I've finally expanded the collection of Brazilian Hip Hop, with help from Tropikao. Download and share! Finding these tracks in the Northern Hemisphere is rare!
The culture of the Brazilian favelas (slum cities), is a rich one. Jennifer Roth Gordon wrote a great and accessible dissertation (although academic ;) on the Slang of Rio. Her writing gives an interesting outsider's snapshot into daily life in the favelas as an incident.
If all of this piques your interest, and you feel like watching the Brazilian equivalent of Boyz 'n the hood, I highly reccomend going out and finding a pirated version of Cidade De Deus- a fast and intensely produced movie based on a true story of Rio Drug Clan wars....