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Feverish hits on the hot cue, rapidfire MCing over tamborzão beats, bassline loops that tremble even the most stable camera: blink and you might miss one of DJ Ramon Sucesso's electrifying moves. In fact, the only thing speedier than the 22-year-old Brazilian DJ and producer's mixing technique is his ability to go viral: he first shot to prominence in 2020, when a homespun video of him DJing, recorded in his Rio de Janeiro bedroom, did the rounds on X. In it, he's seen hovering over his old laptop and Pioneer DDJ-400 controller, fearlessly chopping up baile funk (AKA funk carioca) vocal samples, bass kicks and running his now-signature jogwheel backspins.

As it turns out, the Gen Z artist is as fast a talker as he is a DJ, growing more and more animated while describing the performance that took the internet by storm. "I didn't like the wobbly effect on the first video [we posted on X], but once we noticed it had a hundred thousand views, we knew that there was something in it," he knowingly enthused over feijoada in a Lisbon restaurant. Today, a new Sucesso post still takes off within minutes.

To say that Sucesso's star has risen fast is an understatement; he's the youngest artist ever featured on The Art of DJing by some distance. He's not only blown up online, but also recently completed a debut European tour, including a highly awaited stop-off at Barcelona's Primavera Sound for his first Boiler Room performance (which, perhaps unsurprisingly, swiftly turned into a sweatbox). Crowds that once knew him as a shaky low-res image on screen can now testify that he lives up to the hype IRL, witnessing how he pummels through pitch-shifting and flanger modulations that go beyond traditional beat-matching—a unique take even for funk habitués. As for his favourite funk beat? "Bubble," Sucesso said, on the spot, before breaking into a gleaming smile.

While those rhythmic, bubbling funk beats have certainly captivated the internet, there's a dual appeal to Sucesso's artistry. His performances are a cutting-edge glimpse of the funk parties that heat up Rio's favelas and suburbs from Friday night straight through to Sunday morning. Derived in the mid-'80s from hip-hop, freestyle and Miami bass, funk developed into a uniquely Brazilian form of electronic music that folds in diasporic percussion, complex sound design and spirited chanting.

It was a sound pioneered by Afro-Brazilian MCs and DJs from the favela, for the favela; an artistic movement that quickly mobilised among the city's working class. Eventually, funk rose from the underground to soundtrack the Cidade Maravilhosa (marvellous city) of Rio throughout the '90s, even in the face of prevailing racism and classism within the scene—issues that continue to afflict Brazilian society today. Still, funk persevered and went national through the 2000s, finding new hubs in São Paulo, Minas Gerais and Pernambuco, the sound reverberating through all walks of life. "My mum was from the church, but we loved to listen to Furacão 2000 and Os Hawaianos," recalled Sucesso.

In conversation, Sucesso frequently arcs back to family, funk colouring the memories of his upbringing alongside his brother Ruan. Indeed, there's no Ramon without Ruan, and vice versa. Sat opposite the pair at the restaurant, their dynamic becomes immediately apparent—Ruan is sharp and precise, whereas Ramon tends to weave in and out of conversation and anecdotes. "I remember the exact day my dad gave Ramon the money to buy a DJ controller in 2019," said Ruan. "That's our dream, to do for our parents what they did for us."

That controller, a Pioneer DDJ-400, was the first machine to endure Sucesso's frenzied manoeuvres. "A DJ friend of mine once said to me, 'I have no idea how this controller can take your DJing,'" he laughed. Luckily, he's since upgraded to an all-in-one XDJ-RR—hardware that can just about take his exhilarating physicality and cyclone of sound. He's continuing the tradition of Rio's first funk DJs, in which pioneers, such as DJ Anderson, Phabyo DJ and Dennis DJ, used Gemini samplers and Technics turntables to spin the Volt Mix beat records that laid the foundations for funk.

By revamping these techniques in his own fashion, Sucesso joins a victorious line of artists who are keeping funk alive and constantly evolving—a level of depth beyond being simply known as the "Bubble Beat Guy." There's hype on his shoulders; responsibility, too. It's merited: his eccentric, dizzyingly technical approach is anything but one-dimensional. Instead, as his video captions simply state, he's "distorting reality."

Where in Rio are you from, specifically?

I was born in Belfort Roxo, but I'm from Nova Iguaçu.

How did you first start in funk?

I was born in 2002, and when I was younger, like everyone else, I had dreams of being a football player. I trained at the local school but it didn't go anywhere. Then time passed, and passed…

And then funk?

Then I started working at a car wash and we listened to a lot of funk [there], mostly in secret, hidden from our parents, because they were from the evangelical church. But we decided to create a YouTube channel to upload other people's music with our photos—that was the trend at the time. Then our channel was taken down. Then another channel of ours was taken down. We did it for the third time, and Ruan said he was going to give up, but I said I'd keep going. So instead of using the name "Irmãos Sucessada" (Sucessada Brothers), I decided to continue as just Ramon Sucesso. This was around 2019, when I was 16.

