British magazine DAZED has sparked a heated debate with its latest edition. The publication’s Celebration Issue is drawing criticism for including Brazilian rapper Oruam in one of its multiple covers. The singer is a controversial name in Brazil’s music landscape due to his family ties with the Red Command (Comando Vermelho), one of Rio’s most feared criminal organizations. 

Who’s Oruam 

The 24-year-old Oruam is a rising star in the Brazilian rap scene. Hailing from Rio de Janeiro, the rapper has amassed a large following in his home country, albeit not without criticism. Currently, the Brazilian Parliament is debating a legislative project labeled the “anti-Oruam law.” In February 2025, the courts also charged him with dangerous driving after he attempted to evade a police blitz.

But Oruam is not only a controversial figure in his own right. The rapper’s association with leaders of Comando Vermelho (CV) is the primary source of controversy. Oruam is the son of Márcio dos Santos Nepomuceno and godson of Elias Pereira da Silva. 

Ties to the Comando Vermelho

Nepomuceno, also known as “Marcinho VP,” was the top leader of Comando Vermelho (CV) during one of Rio’s bloodiest periods. Despite being incarcerated since the 90s, Oruam’s father remains a key figure in the organization. As reported by InSight Crime, earlier this year, Marcinho VP and Marcos Willians Herbas Camacho, leader of the First Capital Command (PCC), signed a truce to “jointly operate the country’s two major [drug] trafficking routes.” 

Pereira da Silva, on the other hand, was found dead in his prison cell in 2020. He was also a leader of CV. And was mainly responsible for the brutal murder of Rede Globo journalist Tim Lopes. Lopes was an award-winning journalist, investigating drug trafficking and child prostitution at baile funk sessions in the favelas at the time of his murder. Elias Maluco, along with a group of at least 20, kidnapped Lopes. They tortured him and executed him in retaliation for his previous investigations, which led to raids and the detention of crime bosses.  

The Anti-Oruam Bill

The audience negatively received DAZED’s cover for, among other reasons, launching on June 2, coinciding with the 23rd anniversary of Lopes’ kidnapping. Moreover, as many social media users pointed out, the visual imagery predominantly featured red, which gives the CV its name. Internet users also drew parallels between one of the editorial images, where Oruam holds a rifle made out of old-school cameras, with the fact that Lopes was carrying a hidden camera when he was kidnapped.

Oruam’s fans and supporters have stepped forward to defend the singer. They claim that people shouldn’t be judged for their family’s crimes. However, detractors point out that Oruam has actively campaigned for his father and disregarded the crimes his godfather committed. 

In 2024, during his performance at Lollapalooza Brazil, Oruam made a statement. He did so while dressed in a T-shirt with his father’s face accompanied by the word “Freedom.” He has also claimed not to look at Elias Maluco’s crimes negatively because he was someone he loved. Oruam even carries a tattoo of his godfather on his chest as an homage. 

These actions sparked outrage among certain sectors of Brazil’s population and authorities. City councils and the Brazilian Chamber of Deputies have proposed laws that ban public funds from going to artists who engage in crime apologia. They labeled the project as the “Anti-Oruam Law.”

Talking to DAZED in the profile accompanying his cover, Oruam said of the bill, “There’s a bill project with my name, so I’m really famous. They will remember me forever.”

Between Criticism and Fanfare

But not everybody is on board with the “Anti-Oruam Law.” Many of Oruam’s supporters and certain groups believe the law is a far-right attempt to silence cultural expressions. They argue that this bill will negatively affect marginalized communities and criminalize poor people. Others claim that artists like Oruam are persecuted for the color of their skin and for singing about the reality in the favelas.

Meanwhile, criminal study experts believe the bill will have minimal to no effect, except for a symbolic targeting. Juliana Bragança, author of the book “Trapped in a Cage: the Criminalization of Funk in Rio,” told InSight Crime, “Oruam has a number of characteristics that make him the perfect scapegoat. On top of being a young black man from the favela, who sings rap, trap, and funk, he is the son of Marcinho VP.”

This isn’t the first time music genres and public figures have ignited debate about the fine line separating art and crime glorification. Corridos tumbados and drill music, for example, have been part of the debate, with supporters and detractors unable to find a common ground. 

Media Responsibility

Beyond Oruam’s personal views or public image, journalists and netizens are pointing fingers at DAZED’s editorial team for disregarding Brazil’s political and social reality. The magazine’s glossy cover, presented as a high-fashion editorial, has sparked a perennial conversation about fashion’s disconnection from reality. 

Fashion has a long documented history of glamorizing social and cultural moments and issues that are generally associated with marginalized communities and minorities. Through editorials, trends (yes, Mob Wife, I’m looking at you) or cultural appropriation, fashion often strips things of their meaning and context.

As culture and fashion journalist Louis Pisano wrote for Discourted, “This isn’t about ‘canceling’ Oruam. It’s about being honest about what we’re consuming and who gets to be elevated without scrutiny. It’s about asking why Western media loves violent aestheticism in Black and brown bodies, as long as the violence stays abstract.”

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