De Leve is the artistic name of Ramon Moreno de Freitas e Silva, a Brazilian rapper from Niterói, Rio de Janeiro. De Leve is known for his smart, derisive rhymes and his criticisms of the mainstream media and other Brazilian hip-hop pros whom he accuse of selling out. He is also know for mixing rap with other music styles in his songs. A founding member of the now extintic band Quinto Andar, De Leve is currently the vocalist of Banda Leme. The rapper also runs a blog called Dicamelim.
His official debut came in 2000 when he was included in the compilation Zoeira Hip Hop. That same year De Leve formed Quinto Andar with MC Marechal e DJ Castro. The group gained popularity in the underground music scene for its inventive rhymes and speed with which the three guys rapped. Their videoclip for “Eu Rimo Na Direita/Som Pra Pista” got a lot of airtime in the MTV Brasil show “Yo!”.
De Leve’s first solo EP came in 2001, “Introduzindo De Leve,” which he made freely available at Napster, the leading music sharing website at the time. In 2003 came his first album, “O Estilo Foda-se” by Sony Music. The album’s first song, “Pode baixar, é da internet” [You can download, it’s from the internet] encouraged illegal download of his songs. Most songs in the album criticized stereotypes and market practices promoted by mainstram media. De Leve gained popularity with the record. He was among a handful of national attractions invited to participate in the first edition of one of Brazil’s biggest music festivals the Tim Festival. In 2005, De Leve left Sony Music after the label protested his distributing songs for free on the internet. In 2006 the rapper released the album “Manifesto 1/2 171.” The title is a sarcastic take and open critique of a fellow rapper, Marcelo D2, who owns a clothing label called “Manifesto 33 1/2.” Again, he distributed the songs for free on the internet. | |
