Brazilian singer and songwriter Felipe Wellington da Silva Cruz, known as MC Felipe Boladão, was born on February 25, 1990, in Santos, São Paulo. Raised in Vila São Jorge, in the city’s northwestern area, he began performing in the funk circuit of the Baixada Santista around 2005. Nicknamed “O Poeta do Funk,” Mc Felipe Boladão became one of the leading early voices of funk consciente in São Paulo, writing melodic and socially observant songs about peripheral life, grief, friendship, spirituality, inequality and the consequences of crime. His principal recordings included “Bola da Vez,” “A Viagem,” “Bonde do Tony Country,” “Residência dos Loucos,” “Mundo Moderno,” “Voracidade,” “Quero do Boldo” and “Toma Lá Dá Cá.” Although conscious funk formed the center of his work, parts of his catalog also drew on the direct street narratives associated with funk proibidão. His career ended on April 10, 2010, when he and his DJ and producer, Felipe da Silva Gomes, were shot in Praia Grande while waiting for transportation to a performance in Guarulhos. He was 20 years old. His compositions later inspired tributes and reinterpretations by artists including MC Guimê and MC Nego Blue, while his writing remained an important reference within funk paulista.
