Marcelo D2

Marcelo Maldonado Peixoto (November 5, 1967), known professionally as Marcelo D2, is a rapper from Rio de Janeiro who has been active in Brazil’s hip-hop scene since the early 90s. He grew up in Rio's poorest neighborhoods, and lived through a number of personal hardships during his youth, which influenced his worldview as well as his burgeoning career in music. Widely regarded as one of the pioneers of the “samba rap” subgenre, he started his career as the vocalist for the influential rapcore group Planet Hemp, with whom he recorded four seminal studio albums. After the group’s disbandment at the turn of the century, Peixoto embarked on a highly acclaimed solo career, releasing a string of successful albums and collaborating with legendary figures from the Brazilian samba scene, such as Zeca Pagodinho, Sérgio Mendes, Bezerra da Silva and Seu Jorge. He also became known for his collaborations with internationally renowned artists from the world of hip hop, such as The Black Eyed Peas’s Will.i.am and Chali2na from Jurassic 5. He has 7 acclaimed studio albums under his belt, including the chart-topping A Procura da Batida Perfeita (2003) and 2008’s A Arte do Barulho, which featured the Top 10 hit “Desabafo.” In 2020, Marcelo D2 dropped Assim Tocam os MEUS TAMBORES, taking his trademark blend of hip-hop with traditional Brazilian sounds and instrumentation even further. This trend continued on his ninth full-length, 2023's Iboru, a 16-track album that featured the single "TAMBOR DE AÇO" as well as guest appearances by Nega Duda, Mateus Aleluia, Alcione, Romildo Bastos, and many more.