Rapper Israel Paixão, one of the leading figures in Brasília’s hip hop scene, announces the release of his new single, “Meu Laiá”. This release, with a more romantic feel, represents a new facet of the artist. The song, which mixes influences from MPB, Funk, R&B and Trap, is a true hymn to love and is already available on all the main digital platforms.
After a year’s break from releases, Israel Paixão is back in full force in 2023. The new phase began in April with the single “Shock”, a collaboration with DJ and music producer kLap. In addition, the rapper released tracks such as “À Vista”, “Essa Cidade é Um Saco” (in partnership with the band Lupa) and “Choro dos Racistas” later this year.
“Meu Laiá” also marks a special moment in the rapper’s career, as he will be making his debut at one of Brasília’s main festivals, CoMA. Israel Paixão’s show is scheduled for next Saturday (7/10) and will feature “Meu Laiá” in the repertoire, along with his previous hits.
In addition to his achievements in music, Israel Paixão is a complete artist, performing as a composer, DJ and dancer. He made a name for himself by winning the 10th edition of Brasília Independente, TV Globo’s authorial music competition, in 2019, with the track “Rolé”. Currently, he continues to perform at parties in the Federal District, both as a solo artist and as part of the duo The Beat’s On, alongside Rafael Nino. His social media is also fertile ground for his success, with the board “Meu Feat no Hit” in collaboration with music producer Lusi.wav.
“Meu Laiá” had an interesting origin, being born while you were driving and listening to music. Can you share more about the exact moment when inspiration struck and how it shaped the song?
So, old chap, it’s because I’m me and I really miss… I listen to a lot of Los Hermanos, you know? I’m very geeky, I’m very into bands that, like, manage to talk about something without exactly saying the name of it, you know? Without talking, like, so explicitly in the face of something, and I think that’s really cool, because it makes people search, they’re like intrigued. They’re like, “Why did he say that?”. You know? And in the 90s, there was a lot of that, you know? Like, the songs from the 90s… it’s today, us adults, we say, “man, the guys were talking about that all the time, you know?”, and we thought it was cool, you know? It sounded like children’s music, bro. Like, the double meaning was there. Man. So she said that. I wanted to make a love song that wasn’t like that love song from… kind of draggy, you know? Arrastadão, what I mean is more like… more piglet and stuff, I don’t know what. I’d like it to be a more complicated samba song, complicated, pagodão, complicated Bahian music, that sort of thing. Because you’re, like, dancing right there, you know? That’s really crazy. So then I managed, old chap, me alone, we didn’t manage to mix it in the studio. See? And he was also… he even directed me, right? He was my vocal director in the studio, mate. It was like, man, it’s a dream I’m really proud of, you know? In fact, all the ones I’ve released before, I’m very proud of, but this one is like. “Holy shit, sweetheart.” You know?
This song is a “love song” with a subtle touch of double entendre, reminiscent of some songs from the 90s. How did you balance sensuality with fun in the composition process?
I understand, it’s great when music brings back those memories and sensations of the 90s, especially those dance tunes that get people moving and having fun. It seems that this song “Meu Laiá” fills a special space in your repertoire, being one of those songs that you really want to dance to. It’s marvellous how music can evoke emotions and memories. If you have anything else to share or any questions, I’m here to help!
You mentioned that the cover of the single is dominated by the colour magenta, associated with sensuality. How do you think this choice of colour reflects the feeling conveyed by the song?
I get it, music has this unique power to evoke memories and feelings that are often associated with specific colours and atmospheres. It’s interesting how “Meu Laiá” took you to that magenta colour, a colour that is often related to more sensual environments, such as motels, and how you realised that the boys’ music video also had that connection. No, you’re not travelling, it’s a very personal and unique experience that music can provide. It’s amazing how music can create these associations and transport people to different emotional places. If you have anything else to share or any additional questions, feel free to ask!
Tell us a little about the process of collaborating with your producer and DJ, Lusi.wav. How did you work together to transform your vision into “Meu Laiá”?
Man, I love it, you know? I love these 90s charts. I think it’s really cool, and it’s very danceable. As my family is very happy, and I’m a dance teacher and DJ, I was missing some dancing in my repertoire. Although I already have some, ‘Meu Laiá’ doesn’t, you know? It really is that song you want to dance to. Very cool!
