Os Gemeos Shares Their Favorite Songs

The sounds that move these Sao Paolo street artists.

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Complex Original

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This feature is a part of Complex's Os Gemeos Week, presented by Hennessy.

They're known as hip-hop lovers, but the Brazilian brothers known as Os Gemeos draw inspiration from all types of music when they are making art. For the latest installment of Os Gemeos Week, Complex asked them to dig deep in the crates to share an eclectic mix of tunes old and new, many inspired by their roots in Brazil. From Lykke Li to Seu Jorge and Afrika Bambaataa, check out the music that they work to, party to, and do everything else too. And coincidentally Os Gemeos will be DJing at an exclusive Hennessy event in NYC tonight. If you're not going to be in the house you can just click through this list of Their Favorite Songs and turn it up.

For more information on Os Gemeos and their limited-edition collaboration with Hennessy, please visit Hennessy.com

Daft Punk "Get Lucky" (2013)

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Daft Punk "Get Lucky" (2013)

Os Gemeos Says: "Using the street so the street doesn't use us; to be free and do what you want without holding back."

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DJ Zegon & Laudz "Runnn" (2012)

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DJ Zegon & Laudz "Runnnn" (2012)

Os Gemeos Says: "Keep running until the rhythm of your feet pairs with your heartbeat."

(If you're feeling this Brazilian duo, also known as Tropkillaz, check their Soundcloud.)

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Royksopp "What Else Is There?" (2005)

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Royksopp "What Else Is There?" (2005)

Os Gemeos Says: "Even when we know what reality is, the reality is not actually always true. Reality does not exist the way one person sees it. We are free to see the world however we want."

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New Order "Blue Monday" (1983)

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New Order "Blue Monday" (1983)

Os Gemeos Says: "We found a new world order, and we'll follow it until the end of time, finding the balance and harmony through drawing."

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Max Romeo "Stealing in The Name of Jah" (1976)

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Max Romeo "Stealing in The Name of Jah" (1976)

Os Gemeos Says: "Greetings in the name of His Imperial Majesty, Emperor Haile Selassie, Jah Rastafari, who liveth and reigneth I'n'I itinually, ever faithful, ever sure. They say experience teacheth wisdom, but there's a natural mystic blowing through the air."—Bob Marley

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Lee Perry "I am a Madman" (2008)

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Lee Perry "I am a Madman" (2008)

Os Gemeos Says: "Build your own boat, so it will take you to the other side of the river." 

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The D4 "Funky Rap Party" (1985)

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The D4 "Funky Rap Party" (1985)

Os Gemeos Says: "Funk up the whole night, from the evening to the dawn."

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Audiogroove "I Follow Rivers" (2012)

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Audiogroove "I Follow Rivers" (2012)

Os Gemeos Says: "Follow the direction of the river, and swim against the tide. Go up the river with wooden oars, and follow the direction of the sunshine."

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Bobby Jimmy & The Critters "Big Butt" (1985)

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Bobby Jimmy & The Critters "Big Butt" (1985)

Os Gemeos Says: "This was a song that we used to dance to as an escape from our minds—a way that we found to electrify our body, erasing our thoughts."

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Racionais MC's "Jesus chorou" (2002)

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Racionais MC's "Jesus chorou" (2002)

Os Gemeos Says: "This is the reality that a lot of people live in, but many people don't even know."

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Siba e a Fuloresta "Vale do Jucá" (2008)

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Siba e a Fuloresta "Vale do Jucá" (2008)

Os Gemeos Says: "This song is a poem as a rural opera which lead us to see new horizons. Through this we found out that behind stone streets and two-color houses, there is a soldier building his mantle."

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Busy Bee "Good Times Freestyle" (1998)

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Busy Bee "Good Times Freestyle" (1998)

Os Gemeos Says: "There was a time when the only worry we had was to have fun, and this song brings us back to that time."

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Gladys Knight & The Pips "Save the Overtime (For Me)" (1983)

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Gladys Knight & The Pips "Save the Overtime (For Me)" (1983)

Os Gemeos Says: "For us, 'Save the Overtime' is like seeing the Earth spinning upside down."

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Bob Marley "Zion Train" (1980)

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Bob Marley "Zion Train" (1980)

Os Gemeos Says: "Waiting for the train where there is no first or second class, where we are equal, heading to the same destination. We just have to be at the right station, at the right time, so we don't miss the train."

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Ponto de Equilíbrio "Coisa Feia" (2004)

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Ponto de Equilíbrio "Coisa Feia" (2004)

Os Gemeos Says: "Life is so short that we can't spend time with stranger's thoughts. There is so much more to explore."

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Sixto Rodriguez "I Think Of You" (1971)

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Sixto Rodriguez "I Think Of You" (1971)

Os Gemeos Says: "This song is on the soundtrack of the movie Searching for Sugar Man. You must watch this film!"

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Edi Rock ft. Seu Jorge "That's My Way" (2012)

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Edi Rock ft. Seu Jorge "That's My Way" (2012)

Os Gemeos Says: "Seu Jorge is one of the biggest talents of Brazil, not only as an artist, but also as a person. This song is a collaboration he did with Edi Rock, a rapper from the group Racionais MCs."

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Vince Fiorino "Blue Canary" (1953)

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Vince Fiorino "Blue Canary" (1953)

Os Gemeos Says: "This song is part of the soundtrack of Slava Polunin's Snow Show."

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Lisa Fisher "Only Love" (1984)

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Lisa Fisher "Only Love" (1984)

Os Gemeos Says: "This song is part of a scene in the movie Beat Street, which we used to watch back in the day when we danced in the streets with our friends."

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Lucky Dube "Rolling Stone" (1999)

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Lucky Dube "Rolling Stone" (1999)

Os Gemeos Says: "Sometimes we feel like rolling stones, literally."

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D'Bora "No Sense" (1984)

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D'Bora "No Sense" (1984)

Os Gemeos Says: "This song reminds us the most of the first time we found out about hip-hop."

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Malcolm McLaren "Buffalo Gals" (1982)

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Malcolm McLaren "Buffalo Gals" (1982)

Os Gemeos Says: "The video clip of this song is one of the best videos. It inspired us in the very beginning because we saw Dondi, the graffiti artist, for the first time outlining a letter."

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Afrika Bambaataa "Frantic Situation" (1984)

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Afrika Bambaataa "Frantic Situation" (1984)

Os Gemeos Says: "'Frantic Situation' reminds us of a magic time when we were children and we only had to dream."

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Led Zeppelin "Stairway to Heaven" (1971)

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Led Zeppelin "Stairway to Heaven" (1971)

Os Gemeos Says: "We compare this song to an orgasm."

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Pink Floyd "When the Tigers Broke Free" (1982)

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Pink Floyd "When the Tigers Broke Free" (1982)

Os Gemeos Says: "This song brings back a memory of when we imagined we were at wartime, and there was a silence in the trenches. Every time we hear this song, this moment comes back to us."

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