Valete

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Valete
Origin Benfica, Lisbon, Portugal Flag of Portugal
Genre(s) Hip-Hop
Occupation(s) Rapper
Years active 1997-Present
Label(s) Horizontal and Footmovin' Records
Associated acts Sam the Kid, DJ Bomberjack, DJ Cruzfader, Canal 115, Adamastor, Bonus
Website MySpace Page

Valete is a Portuguese language political hip hop artist named Keidje Lima[1] that has enjoyed some critical success in his home country of Portugal.

Contents

[edit] Life & music career

Valete was born in Lisbon, Portugal. He lived into Benfica, traveled to Arroja, returned to Benfica, then moved to Amora and finally stayed in Damaia. From a young age he developed strong politic opinions, influenced by his Philosophy teacher at school. He joined the "Juventude Comunista Portuguesa" (Communist Portuguese Youth), but dropped out a short time afterward. He began listening to rap music in 1991, but it was until 1995 that he encountered deeper lyrics from artists like Nas, Krs-one and Racionais MC's.[2] His chosen artistic name, Valete, was inspired by a documentary of ilusionism, with the mystic idea that a Valete card, used in magic tricks, didn't allow the ilusionism to develop correctly.
His music activity 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 Comunication.
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.[2] In the song Anti-Herói, he defines himself as a "Trotskista belicista".
His second album Serviço Público was named as one of the best Portuguese hip hop albums of 2006 by the critics.[3] It was also chosen as the second best national album by the listeners of the Hip hop radio show Suburbano on Coimbra's university radio, RUC.[4] A prominent hip hop critic, Rui Miguel Abreu, has called him the only political rapper in Portugal.[5]
Currently, he occupies his time both on his professional career and in the commercial department of a company for hydraulic resources that opened in 2007 in São Tomé e Príncipe.

[edit] Discography

[edit] Albums

[edit] Collaborations

  • Canal 115 project (Valete, Adamastor and Bónus)
  • Sam the Kid "Pratica(mente)"
  • Compilation "Nação Hip Hop" - 10 Anos de rap em português" {Hip Hop Nation - 10 years of rap in Portuguese} (May/2003) - song "Nossos Tempos"
  • Compilation "Primeiro Kombate" {Combat First} (June/2003) - song "À Noite" (with Bónus)
  • Compilation "Hip Hop Nation #1" (June/2003) - song "Ser Ou Não Ser" (with Bónus)
  • Compilation "Hip Hop Nation #11" (June/2004) - song "Fim da Ditadura"
  • Compilation "Poesia Urbana Vol.1" {Urban Poetry} (July/2004)
  • Compilation "Nação Hip-Hop 2005" {Hip Hop Nation} (January/2005)
  • Compilation "Hip Hop Nation #17" (February/2005) - collaborates in "Conexões"
  • CD "Pratica(mente)" (December/2006) of Sam The Kid - collaborates in "Presta Atenção"
  • Compilation "Adriano, Aqui e Agora - O Tributo" {Adriano, Here and Now - Tribute} (October/2007) - song "Menina dos Olhos Tristes"
  • CD "Babalaze" (November/2007) of Azagaia - collaborates in song "Alternativos"

[edit] Mixtapes

  • Mixtape "Reencontro do Vinil Vol. 1" (January/1998) of DJ Bomberjack - one song
  • Mixtape "Reencontro do Vinil Vol. 2" (1998) of DJ Bomberjack - three songs
  • Mixtape "Volta a Dar Cartas em 99" (1999) of DJ Bomberjack - collaborates in one song
  • Mixtape "Freestyle Connexion" (November/2002) of DJ Bomberjack & DJ Lusitano - song "Duplo Sentido"
  • Mixtape "Colisão Ibérica" em 00 de DJ Bomberjack - participa num tema
  • Mixtape "Lisboa-Porto Connection" (1999) de DJ Cruzfader
  • Mixtape "Tuga Mix" (1999) of DJ Cruzfader

[edit] References

  1. ^ Jornal de Notícias - Hip-Hop é nova música de intervenção em Portugal?
  2. ^ a b M@giC-HiPhOp: Biografia do MC "Valete"
  3. ^ [1] "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"), Nuno Príncipe, February 7, 2007, Cotonete. Accessed June 23, 2007.
  4. ^ [2] Radio Universidade de Coimbra, January 1, 2007. Accessed June 23, 2007.
  5. ^ [3] Cláudia Luís, Hip-Hop é nova música de intervenção em Portugal?, Jornal de Notícias, April 25, 2007 - "E rapper político em Portugal só há um - o Valete." ("And political rapper in Portugal there's only one - Valete.") Accessed June 23, 2007.

[edit] External links