Reason: The page presents a sensationalized and potentially biased portrayal of a Brazilian subculture. The emphasis on 'romanticizing criminality and poverty,' 'vulgarity,' and the inclusion of 'abuse' and 'violence' as key motifs raise concerns about neutrality and the potential for harmful representation.
Reason for Warning: This page contains brief references to drugs and rape.
Mandrake (also known as Maloqueiro or Maloka) is a Brazilian subculture that is mainly comprised of low-income teenagers and young adults participating in the carioca funk culture. It started in the Southeast region of Brazil, more specifically in the states of Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo (the 3rd and 1st most populated states, respectively).
The word mandrake comes from the reference to the american character of Mandrake the Magician, whose swaggy appearance and thin mustache was seen as stylish by many in Rio. 'Maloca' was the name of local indian huts, which became associated with poverty, and 'maloqueiro' originally referred to a person who lived in such a home. It's currently associated with a peculiar sense of style and an attitude of readiness, sometimes developing to impulsiveness, to face challenges and prosper financially in life - be it by intense hustling, illegal activities (mainly drug dealing) or both. Even still, due to vices, dangerous behaviour, and the general difficulty of being poor in Brazil, many either die young, get incarcerated, or just fail to get rich, and so adopt a more nuanced attitude. A mandrake tends to have a certain zeal for his appearance, and tries to keep well-groomed and wear good clothes and accessories when out.
The aesthetic is met with prejudice by the upper sectors of brazilian society, and is usually associated with drug use, volatileness, adventurous lifestyles and an ambiguous sense of defiance and danger. This subculture's fashion sense values football club T-shirts, ball caps, mirrored sunglasses, gold/silver chains, watches, mustache, striped eyebrows, earrings, shorts, running sneakers, and tattoos. Many try to display an attitude of calm vigilance, which commonly ends up transforming into confrontational belligerence, ofter over trivial issues. Mandrakes are considered to be immature and untrustworthy, and beyond that, narcissistic or self-absorbed.
Fashion[]
Men and Women Clothes[]
- Soccer Team shirts
- Brand Shirts and sneakers
- Little Shorts
- Hoodie with huge prints (usually of the character The Joker)
- Caps
- Tank tops
- "Juliet Glasses"
- Jewellery
Women Clothes[]
- Small denim shorts
- Small top wear
Tattoos[]
Mandrakes usually have multiple tattoos, normally black and white, that may or may not carry secret meaning in the favelas (poor neighbourhoods). References to religious figures are common, mostly out of pure performative faith, as mandrakes usually do not abide strongly to any religious ethos. Commonly seen is also tattoos referencing their mothers or crowns (the slang term for mother is coroa, which literally means queen), diamonds, money, marijuana, motorcycles, clowns (The Joker is a pop icon revered by mandrakes), amongst other symbols.
History[]
Brazilian funk initially had its roots in the Miami Bass genre, arriving in Brazil during the 1970s and became popular in the black communities of Rio de Janeiro, gaining its own characteristics and becoming a cultural expression of the favelas and outskirts of the city. From there, funk spread throughout the country, diversifying its styles and rhythms, giving rise to several subgenres.
The mandrake style emerged after the brazilian economy grew significantly in the 2000s, due to a rise in job oportunities and a rising access to consumer goods not before available for poor people, such as brand clothes and shoes. Funk carioca developed a focus on wealth and status during this period, giving rise to the Funk Ostentação subgenre, which is usually listened to by maloqueiros and which has a strong influence on their sense of fashion.
Today, 'Mandrake' is a word usually referencing either a person who adopts the fashion style or the subculture as a whole. Mandrakes are typically seen in street gatherings, where they often smoke weed, show their bikes, and occaisonally attempt motorcycle stunts. Other places frequented by them are barber shops, tattoo studios, and gas stations.
Funk carioca also has inspiration in the Hip-Hop street music of the 80s.
During the rise of emo music in Brazil, along with other counter-cultures such as gothic, grunge, punk, happy rock and metal in the 2000s and early 2010s, there was strong discontent and repulsion with the mandrake style which they saw as ignorant. This, in turn, caused the mandrake subculture to hold stereotypical views of these counter-cultures and which generated a cultural dispute between the styles. This dispute can still be seen today, with many rockers saying that funk doesn't deserve the attention it gets and mandrakes avoiding contact with alternative communities.
