Bio
Gustavo Souza Marques, also known by his stage name Gusmão, is an ethnomusicologist, drummer, multi-instrumentalist, and instrumental hip hop music producer. His main research interests include postcolonialism, critical race theory, media studies, performance, and popular music – primarily hip hop – in the Americas.
Marques served as a postdoctoral fellow with the ERC CIPHER Hip Hop Interpellation project at University College Cork, National University of Ireland, where he was the Latin American and circum-Caribbean specialist for the global hip-hop knowledge mapping initiative. His forthcoming book, Tyler, The Creator: Hip Hop’s Revolution – Beyond Gangsta, examines Tyler’s work through critical race and postcolonial lenses. It is under contract with Bloomsbury and scheduled for release in 2026.
For his master’s degree, Dr. Marques conducted a pioneering ethnomusicological study on the Duelo de MCs (MCs’ Duel) in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. During this time, he was the drummer for the live hip hop band Julgamento and a freestyling rapper, a dual role that enriched his academic exploration of hip hop culture.
His current scholarly project explores magical realism in hip hop across the Americas. Since 2023, he has conducted fieldwork in the U.S., Mexico, Jamaica, Colombia, Brazil, and Chile (Santiago, Valparaíso, and Viña Del Mar). During his research, he also returned to his hometown to interview successful rapper FBC. Additionally, Professor Marques expanded his scholarship to extreme music by attending and interviewing an intimate noise, experimental, and drone show by João Kombi, vocalist and guitarist from the globally renowned grindcore duo Test from São Paulo, Brazil. In the future, Professor Marques has plans to teach Global Heavy Metal at SMTD as well.
In Winter 2025, Professor Marques initiated the formation of the Bridge Theory Collective (formerly Hip Hop Coalition) within SMTD. While no longer a formal member, Marques continues to lead events independently in conversation with public scholarship and diverse communities across the University of Michigan and beyond.
Dr. Marques is currently focused on teaching, expanding his perspectives on popular music through continuous research, and his career as an instrumental hip hop music producer. On the artistic front, he produced the 2024 album Japomex by the legendary MC Luka. Recently, Gusmão has been consistently releasing various beat tapes and singles on his YouTube channel, showcasing a sound that blends diverse musical elements inspired in his international experience. You can find all his links at: linktr.ee/gustavotree
