The Impact of the Brazilian Government's Hip-Hop Investment

I am investigating the impact of Brazilian government funding in hip-hop and social movements. The Brazilian government has recently implemented a cultural development program. Under this program, $13 million was used to fund music, including hip-hop, in 2007. Since 2004, the government has been giving money to NGO’s such as AfroReggae to fund programs spreading hip-hop culture throughout the country, mainly in favelas (slums). {see here} I wish to explore whether this funding has allowed groups with race conscious messages to strengthen their voice in Brazil. If so, can this funding be framed as an affirmative action program?

I find it interesting that currently there is no public backlash against these programs in Brazil. In the U.S., mainstream hip-hop music has been criticized for years over its controversial lyrics and alleged negative influences; recently, this scrutiny has intensified. Hip-hop music increasingly seems to be blamed for many social ills, illustrated by U.S. studies attempting to link it to everything from teen drug use to increased sexual activity among young girls. Furthermore, there were Congressional hearings on the genre’s content last year. It is true that most popular hip-hop in the U.S. over the past 10 years generally has carried a materialistic, gangster, or misogynistic message. Conversely, I have discovered that the more popular hip-hop in Brazil has a socially conscious message. I will attempt to get some of the Brazilian lyrics and the overall messages interpreted for comparison.

Today, we attended a mini-seminar in the afternoon with Professor Angela Paiva, Marco Pamplona and a few graduate students at Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro­ (PUC-RJ). According to Professor Paiva, Brazilians would not frame the government funding of hip-hop as affirmative action because it is not in the education, employment, or political sector. I have not learned enough to challenge her statement, but I don’t think the programs are that simple. I look forward to my visit with AfroReggae tomorrow.