Dr. Gustavo Souza Marques

Biography

Gustavo Souza Marques, known by his stage name Gusmão, is an ethnomusicologist, drummer, multi-instrumentalist, and instrumental hip hop music producer. His main research interests encompass postcolonialism, critical race theory, media studies, performance, and popular music with a primary focus on hip hop across the Americas. He served as a postdoctoral fellow on the ERC CIPHER Hip Hop Interpellation project at University College Cork and is a specialist in Latin American circum-Caribbean hip hop knowledge mapping. His forthcoming book titled 'Tyler, Creator: Hip Hop’s Revolution – Gangsta' examines Tyler’s work through critical race and postcolonial lenses, scheduled for release in 2026 by Bloomsbury. Gustavo has conducted pioneering ethnomusicological studies, including a notable work on Duelo de MCs (MCs’ Duel) in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. As a drummer for the live hip hop band Julgamento and a freestyling rapper, he has enriched his academic exploration of hip hop culture. His current scholarly project investigates magical realism within hip hop in the Americas, involving extensive fieldwork in various countries. Marques is also the founder of the Bridge Theory Collective, aimed at bridging the gap between hip hop scholarship and practice within academia, contributing to a brighter future for hip hop studies at the University of Michigan.

Research Interests