Líderes da Nova Mensagem

biography Líderes da Nova Mensagem (LNM) were a Portuguese hip-hop band from Almada, formed in the late 80s and early 90s. They were composed of MC Nilton, Pio MC, Beat Box King, Hugo Costa (Cyber ​​G.), Pedro Manaças and DJ Jaws T. They were one of the first hip-hop bands in Portugal and actively participated in the genesis of the rap/hip-hop movement in the country. MC Nilton is considered one of the first MCs, if not the first MC, in Portugal, as Valete describes in his tribute song “O 1º MC Português”. He started rhyming in 1986, inspired by American artists like Run DMC and LL Cool J. He met Pio MC, who also rhymed in English, and they decided to form a duo. Later, they were joined by Beat Box King, Hugo Costa (Cyber ​​G.), Pedro Manaças and DJ Jaws T, who brought their skills and musical influences to the group. The band's name, Líderes da Nova Mensagem, reflects their intention to bring a new perspective and social criticism to the Portuguese music scene, influenced by their reality in the suburbs of Lisbon. They rhymed about topics such as racism, poverty, violence, education, culture and identity. The band's sound did not go unnoticed by Sony Music, which in 1994 released the compilation Rapública. This was the first official sample of Portuguese hip-hop and featured songs from groups such as Zona Dread, Boss AC, New Tribe, Family, Black Company and Líderes da Nova Mensagem. The band contributed two songs: “O Rap É uma Potência” and “Sê Tu same”. The first was scheduled to be Rapública's presentation single, but was replaced by “Nadar” by Black Company, which became a hit. The success of the compilation gave the hip-hop genre a definitive place in Portuguese music and paved the way for artists such as Boss AC, Black Company or Da Weasel to release their own albums. Likewise, Líderes da Nova Mensagem were invited to record an original album after playing on the Blitz stage at the Vilar de Mouros Festival in 1996, alongside bands such as Da Weasel or Ramp. The album Kom-tratake was released in 1997 by Vidisco and was produced by DJ NM (Antena 3). It featured the participation of musicians such as Nanã Sousa Dias, rappers D. Mars, Double V. and Melo D., as well as Portuguese guitar samples or voices from the poet and deputy Manuel Alegre and João Villaret. The designs for the single CD “Kom-tratake” and the album booklet were made by Pedro Manaças, the bassist of Líderes da Nova Mensagem, who is also an illustrator for sports newspapers. Leaders of Nova Mensagem were a pioneering band that marked the history of Portuguese hip-hop with their originality and authenticity. They are still remembered and respected by fans and fellow artists as one of the most influential groups of the genre.