Apollo G is a popular hip-hop artist based in Portugal of Cabo Verdean descent. Apollo G, whose real name is Sandro Andrade, was born in Queluz, a neighborhood in Lisbon, Portugal but moved to England for several years. His multicultural background and experiences vividly play a role in the crafting of his music which is often in Cabo Verdean Creole but features English and Portuguese. Apollo G’s style incorporates elements of drill, heavy trap, and is categorized as Portuguese hip-hop, or “hip-hop tuga”.
He joined the music industry in 2012 as a part of a group of his friends known as GhettoSuperstars. In 2016, he released his first solo record Robin Hood. However, his following EP released the same year, “Success After Struggle,” put him on the map in the hip hop tuga scene. The EP included hits “Tempo Antigo” and “Bai Ku Mi,” where the artist reflected on his relationships and his rise, as well last the youthful experiences he has had in an unfamiliar game.
In 2020, Apollo G released the song “Europa,” which was a hit in Portugal especially amongst the large Cabo Verdean diaspora. The song, which is further reviewed in a separate blog post from 2021 on Hip Hop African, touches upon the struggle and anticipation of the African diaspora that bears the risk of immigrating to Europe. In the song, Apollo G raps about the high expectations and glorified outsider perspective of life in Europe to the rest of the world. He then reflects on the harsh reality of living as an African in Europe, which is often polluted by a low quality of living and a strong sense of nostalgia.
The focus of this post, however, is on Apollo G’s 2023 hit “Paz,” which translates to “Peace” in Portuguese. Apollo G pairs a nostalgic piano-driven beat with smooth, meditative verses to unwrap a deeper sentiment about the life of the Cabo Verdean diaspora in Boston. The music video is played over relatively somber visuals of daily life in Boston as Apollo G reminisces on the highs and lows of life abroad. In the song, he raps “sima lua e sol ta brilha, futuro e fruto di bu trabadjo,” translating to “above the moon the sun shines and the future is the fruit of your work.” Apollo G recounts the adversity that comes from living abroad and the hard work that must be put in to see the fruit of your work.
Apollo G also says “nunca ka falta dento casa, era só dinheiro ki nu cá tinha,” meaning that nothing was ever missing in his life at home, it was just money which they never had. These challenging circumstances likely provoked Apollo G’s family to relocate from Cabo Verde to Europe and eventually Boston. Apollo G’s “Paz” is a powerful testament to the difficulty for the Cabo Verdean diaspora living abroad, many of whom search for the same peace or “morabeza,” a Cabo Verdean term for calm living and hospitality found in the country. I hope Apollo G and the Cabo Verdean diaspora can attain that level of “Paz” one day, and I know that this song can bring them one step closer.