I don’t know why, but this song, ‘Meu Laiá’, always took me to that vibe, like those cities, you know? You know, those places you mentioned. I think it reminded me a lot of places like motels, you know, the colour, that colour of the neon light, away from the dance floor, more sensual, those things, you know? Like, it took me back to that. Every time I listened to the song, it showed me this colour, and the music itself, natural, makes a lot of sense. I said: ‘Well, that makes sense’. So I researched the colour and it really does make a lot of sense. That was crazy, because I was watching a clip of the guys, and when they were in the bedroom, the clip turned this colour, you know? More people like that. It makes a lot of sense. I’m not travelling, you know?
Lose, man, he’s an essential person, you know? We’ve been working for a year, and he came along in my process of wanting a song that would play on the dancefloor, you know? Until then, my songs already had a lively vibe, but they had a lot of organic sound, you know? For some reason, I didn’t feel like these songs played on the dancefloor, you know? I wanted my songs to have more of a dancefloor feel, and Lose was essential for that. It came along at the right time, you know? This is how we produce, you know? I come with the reference, you know? I say, ‘Bro, I’m thinking of making this sound’. I usually show him the chorus. And when he gets excited about the chorus, he says, ‘Moleque! Then I show him, bro. Because he’s a musician too, you know? He has a very broad mould, you know? Then he comes in, bro, with all the rules he has in mind. You know? His dad, like, is a massive music fan. He’s got loads of LPs, you know? The rare records. We mix something together that wasn’t even in his mind, and it turns out. So our process is very good, you know? I really like our creative process. Nowadays, because I don’t live totally like this, integrally doing shows, singing, we see each other once a week, you know? Every Tuesday, religiously, as he says, we’re there doing it. Mato. And I say, ‘Bro, let’s go for something that doesn’t sound like anyone else. Let’s do the wave, you know? And he manages to extract a lot of good stuff from me, and vice versa. I stay with him, bro. ‘Come on, come on, come on, I know you can do more. I know you can go further’. Understand? So we’re like that. You know? Anyway, our process is a lot of fun and very fruitful. You know? Very good things like that. It’s an example of that. A way like this has arrived, in general. ‘Dude, this song is addictive, you know? It’s really good. Got it? So it’s very pleasurable, it’s happening to him. You know? It’s really great. He’s very. He’s also very open-minded. You know? He listens, you know? He can access my mind in a very extraordinary way. You know?
Your first performance at the CoMA Festival is coming up. What can the audience expect from this show in terms of repertoire and visual experience?
It’s like touching a coma, I say now after what we did there. It was the fulfilment of a dream, and I left there with a cleansed soul, you know? I managed to put on a show that, for those who didn’t know me, showed that it was my first time in the coma, you know? It showed all my satisfaction and gratitude, and that, like, I deserved to be there, you know?
My show was put together based on the time we knew, because until then we thought we’d be playing at 3pm to open the event, as you know. Then the news reached us that it would be at 9.30. It got even crazier, you know? It was a 40-minute show, so I couldn’t play everything I wanted to, you know? I had to take a lot of songs out of the repertoire, a lot, but I was able to do something that had an impact on the crowd. Every time the crowd hears the name ‘Paixão’, in fact, they realise, ‘Ah, bro, that’s why he’s on at this time’. So, you know? Like, anyone, you know? I’m not saying I’m anyone, but it’s like this, knowing the work we did, which was monstrous, like this. Man, it was sensational. It was flawless.
We got there and gave something as a form of gratitude, like this, to the curators of the coma. Like, ‘Thank you so much for believing’, you know? To the point of putting us on such a good schedule. It was sensational. I hope this opens a lot of doors, a lot, because that’s what we want. To literally make a living out of it, doing shows, making music. And that’s it, thank you. The coma was kind of a response, like, ‘Yeah, mate, that’s it. We’re on the right track and keep going’, you know?
With a mix of musical styles in your repertoire, including Boombap, trap, drill, samba and pagodão, how do you plan to captivate the audience during your performance?
Dude, this mixing thing wasn’t so much about being different from the crowd. It wasn’t a very planned thing, it was more intuitive, very natural. My family is very varied when it comes to music, you know? My grandfather is a big samba fan, and the rest of my family is into gospel. I remember when I was a kid, my aunt used to record videos of the instrument, you know? My dad is a big fan of Michael Jackson, a big fan of Bruce Lee, and there’s even Alvaro Tito, who’s a different style, you know? I often say that he’s like the Stevie Wonder of gospel, you know? So I grew up in this mix, bro, of rhythms. I love mixing rhythms, I don’t like anything that’s too still, you know? I prefer something that touches my feelings, you know? We’re talking here, like, a straight talk, by Rappa, and then we take a break, like, remember that not everything is just war, just protest. And until we love each other, you know? It’s an act of protest, really. I like to mix it all up. I like to party, I like to protest, you know? I like to sing songs about my daughter, about this phase I’m going through, fatherhood, you know? I like to, like, I don’t know, mate, come on, come on now, it’s going to be a trio, you know? Because I don’t play still, here just because it’s in my hand, tough. Because it touched my heart, if it touched my heart, it’ll touch more people, that’s for sure. I’m very much of that vibe, so I like to mix it up, that’s why I mix it up. I like to touch feelings, you know? The crowd.
