Police accuse five MCs of glorifying crime and encouraging violence
Five leading funk rappers have been arrested in Rio as part of a police crackdown on music they say pays tribute to drug gangs and encourages violence.
On Tuesday night MC Galo, a veteran Rio funk MC, was arrested at a police roadblock as he left the Cruzada S�o Sebasti�o, a rundown housing estate in the beachside neighbourhood of Leblon.
Born and raised in Rio's largest shantytown, Rocinha, Galo has posted music videos on the internet paying tribute to drug traffickers, police claim.
One track reputedly makes reference to 16 wanted drug bosses, all members of the Amigos dos Amigos drug faction that controls the vast slum.
Today four more rappers ? known as Frank, Tic�o, Smith and Max ? were arrested after a year-long investigation into alleged ties to traffickers from the Red Command drug faction in the Complexo do Alem�o shantytown, which is currently occupied by the Brazilian military.
Supporters of Rio's hugely popular funk scene, which grew out of the favelas in the 1980s, have criticised the genre's "criminalisation", arguing that most artists steer clear of references to assault rifles and hand-grenades in their songs.
Police, however, say the arrested artists are proponents of what they call "proibid�o", or "forbidden" funk.
"These MCs draw young people into drug trafficking by praising the use of guns, robbery and theft and promoting violence against the police," said the police chief Helen Sardenberg.
One YouTube video, attributed to MC Smith, claims to be a recording of a funk party held in the Chatuba shantytown to celebrate the birthday of FB, one of Rio's most wanted men.
"Lift up your AKs. FB's party is Bin Laden style," the MC sings at one point. "Red Command lift up your hands. If you are Red Command shout 'Faith in God'."
In another section, the MC sings: "Our lives are criminal and this game is brutal. Today we throw a party ? tomorrow we'll be in mourning. The [police] bulletproof vehicles don't scare me. We won't flee from conflict because we are bulletproofed by Jesus Christ."
Tic�o rejected accusations of inciting violence, telling the Rio daily O Dia: "You go to the favela and tell those guys you won't sing."
MC Galo, 35, whose real name is Everaldo de Almeida da Silva, features in the Favela on Blast documentary by the US DJ Diplo, who became famous producing the British singer MIA. Galo also performed the soundtrack for the Grierson-nominated Channel 4 documentary Dancing with the Devil.
Asked by a Brazilian crime reporter if he was a fan of one well-known, now deceased drug boss, Galo replied: "I am a fan of God."
If convicted Galo, who said his music reflected real slum life, faces between three and 10 years behind bars.
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