Da Weasel

Portuguese hip hop band from Almada. Founded in 1993 by brothers João Nobre and Carlos Nobre and disbanded in 2010. Original line-up included Carlos Nobre, Armando Teixeira, João Nobre and Yen Sung. Their music fuses elements from hard rock, pop, rap, acid jazz and ska.

The group name is a reference to the song “Pop Goes The Weasel” by 3rd Bass.

Da Weasel's first release was the six-song EP “More Than 30 Motherfuckers”, entirely sung in English. The group featured Carlos Nobre as the MC, Pedro Quaresma, João Nobre and Guilherme Silva on live instruments, Yen Sung as backup vocalist and Armando Teixeira as DJ and producer. In 1994, the band rode the wave of the Rapública compilation, which introduced hip-hop to the Portuguese mainstream audience, by releasing their first full album, Dou-lhe Com A Alma, which took them on tour for the first time. This time, the band wrote all the songs in Portuguese, incorporating influences from Cypress Hill and Public Enemy.

Before production of their third release (3º Capítulo) in 1997, Yen Sung left the band to start a career as an acid jazz producer and DJ. She was replaced by Virgul, a rapper/singer who introduced ragga and afro elements to the band's sound.

In 1999, after taking part in Mario Caldato Jr.'s Tejo Beat and the Xutos & Pontapés tribute album [r1953411], Da Weasel returned to the studio to record their fourth album, Iniciação A Uma Vida Banal - O Manual. The critically acclaimed album was the band's first silver record, and helped increase their previous release sales enough to grant them a second silver. Da Weasel also served as a warm-up act to Red Hot Chili Peppers' concert at the Pavilhão Atlântico in Lisbon.

Armando Teixeira then left the band to pursue a solo career, and experienced pop-rock producer Mário Barreiros helmed the recording of [m709676] in 2001. Da Weasel's work now blended influences from hip-hop, heavy metal, reggae and African music to produce a unique blend that was still undeniably Portuguese. Paris-based Cuban hip-hop trio Orishas was a guest on the album, which soon rose to gold and later platinum record sales.

In 2004, Mário Barreiros was replaced by João Martins as producer, and DJ Glue joined the band as a live DJ, filling a spot vacant for three years. They helped Da Weasel reinvent themselves on their next album, Re-Definições, a deeply thought-out piece of work which refined the sound heard in the previous album. Music fans responded enthusiastically, with over 80,000 copies sold, making it Da Weasel's best selling album.

In 2005, the band held a sold-out concert in the Olympia in Paris, its first major international performance.

On April 2, 2007, Da Weasel released their last album entitled Amor, Escárnio E Maldizer. It reached platinum on the same day, with over 20,000 copies sold.

On December 9, 2010, they announced their breakup.