O Rappa

O Rappa was a Brazilian band from Rio de Janeiro formed in 1993 by Marcelo Falcão, lead vocals and rhythm guitar; Xandão Menezes, guitar; Marcelo Lobato, keyboards; Marcelo Yuka, drums; and Nelson Meirelles, bass, with Lauro Farias replacing Meirelles after the debut. The group emerged from the musicians who had backed Papa Winnie on tour and built a sound that pulled together reggae, rock, rap, funk, samba, and sharply observed social commentary. Their self-titled debut arrived in 1994, but the wider breakthrough came with Rappa Mundi in 1996, led by songs such as “Pescador de Ilusões,” “A Feira,” and their version of “Hey Joe.” They pushed further in 1999 with Lado B Lado A, the album that established them as one of Brazil’s defining rock acts through tracks including “Minha Alma (A Paz Que Eu Não Quero),” “Me Deixa,” and “O Que Sobrou do Céu.” In 2001, drummer and principal lyricist Marcelo Yuka was shot during an attempted robbery and left the band; O Rappa continued, with Marcelo Lobato later moving to drums, and returned with O Silêncio Que Precede o Esporro in 2003. The live set Acústico MTV: O Rappa followed in 2005, then 7 Vezes in 2008. After a hiatus, the band came back with Nunca Tem Fim... in 2013, featuring “Anjos (Pra Quem Tem Fé),” “Auto-Reverse,” and “Fronteira (D.U.C.A.),” and earning a Latin Grammy nomination for Best Brazilian Rock Album. Their final major release was the live project Acústico Oficina Francisco Brennand in 2016, before they announced an indefinite pause in 2017 and ended their farewell run in 2018.