ARTIST: CROOKERS
TITLE: FUNK MUNDIAL #3
FORMAT: 12“ VINYL
CAT.NR.: MAN 014
DIGITAL RELEASE: MAY 18TH, 2007
VINYL RELEASE: JUNE 8TH, 2007
Since it’s inception in November 2006, the Man Recordings
series Funk Mundial has pushed the boundaries of what is called „Brazilian
Music“. The tracks by Stereotyp feat. EDU K + Joyce Muniz (Man
010) as well as Sinden+Count Of Monte Cristal feat. MC Thiaguinho (Man
013) illustrated that club music inspired by Brazilian music elements
doesn’t necessarily have to feature a samba beat or a bossa nova
reference to bring European, Japanese or North American dancefloors
to the boil. Rather the opposite: The series is not about an emulation
of Rio's hillside beats + bass culture but aims to establish a new hybrid
musical form. It uses baile funk both as an energy as well as lyrical
blueprint to develop a unique new style: The Funk Mundial style.
Now Man Recordings is proud to present the #3 in the acclaimed
series. It comes from the Milan, Italy based duo Crookers. This duo
are certainly a hot ticket: With only two 12“es out (on On Da
Brink Records UK, the other one on Italy's Big Sur), and a few remixes
(Steellord) and mashups (Kelis) recorded, these two Italian B-Boys have
stormed the hearts, blogs and dancefloors around the world with their
crunky booty house sound.

CROOKERS
When producers cite both J Dilla and Matthew Herbert as
their main musical influences, the artistic effort can do nothing but
sound exciting. The Crookers deliver a Euro crunk definition of baile
funk: Nasty basslines, irresisitble uptempo grooves and jaw dropping
breakdowns, all mashed up with the unique and raw rhyme extravaganza
of baile funk MCing.

MC Leka
For their Funk Mundial contribution, Phra and Bot a.k.a.
Crookers teamed up with two original Rio funk MCs: The EP opens up with
„Para De Graçinha“, with MC Leka on the mike. Leka
is a former Proibidão MC from the Rio community Parque São
José which is known for it's weekly street bailes, most notably
the 'Caldeirão' baile. With „Para De Graçinha“
(„Stop making fun of me“) she straightforwadly tells a playboy
that his moves don't impress her, nor the size of his dick. „Para
De Graçinha“ is followed by „Atomic Baile Boy“
which is a non vocal approach to Rio's baile funk culture. Fired up
by a fuzzy bassline and dirty breakdowns it's a hell of a monster instrumental
track.

MC Dandão
The flipside of the single contains „Soca Ali Baba“,
a heavy jacking dancefloor smasher which features MC Dandão from
the favela Vila Lagé, a Rio community considered to be one of
the original hotbeds for baile funk. Reknowned for his biggest hit „Dança
da Lombriga'“ (Dance of the roundworm) Dandão delivers
a joyful double entendre word play on sexual intercourse in true traditional
Rio MC tradition: His verse could be interpreted as a Soca rhyme for
Ali Baba or the straight forward demand for „pushing it hard like
Mike Tyson till it drools“.
Bonus tracks are the acappella's of Leka's and Dandão's
rhyme extravaganza.
Funk Mundial #3: A hot Italian-Brazilian collaboration
and another sure shot club hitter.
| Tracklist |
 |
| Para De Graçinha feat. MC Leka (Euro Crunk
Mix) |
 |
| Atomic Baile Boy |
 |
| Soca Ali Baba feat. MC Dandão |
 |
| Soca Ali Baba Acappella |
 |
| Para De Graçinha Acappella |
 |
Limited edition of 300 copies in green vinyl.