In the late 1990s, Dr. Derek Pardue, currently a cultural anthropologist and professor in the anthropology and international studies departments at Wash U, left the States to research hip-hop in São Paulo, Brazil. Though he originally arrived in São Paulo with only a vague notion of Brazilian hip-hop, Dr. Pardue learned, through word of mouth and fanzines, to navigate the underground music scene. While working on his research, which focused on the meaning of hip-hop for the people of Brazil, Dr. Pardue documented his experiences through photography. Displayed here are some of the photos taken during his time abroad.

For more information on Dr. Pardue’s work, check out his book, Ideologies of Marginality in Brazilian Hip Hop (Palgrave Macmillan, 2008) or visit his website.

Want to connect with Dr. Pardue? E-mail him at dppardue@gmail.com.