SAO PAULO.- Extended through March 29, 2026, at Sesc 24 de Maio, HIP-HOP 80’sp—São Paulo na Onda do Break (HIP-HOP 80’sp—São Paulo on the Break Wave) invites visitors on an immersive journey into the origins and explosive rise of hip-hop in 1980s São Paulo.More than an exhibition, it is an encounter with a cultural movement that transformed the city’s streets into spaces of art, resistance, and community expression.
Curated collectively by OSGEMEOS, Rooneyoyo O Guardião, KL Jay (legendary DJ of Racionais MC's), Thaíde, pioneering artists Sharylaine and Rose MC, and b-boy ALAM Beat, the show gathers over 3,000 pieces from personal collections—including those of Nelson Triunfo and Electric Boogies—and from major international archives. The selection bridges local memories with the global roots of hip-hop, revealing how the movement’s energy was adapted, reinvented, and celebrated in Brazil.
Highlights include rare photographs by Martha Cooper, whose work documented the birth of hip-hop in New York City, Henry Chalfant’s seminal 1983 documentary Style Wars, and exclusive breakdance footage by Michael Holman. These works provide historical context while echoing the creativity that spread from the Bronx to São Paulo, carried by music, dance, and the visual language of graffiti.
The exhibition recreates key meeting points for the city’s hip-hop community—São Bento Station, Roosevelt Square, and the iconic 24 de Maio corner—through installations that turn history into living environments of dance, sound, and movement. A life-sized subway car becomes a space for DJ workshops, graffiti demonstrations, and spontaneous dance circles. Interactive experiences include a vintage crystal DJ setup from the 1980s and a kinetic piano that responds to the steps and spins of b-boys and b-girls, blurring the line between performance and participation.
For Luiz Galina, Director of Sesc São Paulo, the project reinforces the institution’s mission to safeguard and promote cultural heritage: “Sesc reaffirms its commitment to recognizing cultural matrices shaped by resistance and creativity”. The curators describe it as “a historical rescue to show new generations how hip-hop emerged in São Paulo”, underlining the importance of keeping the movement’s history visible and accessible.
Artist Gustavo Pandolfo (OSGEMEOS) reflects: “We made hip-hop without knowing it was hip-hop. It was our expression of freedom, resistance, joy, and survival”. Rooneyoyo adds: “This culture saved us. It gave us a place to dream,” highlighting the distinctive Brazilian blend of funk, soul, and capoeira that shaped the country’s hip-hop identity.
The exhibition also shines a spotlight on women pioneers who helped define the culture. Sharylaine, one of the first female rappers in Brazil, states: “hip-hop is my religion. Rhyme is my prayer”. Rose MC—hip-hop pioneer, B-Girl, rapper, and emblematic figure of street culture—stands as a reminder that women have always been at the forefront of creativity and resistance within the movement.
Organized like a subway map, the layout guides visitors from the Bronx—the birthplace of hip-hop—through its cinematic portrayals in films such as Beat Street and Breakin’, and into the enduring legacy of São Bento. Along the way, audiences witness the evolution of graffiti, encounter rare and previously unseen artifacts, and explore the crosscurrents between global influences and São Paulo’s own vibrant street culture.
