Synopses & Reviews
In the land of samba, there is another vibrant culture capturing the attention of urban youth. This compelling account argues that hip hop, while certainly a product of globalized flows of information and technology, is by no means homogenous. Using more than five years of anthropological fieldwork in São Paulo, Brazil's largest city, Pardue represents "culture" as generative and thus meaningful as a set of practices. When interpreted in this manner, local hip hoppers become closer to what they claim to be - subjects rather than objects of history and everyday life. In his ethnography, the first in English to look at Brazilian hip hop, Pardue highlights the analytical categories of race, class, gender, and territory.
Review
“A well written, concise account of Brazilian hip hop. Pardue does a very good job of combining historical, sociological, aesthetic, artistic, and ideological analysis of hip hop music. The rich, ethnographic depictions help to bring the story to life. This book is an important contribution to the study of global hip hop and Brazilian popular music.”--Sujatha Fernandes, Queens College, CUNY, author of Cuba Represent! Cuban Arts, State Power, and The Making of New Revolutionary Cultures
Synopsis
Based on more than five years of anthropological fieldwork in Sao Paulo, Brazil, this book highlights race, class, gender and territory to argue that Brazilian hip hoppers are subjects rather than objects of history and everyday life. This is the first ethnography in English to analyze Brazilian hip hop
About the Author
Derek Pardue is an assistant professor of Anthropology and International and Area Studies at Washington University in St. Louis. He is the editor of the volume Ruminations on Violence and the author of articles related to Brazilian hip hop and education, race, and graphic design. In addition, Pardue has published texts on Brazilian soccer and casual restaurant design in the U.S.
Table of Contents
Introduction and Frame * Assembling Brazilian Hip Hop Histories * Making Territorial Claims: São Paulo Hip Hop and the Socio-Geographical Dynamics of Periferia * Putting Mano to Music: Testing Hip Hop Negritude * Mano / Mana: The Engendering of the Periferia * Fechou? (I'm Out / The End?): Concluding Remarks about a Crisis and an Opportunity