Hip-hop in Brazil was born directly out of civic unrest and the tenuous relationship between Brazil’s Military Police force and marginalized communities in the nation’s urban centers. In the late '80s, the Racionais MC's group emerged from São Paulo’s favelas as the voice of an ignored faction of young Brazilians of color who insisted that their stories be heard. With the 1993 single “Tô Feliz (Matei o Presidente)” (“I’m Happy [I Killed The President]”), Rio De Janeiro’s Gabriel o Pensador opened the floodgates for activism and systemic critique through hip-hop by all classes of citizens. While these stylistic originators now reign as national heroes in mainstream culture and are still prolific torchbearers of the genre, today’s street-conscious acts like Criolo, Haikaiss, and Emicida employ production techniques inspired by American hip-hop, while their lyrics mirror the Brazilian people’s poetic expression, faith, and nationalism.