Fugitive MC Negão Original releases a song that reached Spotify’s top 20 in two weeks

There is no law preventing a fugitive from releasing or promoting his work, and that does not count as a new crime. That detail matters here because the track’s commercial traction kept growing even after João Vitor Marcelino Guido, known as MC Negão Original, had a warrant issued and his whereabouts were listed as unknown by police.

1. The song was made in partnership with Aaron Modesto, Willian, Iguinho CT and DU’L. It was recorded before Guido’s arrest was ordered, and the artist had already done his part in the track when the early previews started spreading on social media in March and April.
2. MC Negão Original’s section drew the most attention. It became popular enough to get its own version, called “Por Isso Ela Mente,” and previews of that part have more than 2 million views across YouTube and TikTok.
3. After seeing the unfinished version take off, MC Negão Original contacted the other people involved and suggested an official release, including a music video. He recorded his part separately from the other participants, with everyone in different locations.
4. The official music video reached 1 million views in one week. An AI-made version released at the end of May has accumulated 2 million views on YouTube.
5. In February, the Civil Police launched an operation investigating a criminal organization specialized in virtual fraud. Investigators said the artist had links to a scam that defrauded victims in several states and moved about R$ 100 million over five years.

According to the police, the scheme used text messages and audio messages from people pretending to be INSS employees. Victims were then asked to provide a supposed “proof of life” to avoid having benefits blocked, and the scammers pushed mainly older people into video calls and installing apps on their phones. In practice, those apps gave remote access to devices and captured personal data, bank passwords and other sensitive information.

São Paulo police also said lyrics from MC Negão Original’s songs drew investigators’ attention during the case review. Among the slang terms cited were “Raul,” used to refer to scammers, and “7,” a reference to article 171 of the Penal Code, which covers fraud.

The São Paulo Public Security Secretariat told g1 that “actions to locate and arrest MC Negão Original and the others involved in the case are underway.”