Were you still working at the car wash back then?

Yes, and I also worked as a helper for political campaigns during elections. I bought my first laptop for 300 reais [at time of publication: around €50]. It had a bad hard drive. The keyboard was also bad and I had to use a mouse because the touchpad didn't work. I downloaded Virtual DJ and started playing with it. I would go to work, and if there weren't any cars to wash, I'd stay there practising. One day, some friends invited us to play at a get-together. I took my keyboard and mouse and started playing.

Had you already started doing the deck tricks you've become known for?

I was just going from one track to another. I really wanted a controller. A couple months before, my mum had found out that we had a funk YouTube channel and she asked if that was really what we wanted. I said yes, and she said she would sort it out. One day my mum told my dad to check his bank account, and there were 4,000 reais there—we don't know where from. She said, "Withdraw it now!"

Which controller did you buy?

A Pioneer DDJ-400, using the same laptop. It was Windows with Virtual DJ. The next day, my mum went into the account and there were another 3,000 reais. She bought me clothes and a case for the controller.

What has changed the most in your life through music?

There are things we used to go through that we don't go through anymore. When my parents gave me that money, my dad was unemployed. My dream is to build my parents' house the way they want it, then get them a car—do the same thing they did for me when I had a dream. When my first fees started coming in—around 250 reais per show—things got rolling.

Let's imagine you're prepping for a show. How do you start thinking about your set?

Previously, before shows, I would practise—but only the day before. Nowadays, I don't really bother practising. I already know what I'm going to go up there and do.

What about track selection?

Some tracks I download, some I produce myself. I adjust the track BPM, make sure it's marked correctly, and that's it. Everywhere I go to play, I always think of doing something different. If I'm playing in a club, I'll play what people will like in a club. If I'm playing at a favela party, I'll cater to the favela crowd.

What's the difference between playing for a favela party vs the club crowd?

The favela party is more about the favela rhythm. In the club, it's about what's popular on the scene. The beat known as beatbox, for example, is a favela thing. In the club, it's about what's already a hit, like [music by] MC Kevin o Chris—tracks that have already blown up.

Your Boiler Room set was one of your first international shows. How did you approach that performance?

[I asked myself], "Why was I booked?" I was booked because of what I do in my videos, so I delivered what I always do in the videos. I didn't change my repertoire. Sometimes there are things I make up on the spot that I've never done and they end up working out, sometimes they don't because I don't practise at home. It's always a risk.

It's clear that you like to take risks. That's what made you stand out.

Yeah, for example, on the Sexta dos Cria videos, if I'd stuck to the same routine in all of them, I wouldn't have stood out as much.

What exactly is Sexta dos Cria? Roughly translating to "Homie Fridays," it appears to be a series of short videos of you playing on DDJs that you post weekly on X?

I don't even know for sure. Some people [online] started to call the videos I posted on X on Fridays 'Sexta dos Cria' and it blew up—so I started using it to my advantage.

What's the origin story of that first video? The one with you dressed in the FC Barcelona jersey.

I used to practise a lot at home, then Ruan started recording videos of me playing to post as a WhatsApp status. He told me to post them on Twitter [now X], so I did. Then he placed the phone next to the speaker to see how it would come up on camera. When that happened, he said, "It seems cool!" But I didn't like it. We posted it on Twitter and it got 100,000 views. There was clearly something there.

You follow in a long tradition of Rio DJs, also represented by contemporary DJs such as Zullu, Crazy Jeffs, FP do Trem Balada and Cabelão do Turano. How do you see your place among them?

I was a big fan of them, now they're all my friends! I actually started DJing because I was a fan of DJ Denilson o Clínico, who helped me a lot and is a good friend. DJ Ulisses Coutinho also taught me a lot about production.

How do DJing and production intersect for you?

There are many people who are DJs and don't produce, you know? I think it depends. If you have an interest in learning to produce and improving your work, you will learn to do it. Now, if you're only interested in playing other people's music, you will only live off shows.

When you produce, do you have DJing in mind?

In Rio, many party names feature in the tracks—samples in Rio's funk beats often come from lyrics that mention bailes—and I do that too. But if I want a song that plays at all the bailes, I'll make something neutral that doesn't mention my neighbourhood.

How has your practice changed from 2020 to 2023?

I learned more techniques, especially with the hot cue. On the DDJ-400 I didn't take as many risks.

You use the hot cue pads like a drum, same with the loop button. What's your objective with these techniques?

It really depends on the moment and how I see the crowd interacting, then I'll MC a bit to bring the crowd to me [over the loop] or use it to transition from one track to another.

And the backspin?

It's something that almost no one used to do in Rio funk—but these days, they do a lot.

Which funk beat do you like the most?

Bolha (bubble).

How come?

