to rap as the black CNN. In many respects Rio or baile funk could be referred to as favela CNN. That is, it's used as a medium to convey how the people who live in the Brazilian favelas really feel using their own language, idioms and slang." This helps empower these artists, and while they may not gain national acclaim, they get the respect of their fans for delivering both a real sound and message. This is also seen through the lack of major record deals in the world of funk music. He knows first hand the hardships of being a funk artist, in a separate interview he says, "We suffer a lot of persecution. At one recent baile, the police came in and shut it down... My sound systems have bullet holes in them from police attacks.” DJ Marlboro has transcended this situation, however, as he has now become international and has teamed up with recognized artists such as M.I.A. Through these various collaborations, DJ Marlboro has played a significant role in increasing the popularity of funk carioca not only within Brazil, but at the global level as well. In fact, he has been one of the main players in taking funk abroad, playing shows throughout Europe (Britain, Germany, France), The United States, and even China. Marlboro's sets have been in demand in some of the major electronic festivals in the world, festivals such as Sonar in Spain, Brasil 40 Degrees in London, Summer Stage Central Park in New York, Tim Festival in Rio, Sonarsound in São Paulo and Elektronika in Belo Horizonte. According to an interview with DJ Marlboro in 2003, "DJ Marlboro believes in which keeping funk discreet to the public, may reduce the amount of exploitation within the genre. "The best time for funk is when people don't know about it, for those of us who are funkateers that is". In relation to the exploitation of Funk, he mentioned that people view funk as "an image of women with big butts, you never see the many sides to funk, so people look and they think that funk is pornographic, funk is violent... but funk is all of this, it's violent, romantic, and playful." He embraces the baile funk scene in Rio, because he enjoys pleasing the public. It is assumed that individuals that are new to Funk genre just assume that Baile Funk is just associated