Occupation: City Permit Inspector

Date of Birth: 1982





Religion: Non-religious

Income: $7.5-13/day





Israel, better known by his nickname “Rael” in Portuguese, was born and raised in the city of São Paulo. He is a musician and leads a hip hop group called “Pentagono” based in the southern periphery of the city. At eight years old, Rael was already a fan of break dance. He would dance with his brother in the city center and at school talent shows. His father is also a musician and influenced Rael’s tastes strongly, although he continues to believe that hip hop is not actually music. He prefers traditional Brazilian “Forro” and “Sertaneja” music, two styles popular in the far off Brazilian northeast, where he was born. Since the beginning of 2006, Rael has been working as a City Permit Inspector, working to prevent illegal street commerce in public right-of-ways. Rael also enjoys playing soccer with friends and going out with his girlfriend. View Flickr Album