Examples of "Bailes Funk" in public places, which can be characterized as disturbing the peace in some cases
Activities[]
Mandrake activities mainly involve attending shows and 'bailes funk'. Lately, many mandrakes have shared a taste for sports such as motorcycling, with a new trend emerging in practicing maneuvers called 'Grau' derived from wheeling, consisting of rearing the motorcycle with the rear wheel while driving it.
Music[]
Mandrake artists' songs are closely linked to genres such as Brazilian funk, hip-hop/trap and their variants. Highlights include producers of the genre such as Love Funk, KondZilla, Metralha dos Bailes, Ciclone Funk, GR6 EXPLODE, Favela Funk, Funk 4.0, Funk 24por48 and Ritmo dos Fluxos, and DJs like DJ Marlboro, PL Torvic, FP do Trem Bala, Gabriel do Borel, DJ WS da Igrejinha and JC Sheik.
Main Artists[]
- Anitta (Funk Generation era)
- MC Binn
- MC Cabelinho
- Chefin
- MC Daniel
- MC Daleste
- Ebony
- Filipe Ret
- MC Gui
- MC Hariel
- Hungria Hip Hop
- Jerry Smith
- KayBlack
- Kevin O Chris
- MC Kevin
- MC Lan
- MC Livinho
- L7NNON
- Matuê
- Mirella
- Oruam
- PK Delas
- MC Paiva ZS
- MC Paulin da Capital
- MC Pedrinho
- MC Poze do Rodo
- MC Pipokinha
- MC Ryan SP
- Slipmami
- MC Taya
- TZ da Coronel
- Veigh
- MC WM
- WIU
- Xamã
Playlists[]
Subgenres[]
- Funk Ostentação - A style that was quite popular between 2011 and 2014, characterized by lyrics with materialistic themes, which aim to find a better life outside the favelas.
- Funk Proibidão - Subgenre that touches on drug trafficking themes.
- Funk Ousadia - Subgenre characterized by lyrics of a sexual and humorous nature.
- Funk 150 BPM - Characterized as a style that makes 150 beats per minute.
- Beat Bolha - Characterized by bubbly beats, which vary between 130 and 150 beats per minute.
- Brega Funk - A style that fuses with Brega, which emerged in the city of Recife. Characterized by simple, engaging and mechanical beats, MIDI pianos and synths, using computer software and covering urban elements.
- Funk de BH - Similar to São Paulo funk, but with a more atmospheric production and making use of sound effects and samples. Emerged in Belo Horizonte/MG.
- Beat Fino - Style with fast beats and tuned with beatboxing loops, which emerged in Espírito Santo.
- Funk Geek - Also known as "nerd funk", a subgenre that covers lyrical themes related to geek culture. Emerged in Brasília, MC Maha is considered a pioneer and a notable artist of this subgenre.
- Funk Gospel or Funk Evangélico (Evangelic Funk) - Fuses funk with Christian lyrical themes.
- Tamborzão - Fuses funk with Afro-Brazilian music percussion.
- Noiadance - Fuses funk with Dutch house music and elements of moohbahtoon.
- Mega Funk - Fuses funk vocal perfomances with Slap House and Brazilian Bass.
- Arrocha Funk - Fuses funk with arrocha genre.
- Funk Melody - Fuses funk with pop music.
- Trapfunk - Fuses funk with trap.
- Eletrofunk - Fuses funk with electronic music, emerged in the city of Curitiba/PR.
- Pagofunk - Fuses funk with pagode.
- Funknejo - Fuses funk with sertanejo.
- New Funk - Fuses funk with dance-pop.
- Tecnofunk - Fuses funk with tecnobrega, emerged in the city of Belém do Pará/PA.
- Magrão - Mixes the rhythms of current funk with the old rhythms of the genre.
- Funk Mandelão - Also known as "Mandela Funk", a style marked by heavy beats and currently related to Funk Paulista, succeeding Funk Ostentação, also of São Paulo origin. It appeared at the Baile do Mandela, where this style developed. Three subgenres emerged from Funk Mandelão: Beat Bruxaria, Funk Automotivo and Ritmada.
- Funk Automotivo - Characterized by catchy and repetitive beats.
- Ritmada - Characterized by more solid, nostalgic, and danceable beats, being more present on mainstream radio. Also encompasses elements of sax, berimbau and tambours.
