Valete

Last updated
Valete
ValeteRapper.jpg
Valete
Background information
Origin Benfica, Lisbon, Portugal
Genres Hip hop
Occupation(s) Rapper
Years active1997-Present
Labels Horizontal and Footmovin' Records
Website MySpace Page

Keidje Torres Lima is a Portuguese language political hip hop artist, known professionally as Valete. [1] that has enjoyed critical success in his home country of Portugal.

Contents

Life & music career

Valete was born in Lisbon to São Toméan parents, where he was raised in the Benfica neighborhood. He traveled to Arroja, returned to Benfica, then moved to Amadora and finally settled in Damaia. From a young age he developed strong politic opinions, influenced by his Philosophy teacher at school. During his youth he maintained relations with the JCP (Portuguese Communist Youth) and the PCP (Portuguese Communist Party). However, in the same interview he admitted that despite being a party in which he identifies himself ideologically, he has issues its structure and social agendas. Thus, he prefers to embrace the Bloco de Esquerda (Left Block), because it's closer to his political references. [2] He began listening to rap music in 1991, later encountering such artists like Nas, Krs-one and Racionais MC's. [3]

His career began in 1997 with Adamastor, when they created a group called Canal 115, and later getting signed by Horizontal Records. During that same year, and only sixteen years old, he started recording mix-tapes launched by DJs like Bomberjack and Cruzfader. He continued with Canal 115 for 2 more years constantly performing in his country, but then decided to dedicate himself to his studies, getting a degree in Economics at the Lisbon School of Economics & Management (ISEG).[ citation needed ]

In 2002 he returned with his album Educação Visual, launched independently and rejecting collaborations. Valete, who before this album was known for being a freestyle or battle MC, clearly showed his lyrical talent with elaborate rhymes, taking on anti-capitalist overtones. [3] In the song "Anti-Herói", he defined himself as a "Trotskista belicista" (a bellicist Trotskist).[ citation needed ]

His second album Serviço Público was named as one of the best Portuguese hip hop albums of 2006 by the critics. [4] It was selected as the second best national album by the listeners of the Hip hop radio show Suburbano on Coimbra's university radio, RUC. [5]

A prominent hip hop critic, Rui Miguel Abreu, has called him the only political rapper in Portugal. [6]

Discography

Albums

Collaborations

Mixtapes

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References

  1. Jornal de Notícias - Hip-Hop é nova música de intervenção em Portugal?, jn.sapo.pt, 25 April 2007.(in Portuguese)
  2. Amorim, Emanuel (November 25, 2008). "Valete". ruadebaixo.com. Retrieved 2023-03-28.
  3. 1 2 M@giC-HiPhOp: Biografia do MC "Valete", hip-hop-inter.blogspot.com; accessed 31 July 2018.
  4. Nuno Príncipe, "Considerado pela crítica como um dos melhores discos nacionais de Hip Hop de 2006" ("Considered by the critics as one of the best national records of Hip Hop from 2006"), cotonete.clix.pt, 7 February 2007; accessed 23 June 2007.(in Portuguese)
  5. Radio Universidade de Coimbra, 1 January 2007; accessed 23 June 2007.
  6. Cláudia Luís, "Hip-Hop é nova música de intervenção em Portugal?", Jornal de Notícias ("E rapper político em Portugal só há um - o Valete" -- "And there's only one political rapper in Portugal - Valete"), jn.sapo.pt; accessed 23 June 2007.(in Portuguese)