The group was popular with disadvantaged youth because of their relatable commentary about social issues and the frequent use of skate punk and hip hop slang in their songs.
[5] After a line-up change in 1990, twelve-year-old bassist Champignon joined the band, followed by Marcão, Renato Pelado, and Thiago Castanho.
[6] What's Up and Charlie Brown Jr. developed a heavy style influenced by crossover thrash and hardcore punk, with lyrics in English.
[8] The underground scene of Santos responded positively to the demo, motivating Champignon to show it to his friend, record producer Tadeu Patolla.
[9] Patolla was impressed but advised Chorão to sing in Portuguese and experiment with other genres, such as hip hop, reggae, and ska, taking Red Hot Chili Peppers and Rage Against the Machine as inspiration.
[10][11] Subsequently, Patolla introduced the group to fellow producer Rick Bonadio, and they helped the band secure a contract with Virgin Records.
It included guest appearances by the rap group RZO (fronted by Sabotage at the time[16]) and up-and-coming singer Negra Li, who co-wrote the album's biggest hit, "Não É Sério".
Shortly after the album's release, guitarist Thiago Castanho left Charlie Brown Jr., citing his dissatisfaction with their extensive touring schedule.
It was their first recording as a quartet and the band shifted away from their rap rock-inflected sonority, toward a "rawer" style influenced by punk and garage rock.
[21] Bocas Ordinárias was considered one of the band's best albums by fans and critics alike, earning a nomination for the Latin Grammy Award in 2003.
[26] Charlie Brown Jr. returned from their hiatus with a new line-up: bassist Heitor Gomes, drummer/beatboxer Pinguim Ruas, and original founding member Thiago Castanho on guitar.
Camisa 10 Joga Bola Até na Chuva was Charlie Brown Jr.'s ninth album and won the Latin Grammy Award in 2010.
[32] Chorão originally wrote "O Dom, a Inteligência e a Voz", another track on the album, for Cássia Eller in 2001, but she died before recording the song.
By 2011, Chorão's drug abuse issues began to take their toll on his life and health, causing his divorce from his long-time companion, Graziela "Grazon" Gonçalves.
He wrote the song "Céu Azul", included in the band's 2012 release Música Popular Caiçara, for Gonçalves following their divorce.
[45][46][47][48] Nevertheless, some Charlie Brown Jr. fans criticized Champignon for "not respecting Chorão's death" and "not mourning it properly", dismissing him as a "cash-grabber", a "traitor" and a "Judas".
[54][55][56][57] In January 2019, Marcão Britto, Heitor Gomes, and Pinguim Ruas reformed Charlie Brown Jr. for a series of shows held throughout the year, with guest vocalists such as Dinho Ouro Preto of Capital Inicial, Di Ferrero of NX Zero, Digão of Raimundos, and Supla.
[67] Fronted by former Tihuana vocalist Egypcio, the line-up consisted of all former Charlie Brown Jr. band members except for its first drummer Renato Pelado.
[69] On April 13, 2014, Chorão's son Alexandre organized the Tamo Aí na Atividade Festival in São Bernardo do Campo to celebrate the legacy of Charlie Brown Jr. and the deaths of his father and Champignon.
[77] Chorão's ex-wife, Graziela Gonçalves, published her memoirs, Se Não Eu, Quem Vai Fazer Você Feliz?, in 2018.
In 2017, Universal Music Group re-released the band's debut, Transpiração Contínua Prolongada, in a special 20th-anniversary deluxe edition.
[78] To celebrate what would have been Chorão's 49th birthday and the 20th anniversary of the release of Charlie Brown Jr.'s single "Zóio de Lula" on April 9, 2019, UMG re-issued a special edition containing the song's original version and a new cover featuring Marcelo D2, Hungria Hip Hop, Nação Zumbi, and Maneva.
[88] On July 17, 2023, Universal Music released a deluxe boxset, simply entitled Charlie Brown Jr., containing the band's entire studio discography plus the video album Ritmo, Ritual e Responsa ao Vivo, which came out in CD format for the first time.
[89] Shortly after Chorão died in 2013, film producers Felipe Elias, Victor Santini Stockler, and Roberta Franco launched a crowdfunding campaign on the website Catarse to finance a documentary, Marginal Alado.