Ramon: When I started, the bolha beat already existed. There was Ulysses Coutinho, Careta and Miltinho from São João de Meriti—they started with this beat. When my first video blew up, it was with the bolha beat. At that time, no one else was using it, so I got in touch with Denilson and asked, "Can I put my stamp on it?" He said, "You're one of ours, go ahead." When I learned to produce, I started making only bolha beats. Then they started calling me "The Bubble Beat Guy."

Why has it become so successful?

Because it sounds just like a bubble! There's even a video with Patrick from Spongebobthat we use—it's him talking about the bubble sound.

Did you start doing your signature hot cue sampling on Virtual DJ? Or had you switched to Rekordbox by then?

Ramon: Only when I switched to the XDJ-RR in 2022.

Were you able to secure higher fees at home when you upgraded?

No. I signed a contract with a label as soon as I started, but they held me back. I stopped releasing videos and tracks, because if I did, I'd get fined. So I used to do 12 shows a week for 800 reais in 2020. The fee was low, but adding up the whole week, it was a good amount. I signed a contract with the label because they said they would raise my fee and book a lot of shows. I joined the company with a month of shows booked, but then everything fell through because of the pandemic, and I went almost three years without performing.

But you never stopped training.

No, but that's when I wanted to change to a new controller. My laptop would freeze—sometimes at the show—and it would take ages. The track would totally freeze.

I can't imagine you doing what you do, at that speed, with a slow computer. How did you cope?

I just had to keep waiting, you know.

You also have an intro jingle, which is quite common in Rio funk.

We call the announcers the "voz de peso" ["heavy voice"]. I commissioned six jingles for the Boiler Room set and paid 150 reais to the announcer.

I found it funny that shortly before your Boiler Room set started, the host was speaking Spanish to you, and they asked you something, and you shouted, "Brazil, damn it!"

I didn't understand a thing!

How was that experience?

Amazing—fantastic crowd! I'd rather play in a DJ booth like that than a regular stage. The audience there was really intense.

How many tracks do you usually play through in an hour-long set?

Around 60. I have two USBs going. Always with sync on [the decks].

Which sound FX do you like to use the most at your shows?

I'm addicted to echo, dub echo and flanger. I use echo a lot for transitioning tracks. I take out the bass, use the filter, hit the echo button, and lock the track in.

Black Coffee uses a similar effect but with delay.

I know! I change pitch to make the voice "thinner" during a mix too.

Why don't you use headphones?

Nowadays, DJs, if you notice, play the same tracks at every show. I never do that. I mix it all up.

Do you change BPM a lot in your sets?

I'm always locked at 140. This allows me to better MC over the beat. If it's at 130, I don't have that same percussion on vocals.

Ruan: By the way, the best part of the Boiler Room is when he grabs the microphone and shouts the lyrics from MC Cabelinho's "Toda Hora": "O Baile da Penha tá o bicho!" ("The bailes from Penha are lit!")

Ramon: It gives me chills just thinking about it… I looked to the side, and my special towel was there, so I put it on my back. To me, this towel is like a flag that goes in front of the DJ booth.

That was a real OG move.

Ramon: They should've had smoke effects on that stage. Ruan always knows when to release smoke on stage.

Ruan: He does the backspin, and when the bass drops, I release the smoke.

You guys are like Batman and Robin. One already knows the other's move.

Ramon: That's why he takes care of me and my shows.

Ruan: The other team members take care of other things, like video recording. I set up the controller and smoke—like at the Mamba Negra party.

What was playing Mamba like? It's such an important party in Brazil and Latin America as a whole.

It was an amazing experience, one of the best shows I've ever played.

[DJ and producer] Iasmin Turbininha once told me that, in Rio, each neighbourhood and favela has its own distinctive beat, often made out with samples and promoted by the local DJs. Can you tell me more about this?

Ramon: Rio's funk is Baixada Fluminense's funk, it's Caxias' funk. There's no other way. If there's a funk party, and there are DJs from different Baixada Fluminense neighbourhoods, like Chapadão, Nova Iguaçu and Caxias, then you'll see it: 130 BPM, 140, tamborzão, beatbox and the latão (copper) beat. Man, other DJs got dizzy at the Roda de Funk event we [Rio DJs] competed in.

I first thought Roda de Funk was just a party and YouTube channel for DJs and MCs. I didn't know they also held DJ competitions.

Yes, we went with our crew from São Gonçalo. And there's this rivalry between São Gonçalo and Rio, two sides of the Niterói bridge. We went to a DJ battle at the Roda de Funk and other DJs started playing funk songs that were on the radio—basically pop songs. A DJ from Caxias played on a really popular song, "Mina Mercenária," and the crowd went crazy.

Did you guys win the battle?

You bet!

Some DJs approach their craft as if it were cooking. Others say it's like building Lego blocks. How do you see it?

Every time I'm about to play, it's like I'm going to release my anger there. The hotter it gets, dripping with sweat, the stronger that feeling gets. It's like a cardio workout.

Finally: where do you hope funk takes you in the future?

I want money in my pocket. I want to give my mum a house, have my own house, give my dad a car and have my own car, too. That's it. To live off what we've sown.