Racionais MC’s and freedom of expression

a X Ray of Brazil and the exposure of coloniality

Abstract

The 1990s in Brazil are marked as a period of constant violence in peripheral regions, with a focus on the black population. It is also characterized as a moment of increasing social inequality driven by the advancement of neoliberal policies that excluded the country’s lower-income groups. Within this context, the group Racionais MC’s gained national prominence with the release of the album Raio X do Brasil. This article results from exploratory monograph research focused on the album Raio X do Brasil by Racionais MC’s, analyzing the lyrics of the songs “Introdução,” “Fim de Semana no Parque,” “Mano na Porta do Bar,” “Homem na Estrada,” and “Júri Racional." It seeks to investigate the relationship between the context in which the group is embedded and its representation through the songs, as well as the connections between the critiques present in the analyzed tracks and the critical perspectives brought by Decolonial thought. The study concludes that the album Raio X do Brasil effectively portrays the exposed fractures of a country still grappling with the enduring effects of coloniality, which remains a dominant force through the perpetuation of capitalism and racism as tools of oppression. Furthermore, it is noted that, although the group asserts the existence of the right to freedom of expression in the track “Introdução,” this right is not fully realized, as Racionais MC’s were consistently persecuted for their counter-hegemonic stances.