Duas Caras: An age-long rap god in music industry

By Taiwo Okanlawon

Hermínio Vicente Chissano, popularly known in the music industry and amongst his fans as Duas Caras, (meaning “Two face”) is a Mozambican rapper born on 30th August, in the Aeroporto neighborhood of Maputo. Growing up for Duas Caras was worth it as these were the years that exposed him to music and also helped him discover his music career.

In his words, he clearly stated the fact that he had a happy childhood. His father, who was significant in his success story as a musician, helped with playing Brazilian music so many times as Duas listened alongside. In the later years, he got exposed to listening to various artists of different genres of music, of which Jay-Z had much influence on his music career. These were his formative years.

He started rapping in the mid-90s and was a member of the group “Tropas do Futuro” alongside Denny OG, DJ Damost, and Stuped Man. After the members of the group went their separate ways, he formed N ́Star with Djo and Cem Paus, and they released their debut album “Um passo em frente” in 2003. With the release of this album, Duas Caras revealed a conscious and educational rap style that surprised many. The album showcased his impressive lyrical skill, featuring intricate rhymes replete with sophisticated metaphors and double meanings.

This marked a significant milestone in Mozambican Hip Hop, introducing a lyricist of exceptional talent and distinction.”Duas Caras has released several successful albums and singles later, including “Do Rovuma ao Maputo”, “Kara Boss”, and “Dinda”. He has won awards for his music, including the Mozambique Music Award for Best Rap in 2010.

Duas Caras is considered one of the pioneers of Mozambican rap and has been praised for his lyrical skill and social commentary. Except for venting and expressing himself, he has honed his musical career by exclusively rendering his message in Mozambique in order to set the culture for global recognition.

In 2008, Duas also released an EP titled Duditos Way (O Homem Que Chegava Tarde) which had 5 tracks in it: “Vale do Rei”, “Vitz Amarelo,” “Ossos No Baú,” “Não Há Mola,” and “Põe um Like”. This project declared the comeback of Duas as one lyrical, sensational, and awe-inspiring rapper, who exclusively mixed emotions and feelings together through striking metaphorical lyrics and weaving of words rhythmically. In recent times, there have been some controversies as to whether Duas truly reflects his descent in most of his rap songs.

One Denny Og, who also is a prominent Mozambican musician, criticized one of the albums of Duas Caras, “Djundava” on a TV program, stating it doesn’t resemble rap music, which boils down to the fact that Duas Caras has abandoned his hip-hop roots to follow popular European and American trends, rather than staying true to his artistic identity, as this further sparked controversial contribution in the Mozambique music scene.

Although this does not translate to full deviation from Duas’ root, it could be seen as musical experimentation and adventure. Thus, lately, Duas has recently transitioned to Afrobeats and has been working with other artists in the genre to solidify his understanding of the music form.