- Beat Bruxaria - Also known as "Estoura Tímpano", it is closely related to Brazilian Phonk. It has aggressive, very high-pitched beats, with influences of noise music and metal.
- Brazilian Phonk - Fuses funk with phonk.
Local Subgenres[]
- Funk Carioca (from Rio de Janeiro, RJ, currently related to Funk 150 BPM)
- Funk Paulista or Paulistano (from São Paulo, SP, currently related to Funk Mandelão)
- Funk Capixaba or Beat Fino (from Espírito Santo)
- Brega Funk (from Recife, PE)
- Eletrofunk (from Curitiba, PR)
- Funk de BH (from Belo Horizonte, MG)
- Tecnofunk (from Belém do Pará, PA)
- Funk Geek (from Brasília, DF)
Slangs[]
- Faixa Preta (Black Belt) - Term used for male mandrakes, in the context of a guy who gets everything he wants and owns the favela.
- Faixa Rosa (Pink Belt) - Term used for female mandrakes, describes a feisty woman, usually the Faixa Preta's girlfriend.
- Glock - Usually refers to firearms, is seen as a symbol of power, status and masculinity in the subculture.
- Tropa - Group of friends.
- Revoada - Party.
- Alemão - Used to refer to an enemy, especially if the person is from a rival neighborhood.
- Drake - Shortening of "Mandrake".
Stereotypes[]
One of the most common stereotypes is the direct association between the mandrake style and criminal activities. This generalization ignores the diversity of people who identify with this style and the various reasons why they adopt this aesthetic. Additionally, mandrake is often associated with the ostentation of brands and material goods, which leads to the idea that the subculture only values excessive consumption. However, ostentation can be a form of resistance and affirmation of identity in a context of social inequality. Another common stereotype is the idea that mandrakes are uneducated people with no interest in culture. This simplified view ignores the cultural richness present in the communities where this style originated and the creativity present in its music production and fashion.
Media[]
Movies/Series/TV Shows[]
- Sintonia (2019)
- Elite Squad/Tropa de Elite (2007)
- Central Station/Central do Brasil (1998)
- City of God/Cidade de Deus (2002)
Criticism[]
Even though mandrakes are often disliked and associated with violence and crime, reinforced even in the origin of the term 'maloca house' that comes from the Mapuche language which means "to make hostility" and the theory that it comes from Tupi "mar'oka" which means "war house", not all maloqueiros are criminals. Many live regular lives and work on relatively stable, yet usually low-income jobs. Some find social and economic advancement by working in trades such as barber shops, tattoo studios and music enterprises, often serving other mandrakes and earning much more than the average worker. Due to this, many see them as struggling people who fight to both defy and be respected by the materialistic society that excludes them based on their race and financial status.
The funk and trap genres lyrics and music videos are often accused of overly sexualizing women and promoting the objectification of the female body, as well as promoting vices and destructive behaviours such as excessive alcohol consumption, materialism and violence, with lyrics that exalt wealth and the pursuit of power. Regarding misogyny, the mindset is often seen in music, with some songs romanticizing non-consensual sexual acts such as having sex with drunk women and then dumping them in the street after it's done. On the other hand, it's not a sentiment echoed by all, as many view women as potential life partners: a common phrase in the subculture being "fé nas maluca", meaning "have faith in the crazy ones", referring to the preference for more adventurous and intense romantic relationships. Furthermore, funk is also accused of romanticising pedophilia, since mandrakes in their songs frequently use the term "Novinha" (young girl), which is generally used to describe minors. This has caused a lot of concern, especially among parents and adults for children and teenagers who listen to or are exposed to funk, as they are afraid that the subculture may influence them to behave harmfully and immorally.
There is also strong criticism that funk has lost its roots after the culture of Ostentação, due to a phenomenon where people from higher social classes are appropriating funk, giving the stereotype the name "Enzo" as a middle or rich class boy who has excellent living conditions, and pretends to come from lower social classes in order to attract attention.
There are also many criticisms regarding the musical structure of funk carioca since it does not have melody or harmony, only rhythm, ignoring the rule of the 3 elements created in the 17th-18th century for what is considered music. This, as well as the belief that the reputation of funk has deteriorated extremely over time by attitudes and fighting, such as with artists like MC Kevin and MC Pipokinha, has given the subculture an unfavorable view.
Gallery[]
