Samuel Martins Torres Santiago Mira (born 17 July 1979), better known by his stage name Sam the Kid (STK),
is a Portuguese
rapper
Rapping (also rhyming, spitting, emceeing or MCing) is a musical form of vocal delivery that incorporates "rhyme, rhythmic speech, and street vernacular". It is performed or chanted, usually over a backing beat or musical accompaniment. The ...
and
producer from Chelas, in the civil parish of
Marvila, Lisbon.
Early life
Sam the Kid's music was primarily influenced by ''
93 'til Infinity
''93 'til Infinity'' is the debut studio album by American hip-hop group Souls of Mischief. It was released on February 13, 1993 on the Jive label.
Composition
The sound of ''93 'til Infinity'' is characteristic of the distinct style explored b ...
'' (1993). Sam the Kid's music is noted for a creative and extensive use on sampling, using his primary producing equipment, the
MPC.
In 1994, after leaving secondary school ''Escola Secundária D. Dinis'' in Lisbon at 15 years old, Mira established his first group, "Official Nasty" with school-friends Daddy-O-Pop, 2 Much and Sheriff, appearing in three concerts before dissolving in 1996, though they were still performing informally around 2004/2005.
Music career
Sam the Kid released his first album ''
Entre(tanto)
''Entre(tanto)'' is Sam the Kid's debut album and was widely considered a breakthrough in Portuguese hip-hop culture. The single he released for this album is called " Lágrimas". The album was re-released in the special edition of ''Sobre(tudo) ...
'' in 1998.
His second album ''
Sobre(tudo)
''Sobre(tudo)'' was a 2001 album by Sam the Kid. The first single released for this album was called " Não Percebes". The album was re-released in 2005 in a special edition with tracks from ''Entre(tanto)'' included as bonus tracks
An ...
'', released in 2001, attracted the attention of then recently created Loop Recordings, who offered him a contract. It was in 2002, with the release of his third album, an instrumental record called ''
Beats Vol. 1: Amor'', that Sam the Kid began to enjoy a significant level of success; the album was considered by fans and critics to be one of the greatest Portuguese releases of the year. The album featured the song "Não Percebes", one of the biggest Portuguese rap hits, that touched on the issue of the "us vs. them" mentality in the genre.
[Nitzsche, Grunzweig, p. 85]
In 2006, the artist released ''
Pratica(mente)
''Pratica(mente)'' is a 2006 studio album by prominent Portuguese rapper and producer Sam the Kid. It is his first studio album, all of his previous works being recorded in his home.
The album features many prominent Portuguese artists, such a ...
'', an album praised by critics as one of the most ambitious of the genre made in the country, a record that is still well remembered by fans.
Sam the Kid is considered to be one of the most important names of Portuguese hip hop,
and one of the "most historic participants and drivers" of the genre in the country.
In 2008, the musician was nominated for the second time for the
MTV Europe Music Awards
The MTV Europe Music Awards (originally named MTV European Music Awards, commonly abbreviated as MTV EMA) are awards presented by Paramount International Networks to honour artists and music in pop culture. It was originally conceived as an al ...
, along with
Rita Redshoes
Rita Pereira (born 10 July 1981), known by her stage name Rita Redshoes, is a solo musical artist from Portugal. In 1996 she sang with her first band, Atomic Bees, releasing an album in 2000 entitled ''love.noises.and.kisses''. In 2003, she was ...
,
Buraka Som Sistema
Buraka Som Sistema was an electronic dance music project from Portugal, specializing in a fusion of techno beats with the African zouk and kuduro genre. It is generally credited with creating the "zouk bass" and "progressive kuduro" variant and ...
, Vicious Five and
Slimmy
Slimmy, born Paulo Fernandes, is a Portuguese singer/songwriter who combines various genres of rock, especially electro rock. He has an irrelevant visual look and an addictive musical style and has achieved mainstream success after an appearance ...
. The artist was featured in a documentary named "Dicas do Vinil, com Sam The Kid", a work produced by public service broadcasting channel
RTP.
The artist has been noted for taking a "radically open and eclectic" approach on his efforts to expand his audience, as well as refusing to sing in English, as did many of his contemporaries, when trying to break into more profitable markets.
Sam started a new project named TV Chelas, a YouTube platform dedicated to Portuguese hip hop.
The channel publishes content such as uncompleted music by Sam and other artists, podcasts, interviews and archived material,
being one of the many new vehicles of promotion and critique of Portuguese-made hip hop, R&B and electronic music in the country.
Orelha Negra
Since 2009 Sam The Kid is part of the band
Orelha Negra
Orelha Negra are a Portuguese instrumental hip-hop/funk/soul band, formed in 2009. The band consists of Sam The Kid (samplers, synthesizer), Francisco Rebelo (bass), João Gomes (keyboards), Fred Ferreira (drums) and DJ Cruzfader (turntables).
...
, where is plays synths and voice samples using
MPC. The other band members are Francisco Rebelo (bass and guitar), Fred Ferreira (drums), João Gomes (keyboards and synths) and DJ Cruzfader (turntables).
Orelha Negra have released 3 studio albums and 2 mixtapes.
Discography
* 1999 ''
Entre(tanto)
''Entre(tanto)'' is Sam the Kid's debut album and was widely considered a breakthrough in Portuguese hip-hop culture. The single he released for this album is called " Lágrimas". The album was re-released in the special edition of ''Sobre(tudo) ...
''
* 2001 ''
Sobre(tudo)
''Sobre(tudo)'' was a 2001 album by Sam the Kid. The first single released for this album was called " Não Percebes". The album was re-released in 2005 in a special edition with tracks from ''Entre(tanto)'' included as bonus tracks
An ...
''
* 2002 ''
Beats Vol 1: Amor''
* 2004 ''Sobre(tudo)'' (Special Edition)
* 2005 ''MadVision''
* 2006 ''
Pratica(mente)
''Pratica(mente)'' is a 2006 studio album by prominent Portuguese rapper and producer Sam the Kid. It is his first studio album, all of his previous works being recorded in his home.
The album features many prominent Portuguese artists, such a ...
''
* 2008 ''Pratica(mente)'' (Special Edition)
* 2009 ''Festival Silêncio'' Live Concert album
* 2010 ''Instrumentais 2010''
* 2010 ''O Crime Do Padre Amaro'' Soundtrack
* 2010 Untitled Album
* 2011 Untitled Mixtape
* 2012 'Brinde' – Mixtape
* 2012 Untitled Album
* 2013 Untitled Mixtape
* 2016 "16.1.2016 – Concerto dos Orelha Negra no CCB"
See also
*
Music of Portugal
Portuguese music includes many different styles and genres, as a result of its history. These can be broadly divided into classical music, traditional/folk music and popular music and all of them have produced internationally successful acts, with ...
*
Hip hop Tuga
Portuguese hip hop (''Hip hop português''), more commonly called hip hop tuga ("tuga" here being a slang for "Portuguese"), is the Portuguese variety of hip hop music. It differs from mainstream hip hop because it has strong influences from A ...
References
Sources
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External links
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{{authority control
1979 births
Hip hop record producers
Portuguese rappers
Underground rappers
Hip hop dancers
Breakdancers
Portuguese record producers
20th-century Portuguese male singers
21st-century Portuguese male singers
Living people
Portuguese male film actors
Portuguese male singer-songwriters
Singers from Lisbon
Music video directors
Music video codirectors