Marijuana and politics on stage with Planet Hemp
During the premiere concert of psychedelic rap band Planet Hemp’s new album tour, lead vocalist Marcelo D2 protests against the police and the President, and keeps burning down the house.
Tom Cardoso
18/10/2000
The imposed repression at the doors was proved ineffective. Planet Hemp was very much at home during the opening night of the new album – A Invasão do Sagaz Homem Fumaça, or The Invasion of the Shrewd Smoke Man – tour. Vocalists Marcelo D2 and B Negão swore at the police, encouraged the audience to light up funny cigarettes and presented a tight repertoire, with songs from their three albums.
The night started out with Ratos do Porão. João Gordo, as classy as ever, soon indulged in a quarrel with a kid in the front row. "There’s always somebody to bug me during the show! You playboy, s.o.b.!", he yelled, making Planet Hemp members laugh. Confrontations aside, Ratos managed to distract the audience, anxious for the main concert.
The band from Rio got on stage. The set decoration included beach-style chairs and a van, helping formulate a very informal atmosphere. Along the gig, band members would leave their instruments behind and go into the van to chat, have some beer and smoke things.
Among career hits and tracks from the new album, Planet Hemp inserted police brutality videos and teased the audience to commit some civil nastiness, screaming "sons of bitches" along the videos. The band seems to be very comfortable with success, allowing some intimate moments into their heavy approach to rap, like when someone plays the flute and they invite the audience to relax and light up their hand-rolled cigs.
The night started out with Ratos do Porão. João Gordo, as classy as ever, soon indulged in a quarrel with a kid in the front row. "There’s always somebody to bug me during the show! You playboy, s.o.b.!", he yelled, making Planet Hemp members laugh. Confrontations aside, Ratos managed to distract the audience, anxious for the main concert.
The band from Rio got on stage. The set decoration included beach-style chairs and a van, helping formulate a very informal atmosphere. Along the gig, band members would leave their instruments behind and go into the van to chat, have some beer and smoke things.
Among career hits and tracks from the new album, Planet Hemp inserted police brutality videos and teased the audience to commit some civil nastiness, screaming "sons of bitches" along the videos. The band seems to be very comfortable with success, allowing some intimate moments into their heavy approach to rap, like when someone plays the flute and they invite the audience to relax and light up their hand-rolled cigs.