other MC’s.” The album showcases a strong DIY production ethic, and has helped him land live shows in car sound system championships and parties all over Brazil. While he continues to produce his own homemade videos, the live act remains a source of inspiration to reggaeton fans worldwide.