Da Weasel
Portuguese hip hop band from Almada. Founded in 1993 by brothers [a817571] and [a817558] and disbanded in 2010. Original line-up included [a817558], [a378966], [a817571] and [a47337]. Their music fuses elements from hard rock, pop, rap, acid jazz and ska.
The group name is a reference to the song “Pop Goes The Weasel” by [a=3rd Bass].
Da Weasel's first release was the six-song EP “More Than 30 Motherfuckers”, entirely sung in English. The group featured [a817558] as the MC, [a817564], [a817571] and [a817561] on live instruments, [a47337] as backup vocalist and [a378966] as DJ and producer. In 1994, the band rode the wave of the [r=4738529] compilation, which introduced hip-hop to the Portuguese mainstream audience, by releasing their first full album, [m=634091], which took them on tour for the first time. This time, the band wrote all the songs in Portuguese, incorporating influences from [a37905] and [a28209].
Before production of their third release ([m=168897]) in 1997, [a47337] left the band to start a career as an acid jazz producer and DJ. She was replaced by [a649377], a rapper/singer who introduced ragga and afro elements to the band's sound.
In 1999, after taking part in [a19134]'s [r=1808558] and the [a125903] tribute album [r1953411], Da Weasel returned to the studio to record their fourth album, [m=711664]. The critically acclaimed album was the band's first silver record, and helped increase their previous release sales enough to grant them a second silver. Da Weasel also served as a warm-up act to [a92476]' concert at the Pavilhão Atlântico in Lisbon.
[a378966] then left the band to pursue a solo career, and experienced pop-rock producer [a260426] helmed the recording of [m709676] in 2001. Da Weasel's work now blended influences from hip-hop, heavy metal, reggae and African music to produce a unique blend that was still undeniably Portuguese. Paris-based Cuban hip-hop trio [a43618] was a guest on the album, which soon rose to gold and later platinum record sales.
In 2004, [a260426] was replaced by [a305502] as producer, and [a649380] joined the band as a live DJ, filling a spot vacant for three years. They helped Da Weasel reinvent themselves on their next album, [m=634093], a deeply thought-out piece of work which refined the sound heard in the previous album. Music fans responded enthusiastically, with over 80,000 copies sold, making it Da Weasel's best selling album.
In 2005, the band held a sold-out concert in the Olympia in Paris, its first major international performance.
On April 2, 2007, Da Weasel released their last album entitled [m=530501]. It reached platinum on the same day, with over 20,000 copies sold.
On December 9, 2010, they announced their breakup.