How important is live music in conveying the message and vibe of your songs?
To say that when people see me live, well, they like it a lot more, you know? Because, well, unfortunately, in the studio I still can’t give off the vibe that I do live. Because live, I dance, you know? Live, I like to exchange ideas, I like to look those in the audience in the eye and exchange ideas with someone who’s there. Because, well, that’s it for me, mate. That’s it. So, like, this difference, man, this difference, I really like it, I love it live, you know? I love it live because there it is, like, bro, it’s you showing your work, kind of showing who you are, bro. Because it’s one thing, my brother, don’t study, study, everyone is good, bro. Anyone is good in the studio, you know? Live, you make people stand there, for at least 40 minutes, looking at you, like, ‘Holy shit, bro, what a show! Because that’s what I heard from Coma, man, everyone came up and said, like, ‘bro, bizarre’, you know? The shit you did is national, you’re really good, and like, a really good show, a show that has several layers, you know? I think it makes us cry, it makes us laugh, it makes us dance, but it makes us want to love each other, it makes us want to love our partner, our partner, you know? That’s it, mate. That’s what live music is all about for me, the importance, you know? Like, p****, bro, what the fuck, you know? What the fuck, like, you touching people, I’m sending a message, for me, that’s the most important thing of all, you know? Rap is a message, you know? Then, by message, that’s it, there’s no calm, you know? So, actually, it’s not just because the message, everything is a message, everything wants to send a message, everything, everything you compose, you want to send a message, you know? So, like, it’s very important, and I make a point of it. There are songs that I make a point of singing a cappella, you know? The whole verse, because sometimes, in the excitement, the thing is going on there, the crowd isn’t understanding what I want to say, so I make a point of it. Speak up, bro, this needs to be said, you know, in such a way that people hear it, you know, and feel the real thing, you know?
Looking to the future, what are your plans and ambitions on the music scene after the release of “Meu Laiá” and your performance at the CoMA Festival?
Bro, my ambitions, you know, for the future are, like, bro, straight talk, buffet, making music, travelling. You know, I really, really want to not have to work as a civil servant any more. I’m grateful for all the time I’ve been working and so on, but I don’t want to anymore. I literally want to live, like doing shows, music videos and studios, you know, having time with my family, travelling, coming back, you know, but everything, like, being well paid. You know, because I deserve it, we deserve it because we’re on the run, a quota, you know. And at the same time, we deserve to be well paid for our art, because we don’t give it away anyway. So, in the future, that’s it, okay, being sponsored by clothing brands, obviously, okay? These things, bro, these things really, like, who’s on a national level, you know? That’s the idea, for us to reach the national level, you know, without losing who we are, without losing our truth, you know, without losing our identity and making noble music, you know? Making real music, because that’s the idea, bro, forever, for the rest of our lives, you know? I want my daughter to live and be reached by the fruits of my labour. I want my family, you know, to be reached by the fruits of my running, because it’s clear in my mind that I deserve this. No, my family deserves this because we’ve suffered a lot, you know, like that. That’s it, it’s living from art in the best possible way, you know?
What would you like listeners to take away with them after listening to “Meu Laiá” and attending your show at the CoMA Festival?
Ah, mate, ah, my laiá, it’s like that sound. You know that sound? There’s one, you know, like, p****, I don’t know, bro, you’re very clear. The person, aren’t you? The person wants to date, you know? P****, they will. I’m going to set my alarm here, that’s dating, okay, romance for the hell of it, okay, love we are, for the hell of it. Thanks, that’s the idea, p****, the person, I want it to be a trail of people who are going to make a baby, okay. I saw in my muscle, this video commentary, you said, kid, that after my laiá, a lot of people are going to have babies, you know, there are going to be a lot of babies born because of this song. That’s the idea, mate, it’s love, you know? Love is love, above all else. Let’s go, let’s go.
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