Da Weasel

Portuguese rap trailblazers Da Weasel helped launch the initial surge of European acts embracing hip-hop, issuing their first album in 1993. The group came together in Almada, where MCs Pacman and Virgul received support from a complete ensemble featuring bassist Jay Jay Neige, guitarist Pedro Quaresma, drummer Guilherme Silva, and multiple DJs. Blending the styles of Cypress Hill and Public Enemy with infusions of rock and ska, the live hip-hop outfit delivered a debut album titled More Than 30 Motherfuckers that contained just six tracks, all sung in English, and thereby secured the band a slot on the Rapublica compilation issued the following year. That compilation’s strong performance cleared the path for Da Weasel’s first complete studio effort, Dou-Ihe Com a Alma, which also appeared in 1994.

Still operating primarily at the independent level, the collective unveiled its third project, 3º Capítulo, in 1997 and embarked on its inaugural nationwide tour. Further appearances on key compilations preceded the silver-certified Iniciação a Uma Vida Banal -- O Manual, which opened doors to major stages, among them an opening slot for the Red Hot Chili Peppers in 1999. Produced by Mário Barreiros, Podes Fugir Mas Nao Te Podes Esconder included guest contributions from Cuban hip-hoppers Las Orishas and became the band’s first platinum record. Three years afterward, Re-Definições emerged as their top-selling release to that point and earned Da Weasel an MTV Europe Music Award for Best Portuguese Act. Roughly fifteen years after forming, the group issued its seventh studio album, Amor, Escarnio e Maldizer, in 2007; its brisk sales exceeded 20,000 copies on the first day alone.