Back in April 2025, Beatport officially made Brazilian Funk its own standalone genre – a long-overdue move that finally put one of Brazil’s most explosive cultural forces front and center. Brazilian Funk has been shaking the world for decades, born in the favelas of Rio and shaped by Miami bass, Afro-Brazilian resistance, DIY innovation, and massive sound systems. With ONErpm Brazil backing the effort, the launch gave Funk its own charts, playlists, and a proper home on the platform – not tucked away as a sub-category, but celebrated for the global powerhouse it already is.

Now, Beatport and ONErpm are taking it even deeper with a brand-new documentary series hosted by one of Brazil’s most globally beloved and recognized dance music superstars, Mochakk – an artist who’s as Funk-rooted as they come. The series drops into Rio, São Paulo, and Belo Horizonte to link up with Dennis DJ, Mu540, Mac Júlia, VHOOR, and the communities pushing Funk forward right now. Over the next few weeks, we’ll be rolling out each episode below – raw stories, local legends, behind-the-scenes culture, and everything that makes Funk one of the most exciting movements in global dance music.

Episode 1: This Is Funk

Episode 1 sets the scene with Mochakk breaking down the real roots of Brazilian Funk, tracing it back to the ’70s, when DJs in Rio’s favelas were flipping U.S. soul records, then pulling in hip-hop and Miami bass to create something unmistakably Brazilian. He clears up a huge misconception early: a lot of people call it Baile Funk, but that’s actually the name of the party, not the sound itself. 

Mochakk digs into Funk’s rebellious DNA, built by Black Rio and Afro-Brazilian artists who carved out space, culture, and identity through sheer creative force. From Tamborzão to Proibidão, from São Paulo’s high-gloss Ostentação era to the socially heavy Funk Consciente movement, Funk has always been mutating, growing, and refusing to sit still. Episode 1 ends with Mochakk hitting the road from Rio to São Paulo to Belo Horizonte, meeting the innovators, crews, and scenes keeping this massive movement alive every single day.

Episode 2: Rio de Janeiro

Episode 2 drops Mochakk into Rio de Janeiro, the birthplace of Brazilian Funk, to connect with the people who lived its evolution firsthand – DJ Ramon Sucesso, MC Marsha, MC Duzinho, and Dennis DJ. They hit old Baile spots, dig through memories of the early days, and trace how the sound morphed from backyard parties to a national force. One of the episode’s highlights is Mochakk jumping on the decks with Dennis DJ, who pulls out classics and walks us through Funk’s rise – from the 808 punch of Afrika Bambaataa’s “Planet Rock,” Brazil's first-ever Funk records, Fabinho Neurosampler’s wild early-sampling era, and the discovery of VOLT MIX – the 1988 track by LA producer DJ Battery Brain that quickly became Brazil's very own Amen Break and the backbone of the Funk rhythm.

The episode also dives into Rio’s MC culture with Duzinho, touching on the sounds connecting factor but how there came moments when the scene shifted as gang associations and police pressure fractured the Bailes and gave birth to Proibidão, before Putaria brought things back to pure dance-floor energy. MC Marsha breaks down how she went from dancer to MC in the Twitter era, and how women in Funk started reclaiming space in a scene – shouting out MC Jehny, MC Rose, MC Nick, and MC Beatriz. Things wrap with DJ Ramon Sucesso talking about the Trap wave in Funk, the grind to make it, and how the sound is finally catching fire worldwide.

Listen to the 'Funk do Brasil: Mochakk Chart' below or check it out on Beatport.

Watch this space to enjoy new episodes of Funk do Brasil... (coming soon)!