Decola, a Brazilian rapper based in Portugal, is conquering new horizons overseas with the release of his first mixtape, entitled “Deadline”. With nine tracks that address themes such as life, death, the struggle for success and his relationship with God, the album reflects the urgency of his sharp verses. “Deadline” is now available on all major music platforms.
The mixtape marks the confluence of Decola’s journeys, who started out as a designer and found a powerful form of expression in music. The title “Deadline” refers to the deadline for a job, evidencing the rapper’s eagerness to share his message through the flow of rap.
The mixtape’s title track serves as an artistic manifesto for Decola, revealing his decision to drop other projects to dedicate himself entirely to music. As a carioca living in Europe, Decola faced challenges as an immigrant in search of his place in the rap scene. His artistic name came from his experience of flying by plane to reach his goals, expressing his experiences and roots without losing his origins.
Decola’s lyrics are inspired by her own struggles with depression, unemployment and the loss of childhood friends. His compositions veer between satire and serious matters, combining classic rap braggadocio with self-deprecating humor. The tracks feature a fusion of musical styles such as soul, rock, samba and house music.
Decola adopts a work philosophy inspired by artists like Russ and BONES, releasing music frequently and constantly interacting with its fans. This approach has resulted in an improvement in the organic bases of disclosure and in the construction of connections over the last four years. With two EPs and four singles already released, Decola is on the rise, preparing for the release of his second mixtape, “Radar”, scheduled for the second half of 2023.
How did your passion for rap come about and what motivated you to abandon other projects to dedicate yourself fully to music?
My passion for rap started in 2003, when I was 13 years old, when I first came into contact with rappers like 50 cent, Eminem, Racionais, Black Alien and Marcelo D2. At the time, the records I listened to the most were “Get Rich or Die Tryin”, “The search for the perfect beat” and “Babylon By Gus”. But it wasn’t until 2019 that I first thought about trying a career in music. The Decision came from my experience that year, when I saw myself without work and becoming impoverished very quickly with the devaluation of the real, I became a realtor in the city where I live in Portugal. After 7 months of great difficulty and immense challenges, I managed to carry out a series of deals that give me an immense feeling of power. The feeling gave me a feeling that I was capable of anything,
What are the main inspirations behind the lyrics of your songs? How does your struggle with depression and other personal struggles influence your art?
My main source of inspiration is the space between the material and the immaterial. I am obsessed with the power of ideas and how they are capable of changing our reality. My artistic name comes from the fact that I became a rapper after traveling by plane and changing countries, but it also alludes to the aerial character of my personality and how I want to “inspire” people to overcome their own challenges. I have lived with depression since I was 11 years old, it is a much more common and present companion than I would like to admit, not least because I live with intense mood swings.
How was the process of creating and producing the “Deadline” mixtape? What were the challenges faced and the achievements achieved during this process?
DEADLINE is my most ambitious project so far because it is the longest and I believe that my greatest strength is in production, I am convinced that I am one of the artists with the highest volume of work intensity in Brazil and Portugal. I just think that there are artists with an intensity similar to mine, but not greater, because I bet I work more than most. My gas comes from the strength of my desire to establish myself as an artist, but also from what I learned from the challenges as a realtor in a foreign country, where I worked for hours hungry, hot and cold. We’re talking about DEADLINE, but my next tape is already ready and I’m currently producing material for 2024. The biggest challenge is money, it’s expensive to stay in music and fight for a space in the “sea of notoriety”. But I have patience and mostly,
How would you describe the musical style and influences on the mixtape? How did you combine different music genres to create a unique sound?
My biggest inspirations in music are ASAP Rocky, Black Alien and Kendrick Lamar. But I have a strong connection with Raul Seixas and The Blues Brothers. So I think it can be said that Decola is the result of all these inspirations with my different style of singing and acting.
What are the main messages you hope to convey to listeners through your lyrics and flow?
My biggest goal with music is to pay homage to black music itself. My muse in my lyrics is Hip-hop itself, which is sometimes “disguised” as a woman, a drug or money. But I can simplify by saying that what I want most is to inspire people, to get them up off the ground.
How has the public reception been in relation to your previous releases, such as EPs and singles? What do you hope to achieve with the “Deadline” mixtape in terms of impact and reach?
DEADLINE’s goal is to establish myself as an artist. I know what I’m capable of, and I want to showcase my immense versatility and willingness to become a household name in the rap scene. What I do is different from the others, and I know that with the right contacts and bets, I can become one of the biggest names in hip-hop culture in Brazil.
You mentioned that you follow a work philosophy based on constant interaction with fans. How do you use social media and other platforms to promote your music and connect with your audience?
I try to do this through data, because feelings are like clouds, they can be beautiful but they change constantly. Therefore, I try to stick to the data, provided by streaming platforms, to learn from the reactions to my songs the next steps to take. But I also don’t try to “guess” and much less “adapt” to the market. Demand is always “deformed” by the force of marketing, but as Black Alien says “good music is forever” and what I want to do is good music.
What are the next steps in your career? Can you share some information about upcoming projects like the second mixtape “Radar”?
My next step will be the release of singles from my next tape “RADAR”, which will be a project almost entirely dedicated to the concept of “Inspiration vs work”. This project will be by far my most refined, as I am now working with a larger team full of people who believe in my potential.
How is your approach towards live shows? What can fans expect from your stage performances?
To be honest I don’t think much about live right now, because I’m 100% focused on creating music. Something that will certainly differentiate my work from other rappers will be my volume of releases, because I intend to maintain an “average” of at least 4 album/mixtape releases for years. This year there will be 1 EP and 2 MIXTAPES, but I haven’t even completed a year of career yet. I know that for many artists the big dream is to play at a big festival, but for me it’s really just about creating, in that sense I live my dream every day when I make music.
How would you describe your journey as an artist so far? What were the most memorable moments and lessons learned along the way?
The most memorable thing was telling my family that I was going to change direction so abruptly, but in fact I found more support than I imagined. It’s not easy to believe in an artist still on the rise, with many promises and some, but still few, conquests. But my volume of work speaks very loudly, whoever comes into contact with me realizes that I have a very high energy and sense of urgency. My greatest quality is creativity, I am capable of writing lyrics and music for any artist, so I feel and know the space that is waiting for me. I think the biggest lesson is that there is no clear path to what success is, we define it. I’m not close to where I want to be yet, but I know that with each work I release I’m closer.
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