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Ten years ago, legendary DJ Prince Paul went to São Paulo, Brazil. It was his first time in the city, so he wanted to soak up as much of the culture as possible. During the trip, his friend Scotty Hard introduced Paul to popular Brazilian MC Rodrigo Brandãoaka Gorila Urbanowho was a long-time fan of Pauls. Paul and Brandão struck up an immediate friendship, and agreed during that trip to start working together.

Eventually, the two invited Digable Planets MC Ladybug Mecca to work on a track. The collaboration became a full-time opportunity to work in their group. Like Brandão, Ladybug Mecca is fluent in Portuguese, and is the daughter of Brazilian jazz musicians, the sound of which became the starting point for the burgeoning collective. From there, producer, musician, and arranger Don Newkirk was added and BROOKZILL! became an official group.

On their debut album, Throwback to the Future, which were premiering here in full, the quartet creates a tropical soundscape over which Ladybug and Brandão spit bars in Portuguese. It combines Brazilian samples with hip-hop beats, making for a light, seamless brew. We spoke with all of the groups members about the albums creation, Brazils political climate, and why Throwback to the Future can be seen as a gospel record.