SNJ inserts originality into Brazilian hip hop

Somos Nós a Justiça (We Are the Justice), better known as SNJ, is not a usual rap group - and that's why it's so good. No violence calls in the lyrics, no videoclips starred by with drug dealers and no performances with guns in their pockets. Bastardo, Sombra, Cris, Cabeça and W. Jay are for the peace, but still bring about strong social dissertations. Assembled in Guarulhos (outside of São Paulo), the band is now releasing it's second album, Se Tu Lutas Tu Conquistas (or If Thou Shall Fight, Thou Shall Conquer) .

"Regardless of the society's problems, we try to have a more optimistic view of things. We do not agree with a lot of the rap groups that think that it's necessary to use violence to increase our self-esteem", says Bastardo. "Today, the rap is linked to delinquency, very much due to the bands that make a point about spreading the word that rap is the soundtrack for thieves ", he complains.

Not only SNJ's posture differs from the other rap groups, but their music does, too. The opening track (produced by Racionais' Edi Rock), which names the album, sonds like a cool new age song, and serves as an introduction for the first verses sang by Cris, one of the few women to be in a rap band. "She wanted to do the backing vocals, in the beginning, but she soon started to write and to rap", tells Bastardo.

Because they have adopted a low-profile approach, the group from Guarulhos has more than once been attacked by radical rappers. "We face a certain prejudice. A guy even stepped onto our stage, one night, and swore at us. He yelled that we did not come from the suburbs. That he wanted to know what our reaction would be if one of our children was kidnapped. We can understand him. Some people need to behave like that so as to be accepted inside their communities".

With a recent career - the band was started by the mid-90s - SNJ already has illustrious fans. Edi Rock and KL Jay (also from Racionais MCs, who appears in Bastardo Prossiga, Prossiga) bet that they will rise. "I was 15 and used to go see the Racionais shows. Now I can hardly believe they are fans of our work", says a fascinated Bastardo.

DJ Zé Gonzalez (Planet Hemp) is another SNJ enthusiast and produced three tracks in Se Tu Lutas...: Somos Nós, 1 Ato Fatal and Biografia Feminina. "We met in a ball organized by (producer) Primo Preto. He came up saying that Marcelo D2 always played one of our tapes before the Planet Hemp concerts. We had a few meetings and Zé ended up peforming in our album."

The official release of Se Tu Lutas Tu Conquistas happens this Friday, in São Paulo, with guest appearances by Edi Rock, Zafrica Brasil and Apocalipse 16.

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