4REAL: City of God
Mos Def rolls into Rio's infamous City Of God with 4REAL host Sol Guy, where Brazil's #1 rap artist, MV Bill, shows how his program empowers favela youth through the art of hip hop.
In 4REAL City of God, Sol Guy takes rap star and actor, Mos Def, into the infamous favela (slum), City Of God, on the outskirts of Rio de Janeiro. There they meet up with Brazil’s top rap artist MV Bill, himself the product of City of God, who has, over years, become an outspoken voice for the youth of the favelas. MV Bill shows Mos and Sol how he’s using hip hop to speak to young people and empower them with life and community skills, including classes in B-boying, video production, basketball, graffiti art, and theater. "This is the place where we can realize our dreams and reduce a little bit of the sadness we have in the community,” MV Bill says.
While exploring the City, Mos Def and MV Bill discuss the transformative power of hip hop culture, with the help of a translator. (MV Bill speaks mostly Portuguese.) On the final night of Mos’ visit, Mos and MV Bill prove once again how hip hop transcends language and culture, as they perform together in Rio before thousands of fans. "Just coming here, it's like a reminder that, you know, you have to stay close to the people. Especially with hip hop. It’s a people’s movement," Mos says.
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4REAL connects individuals with people, projects and tools to make change real. Aspects include a global online community, online tools for change, 4REAL Productions, and educational materials.
The lead 4REAL production is a TV series called 4REAL that takes celebrity guests on adventures around the world to connect with young leaders who, under extreme circumstances, are effecting real change on some of the most pressing issues of our time. Celebrity guests for Season One are Cameron Diaz, Mos Def, Joaquin Phoenix, Eva Mendes, Casey Affleck, K'NAAN, M.I.A., and Flea of the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Beyond the exposure that 4REAL provides, the young leaders featured are partners in the show, with 50 percent of the proceeds going directly to their initiatives. 4REAL has aired globally on National Geographic Channels International in 165 countries and 34 languages, as well as on The CW channel in the U.S. and on CTV and MTV in Canada.
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