Racionais Mc's - Sobrevivendo no inferno

Racionais MC's is a Brazilian hip hop group based in Sao Paulo. The original lineup formed in 1988 consisted of Mano Brown, Ice Blue, Edi Rock, and DJ KL Jay.

Each member hails from the ring of slums around Sao Paulo. Their lyrics combine themes of social justice with gangster imagery, a far cry from the idyllic breeziness typically associated with Brazilian rap music, Racionais MC's is often considered the most important Brazilian rap group.

The impact of Racionais MC's beginning to extrapolate the boundaries of São Paulo. In 1997, a sort of 'DIY' (do it yourself) rap group inaugurates its own label Cosa Nostra Phonographic with the release of the album Sobrevivendo no Inferno (Surviving in Hell), selling over 1.5 million copies independently including the tracks' Diário de um Detento (Diary of a Prisoner), Fórmula Mágica da Paz ('Magic Formula for Peace'), Capítulo 4, Versículo 3 ('Chapter 4, Verse 3') and Mágico de Oz ('Wizard of Oz').