Emerson Martins, Bin Laden’s personal assistant, claimed that Bin Laden, whose real name is Jefferson Cristian dos Santos de Lima, is "the best artist in Brazil."
"I’m proud of the fact that our artist is the only Brazilian to participate in that event (Warm Up festival), it fills me with joy," Martins told Sputnik.
He also insisted that Bin Laden hectic career means he has a busy schedule and therefore must be shielded from paparazzi.
Also, Martins waived concerns over possible connotations of the musician’s stage name regarding the 9/11 terrorist attacks, saying that MC Bin Laden’s participation in the festival is unlikely to trigger a scandal or protests.
"We’ve already received a lot of offers from New York. It is funny how everyone who contacts us is perfectly aware of why we chose such a stage name which fits the performer’s eccentric style, and in no way implies that he’s a fan of that man (Osama bin Laden). The people familiar with him also know that he’s a pious person and besides, we can no longer change the stage name because of the criticism. I do feel afraid, and some of us also feel a bit awkward, but considering the fact that we got invited to the festival I don’t think that anyone is plotting against us. I believe that we were invited because we became successful," he said.
MC Bin Laden hit stardom in 2015 after the release of his funk carioca hit "Everything's calm, everything's cool" ("Tá tranquilo, tá favorável"). The reclusive musician, who can only be contacted via his personal assistant, is currently preparing for his performance at the MoMA PS1 Warm Up 2016 music festival scheduled to take place in New York City on July 23.
