SD9 on Brazilian Grime and Rio de Janeiro’s Best Neighbourhoods
Grime may have been birthed from the neighbourhoods of east London in the 2000s, but the rise of the genre, along with its commercialisation, has seen it spread around the world and cross over into different cultures.
One example of this type of cultural cross-pollination is the Brazilian grime scene which emerged in 2018, in part due to platforms like Rio de Janeiro’s Brasil Grime Show. The Brazilian take on the genre – named ‘Brime’ – sees artists fuse it with elements of baile funk, creating a sound that’s influenced by the grittiness of London, and a rapid-fire energy that’s unique to Brazil. Artists such as CESRV, Febem and Fleezus have charted the sound into different directions, combining it with drill and even UK garage.
SD9 is one of the artists leading this wave of Brazilian grime. The MC uses the framework of grime to talk about the underlying socio-cultural issues that run through his environment. Though its Brazilian offshoot is a world away from the genre’s origins, there are similarities across both strands of grime; notably, the tracks document hardships in the two areas, which are both plagued by police brutality and surveillance.
This month, Trippin is teaming up with COMO VOCÊ to throw a pre-Carnival party in Brazil. Tickets are free and you can RSVP here. The programme is a celebration of Brazilian grime and the wider bass scene in the region. SD9 is set to perform at the event, along with Afronta, Ak1n, Juanzin, Sodomita and VND. MC Lizzie will be bringing the heat, appearing on the programme with the likes of Akai, Diniboy and Peroli. Ahead of the event, we caught up with SD9 in South Bermondsey, London, for a styled shoot. Dressed in athleisure wear and leather, accented by the gold tones of his accessories, the rapper answers a round of quick-fire questions on where to find the best parties in Rio and how he first got into grime.
Rio de Janeiro is...
Very intense and with no time to end. In Rio de Janeiro we are the enemy of the end, we start drinking on Friday afternoon and go until Monday morning if we let it. [laughs]
The best neighbourhoods to party in...
The best place to have fun and get to know Rio de Janeiro, for real and being an outsider, are the beaches and the dances in the favela. It's a unique experience.
How I got into grime...
I started listening to grime in 2015 because a friend showed me Skepta's Shutdown. That's when I started to get more interested in the genre. I really want to see him in Brazil soon. I think it would be a very important milestone for grime in Brazil.
British culture...
British culture influenced me because it has many similarities with Rio culture. Grime for me is very similar to funk, lifestyle and fashion, team shirts, football, you know. This ended up bringing me closer to grime and British culture in general.
Travelling to London...
Visiting London for the first time was an experience I will never forget. Being next to some grime legends, breathing the city's air, meeting some references and getting closer to the culture was a dream come true. Until then I had only seen it on YouTube and Google RSS.
I had a very good connection with the artists. Jammz, Manga Saint Hilare, D Power Diesle, Jesse Bernard, the people from Radio Reprezent, Shorty from BBK, Oblig among others too. I was very well received by the people. I felt that Brazilians are highly respected. It's a city that is in my heart forever.
