Summary:
- Oruam, 22, holds the top Spotify position in Brazil with over 10 million monthly listeners
- São Paulo council member proposes law to ban performances promoting organized crime or drug use at youth events
- The rapper's father, Marcinho VP, leads the Comando Vermelho criminal faction and is currently imprisoned
A Brazilian rapper with direct ties to organized crime has become the country's most-streamed artist on Spotify. Oruam, 22, draws millions of listeners each month while his father, Marcinho VP, serves time for homicide, gang formation, and drug trafficking.
The young artist's track "Oh Garota Eu Quero Você Só Pra Mim" holds the number one position on Brazil's Spotify charts. His lyrics focus on wealth displays and explicit sexual content. Monthly, more than 10 million users stream his music on the platform.
Oruam has built a following among young people in Brazil's favelas. These low-income neighborhoods face daily challenges related to poverty and crime. For many residents, the rapper represents a voice from their own communities.
His father, Marcinho VP, operates within the Comando Vermelho criminal organization. This faction controls drug trafficking operations across multiple Brazilian cities. Authorities arrested the senior figure on charges including manslaughter, criminal association, and narcotics distribution.
At the 2024 Lollapalooza festival, Oruam performed wearing a shirt demanding his father's release from prison. The appearance sparked debate about the relationship between music, crime, and youth culture in Brazil.
São Paulo city council member Amanda Vettorazzo responded with proposed legislation. The Catholic council member, among the younger members of the legislative body, drafted a bill targeting performances and events for minors. Her proposal seeks to prohibit hiring artists or organizing shows that promote organized crime or drug consumption when the audience includes children and teenagers.
The legislation does not name Oruam directly. Instead, the text applies broadly to any performer or event meeting the specified criteria. Vettorazzo's office argues the measure protects young people from messages that normalize criminal behavior.
Critics of the proposal raise concerns about artistic freedom and censorship. They question who determines what content "promotes" crime versus what reflects lived reality in marginalized communities. The debate touches on broader questions about poverty, opportunity, and expression in Brazilian society.
Oruam's music mirrors a genre popular in Brazilian favelas. Known as "funk", this style often includes explicit references to wealth, violence, and street life. Supporters view these artists as documentarians of their environment. Opponents see them as glorifying criminal activity to impressionable audiences.
The rapper maintains his massive audience despite the controversy. Streaming numbers show consistent engagement from listeners across age groups. Social media accounts dedicated to Oruam display thousands of comments from fans defending his work.
Brazil's music industry has produced similar debates before. Other artists with connections to organized crime have achieved commercial success while facing public criticism. The pattern raises questions about the music business's role in either challenging or reinforcing social problems.
The São Paulo proposal now moves through the legislative process. Council members will debate the text before any vote occurs. If passed, the law would apply only within São Paulo's jurisdiction. Other Brazilian cities would need separate legislation to implement similar restrictions.
Enforcement presents another challenge. Determining which performances violate the proposed standards requires subjective judgment calls. Event organizers and venue operators would need clear guidelines to comply with any new regulations.
Oruam continues releasing music and performing at venues across Brazil. His streaming numbers show no sign of declining amid the political discussion. The outcome of Vettorazzo's legislative effort remains uncertain as the debate over music, crime, and youth culture continues.
Maya Torelli
Straddling the worlds of art and communication, this creative professional established People in 2009, a content agency specializing in the fusion of words and visuals. Over the years, her work has spanned a variety of projects, including magazines and documentary films. Beyond her commercial endeavors, she dedicates herself to exploring the nature of imagery, with a particular focus on its interplay with other media forms, especially music. Her passion for music not only fuels her writing but also deeply influences her work as a filmmaker, shaping both her documentaries and video installations. With a voracious appetite for knowledge across philosophy, sociology, anthropology, and various scientific disciplines, she weaves these diverse interests into a unique, interdisciplinary approach to content creation, perspective-taking, and writing.