Pearls Negras - “Meu Bem” (Official Video)

Pearls Negras are a trio of Brazilian teenage girls who can rap their asses off. The girls rap in Portugese, fusing baile-funk with Brazilian bass and New Jack Swing. It’s hard not to see Nicki Minaj as a precursor for this kind of international bad-as-fuck girl group who have zero interest in keeping pop and rap separate. Actually, that fusion is a huge part of the appeal here, and part of what pushed their 2014 effort Biggie Apple to earn our Mixtape Of The Week distinction (RIP). That tape came out last February, followed by Nossa Gang in September, and their debut album will be here this fall.

In anticipation of that project, they’ve shared directors David Alexander and Johannes Schaff’s bright, funky video for “Meu Bem.” The phrase that translates roughly to “my dear,” but there’s nothing tender about this fierce kiss-off. The girls seem ready to take on the entire beach as they strut and stomp down the boardwalk, through a pick up basketball game, and finally, into the ocean itself. Keep your eyes out for plenty more from them; the rap game is wide open for a girl gang like this to come busting through. (Iggy who?) But first, point your eyes.