Ctrl Meets Aggro Santos

One rainy afternoon in an obscure corner of London, CAS headed down to meet a certain mister Aggro Santos. At the tender age of 22, the Brazilian-born rap vocalist already has a top ten smash featuring one of the Pussycat Dolls under his belt, not to mention an up and coming MOBO tour, as well as a comprehensive musical master plan to dominate the music scene on both sides of the Atlantic. Aggro tells CAS’s Eva Baker about his journey from Sao Paulo to South London, how music has broadened his horizons, and why there’s more to Brazil than just 'buff' girls and football…

So Aggro, for our readers that haven’t yet heard your music, how would you describe your sound?

My sound is like a paint palette with loads of different colours on it. It’s kind of a hybrid of pop, dance, and some Brazilian flavours thrown into the mix. I see a song as being like a three minute journey; you need to captivate a listener and get them into your world.

Sounds like a good mix! So how did you go about kicking off your music career?

My first musical experience was hearing Carlos Santana’s record ‘Supernatural’ as a kid. I was just completely amazed by it. Naturally, I asked my mum for a guitar, and taught myself how to play. In my teenage years I developed a passion for rapping and producing, and when I was 16 a song of mine got to Number 1 on Channel U. That was a breakthrough in getting my music out there, and travelling round the UK playing shows gave me the chance to broaden my horizons, to see the bigger picture outside my area of South London.

"In Brazil, crime can be a survival strategy rather than just an excuse to look like some bad man"

Speaking of places bigger than South London, you’re originally from Sao Paulo. Would you say that being Brazilian is still a big part of your identity?

Absolutely. My house is a Portuguese speaking household, we eat traditional Brazilian food, we barbecue, all that stuff… and I travel back to Brazil regularly.

So what does being Brazilian actually mean? I reckon the image we’re sold of Brazil here in the UK can be pretty one-dimensional… how does that compare to the real thing?

I’d say Brazil was also like a paint palette! It’s a very beautiful country, there’s so much variation in the landscape, as well as great beaches and incredible cities. The flip side is there’s also a lot of poverty, as well as a big problem with gun and knife crime. In comparison with the UK, there are definitely less opportunities over there.

Indeed… Brazil has massive problems with social inequality, and millions of kids grow up in favelas. What do you think are the implications for young people growing up in these kind of environments?

What gets me is that the kids out there don’t have a choice. If they’re born into that environment like that, it’s so difficult to break out. In Rio’s slums, if a kid robs a laptop from a tourist it’s their way of getting by, their options are so limited. I don’t see those kids as cheeky, arrogant street rats like some people do. Compared to the so-called 'gangster' youth here in the UK there ain’t no comparison. The kids that get involved in crime here still have free education and a cooked meal waiting for them; they have a choice. In Brazil, crime can be a survival strategy rather than just an excuse to look like some bad man.

What is your experience of poverty?

Back in Sao Paulo, I was from a poor background. When I was a kid, my mum left my brother and me out there for a year, and came over to the UK to set up a base for us. If it wasn’t for my mum I would never have been able to have the lifestyle that I have now; a lifestyle that I’ll be able to pass on to my kids and my kids’ kids. I think if you get a chance like that to build a life for yourself and your family, you gotta take it.

Do you think the Western media portrays an accurate picture of Brazil?

The three images you get sold are pretty much: buff girls, football and City of God. Unless you go over to Brazil and experience it for yourself, you’re unlikely to get a true representation of what the country’s really all about. Having said that, I think the World Cup in 2014 will be an opportunity to bring Brazil into the spotlight.

"Travelling round the UK playing shows gave me the chance to broaden my horizons, to see the bigger picture outside my area of South London"

So what do you think Brits could learn from Brazilian culture?

There are huge cultural differences between the two countries… but I reckon that’s got a lot to do with the weather! In Brazil it doesn’t seem to matter who you are or where you’re from, it’s all about just chilling, partying, having a good time and accepting people for who they are. I think that’s what the UK could learn from the Brazilian philosophy, to just love more, and enjoy life… it’s too short not to.

Sounds like a winning attitude. So tell me what’s lined up for Aggro Santos over the next few months?

I just finished the Stamina mix tape, and shot a wicked video for the title track. The mix tape features big UK acts like Smiler, Wyllie, and Ironic, and will be out on October 1. I’ve also got the MOBO tour lined up in October, as well as the Club Land tour with Tinchy Strider, Roll Deep and Scooter.

Catch Aggro Santos on the MOBO tour from October 13 – 19 at various dates around the UK; for info on where to buy tickets click here. [1]

Words: Eva Baker

Photos: Spring PR

For more information on Christian Aid's work in Brazil, click here [2].

To read our report on Mae Preta, Brazil's 'Black Mother', former prostitute now caring for Salvador's street children, click here [3].