Sabotage

Mauro Mateus dos Santos (April 3, 1973 – January 24, 2003), better known by his stage name Sabotage, was a Brazilian rapper and songwriter from São Paulo.

Early life

He grew up selling drugs in Brooklin, a neighborhood in São Paulo’s South Zone. He gained fame in 2001 after the release of his first and only album titled Rap é Compromisso. He performed on other artists' recordings, such as Sepultura's Revolusongs EP, a cover of Public Enemy's "Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos", which was released in 2002. That same year, he appeared as himself in the Brazilian film The Trespasser (O Invasor) and contributed to its soundtrack. This was followed soon after by an acting role as Fuinha in the movie Carandiru.

His influence as a musician was crucial for the growth of hip hop in Brazil meaning that his vision and style were unique and inspiring for many rappers. His lyrics full of words of wisdom of a man who experienced a hard early life in the favelas of Brazil. To this day, Sabotage is considered by many rappers and the Brazilian hip hop fans as the greatest Brazilian rapper of all time, often compared with 2Pac. In 2016, his posthumous album, Sabotage was released.

Death

In 2003, Sabotage died after being shot four times in the head and chest. No arrest was made and, despite the nature of the attack, no connection was established between his drug-peddling and his violent death.

Discography

• Rap É Compromisso! (2001)
• Uma Luz Que Nunca Irá se Apagar (2002)
• Rap é o Hino que Me Mantém Vivo (2008)
• Sabotage (2016)