Digging for Gold is a monthly playlist series on HYPEBEAST that showcases areas around the world and the genres that emerge from them. We think that by putting together a combination of staples and hidden gems, we can improve how you discover music and give the joy of discovering new tracks.
We're going deep into how the country's inventive sounds are flipping the script as HYPEBEAST Brasil makes its formal debut. With local genres like bossa nova, samba, and baile funk steadily making their way onto the radars of some of our favorite musicians (examples: Juice WRLD's Death Race For Love, Pharcyde and J Dilla's "Runnin," Lucky Daye's "Call," and many more), its musical influence continues to increase.
Few places are as prominent on hip-hop and R&B maps as Brazil. The rap movement, while remaining faithful to its beginnings, is the result of passionate political expression, an exploration of Afro-Brazilian culture, and a revolution in personal identities. By mixing trap with Brazilian funk beats and pagode, a famous samba subgenre, the region's R&B scene channels a similar soundtrack.
Pioneers such as Emicida, Racionais, Dina Di, Criolo, and Marcelo D2 have embraced the meteoric rise of both genres. Tasha e Tracie, Don L, Rico Dalasam, Bivolt, Vandal, and N.I.N.A are additional essential artists to watch in the scene, in no particular order.
Brazil's hip-hop and R&B scenes will maintain their position as cultural powerhouses. To get you started, make sure you don't miss out on our eight-hour playlist below.
