Learn Portuguese With Emicida with these 14 Song Recommendations (Full Translations Included!)

Emicida
LF Content Team | Updated on 2 February 2023
Learning Portuguese with Emicida's music is fun, engaging, and includes a cultural aspect that is often missing from other language learning methods. It is also great way to supplement your learning and stay motivated to keep learning Portuguese!
Below are 14 song recommendations by Emicida to get you started! Alongside each recommendation, you will find a snippet of the lyric translations with links to the full lyric translations and lessons for each of the songs!
CONTENTS SUMMARY
Acabou, Mas Tem... (It's Over, But There's)
A tarde deita mansa
Tipo um beijo de criança
É uma benção, moça
Lembrança em posse, a quem possa interessar
The afternoon lies calm
Like a child's kiss
It's a blessing, girl
A keepsake in hand, to whom it may concern

Acabou, Mas Tem... drops us into Emicida’s living room, where a lazy afternoon feels light as a feather while the world outside prowls like a puma. He longs for the simple joy of being bem with someone he loves, even as he remembers friends who now live only in his heart and counts his fears like beads. In vivid snapshots he shows Brazil’s social wounds, environmental disasters, and political indifference, asking how an entire country can keep pretending to be alive.

This push-and-pull between softness and struggle powers the song’s message: peace is possible, but never guaranteed. Literary nods, eco-alarms, and sharp social critique converge into a final challenge: pinch your own arm and see if you can still feel anything. When the music stops, Emicida leaves us holding a small, stubborn hope – the wish to stay human, stay awake, and simply stay bem with the people we love.

Passarinhos (Birds)
Tem graxa aí tio?
Vai uma graxa aí 'coroa'?
Despencados de voos cansativos
Complicados e pensativos
Got any polish, man?
Want a shine, old-timer?
Dropped from exhausting flights
Complicated and thoughtful

“Passarinhos” sweeps us into a bustling Brazilian cityscape where weariness, pollution and social injustice perch on every skyline. Emicida’s rap snapshots the daily grind: tired flights through life, antidepressants for bruised souls, and concrete streets so hot they scorch bare feet. Neon lights mask a grey Babylon while scarce water, endless traffic and corrupt laws leave citizens wondering which poison will finish the job. The imagery is gritty yet poetic, urging listeners to question a world that turns people into stepping-stones and heads into mere rungs on an endless ladder.

Amid this chaos, the chorus glides in like a breath of fresh air. We become passarinhos – little birds set free, determined to find a nest even if it means resting in each other’s hearts. Vanessa da Mata’s warm vocals lift the mood, transforming the city’s concrete wilderness into a place where tenderness, solidarity and hope still flutter. The message is clear: life may feel heavy, but by sticking together we can always carve out a pocket of peace, love and resilience in the middle of the storm.

Sobe Junto (Climb Together)
Operário numa construção grande
Time centrado, foco, revanche
Coletividade e visão além do alcance
Pega essa avalanche
Worker on a huge construction site
Focused crew, focus, payback
Collectiveness and vision beyond reach
Catch this avalanche

Sobe Junto is a high-energy anthem about collective ambition. Emicida, Matuê and Drik Barbosa paint vivid scenes of humble origins – a battered Nokia phone, a backpack doubling as an office, and dreams born in crowded Brazilian neighborhoods. From construction sites to private jets, they trace a journey that proves every brick of success is laid by many hands. The repeated hook “Quem sonha junto, sobe junto” (“Who dreams together, rises together”) reminds us that victory tastes sweeter when the whole crew climbs the mountain.

Beyond the punchy metaphors and pop-culture shout-outs, the song carries a motivational message: unity turns impossible odds into playgrounds. Whether facing ten lions a day or navigating a chaotic “Round 6-level” Brazil, each verse insists that loyalty, faith, and shared goals are the real currency. Hip-hop wins when everyone crosses the finish line, not just the individual star. In short, Sobe Junto celebrates community power, urging listeners to dream out loud, stick together, and watch the altitude grow.

Baiana (Bahia)
Baiana 'cê me bagunçou
Pirei em tua cor nagô, tua guia
Teu riso é Olodum a tocar no Pelô
Dia de Femadum, tambor alegria
Baiana, you messed me up
I went crazy for your nagô color, your guide
Your laughter is Olodum playing in Pelô
Femadum day, drum of joy

Baiana is a vibrant love letter to the women and rhythms of Salvador, Bahia. Emicida falls head over heels for a Baiana whose smile, skin tone and energy carry the pounding heartbeat of Olodum drums, the spirituality of Candomblé and the sun-drenched colors of the city’s streets. Each line bursts with local references — Pelourinho’s carnival blocos, the Lagoa de Abaeté’s white sand, the Yoruba orixá Oxum, and the Day of Iemanjá on 2 February — painting a picture of Afro-Brazilian pride that is both playful and reverent.

Over a breezy, samba-soul groove embellished by Caetano Veloso’s gentle vocals, Emicida turns a simple corner-of-the-mouth kiss into a dizzying spell. The repeated chorus “Minha cabeça ficou louca” (My head went crazy) shows how passion and culture intertwine: the woman’s allure is inseparable from the history, music and spirituality she embodies. In short, the song is not just about falling in love with a person, but with Bahia itself — its drums, myths, neighborhoods and the joyful axé that pulses through it all.

É Tudo Pra Ontem (It's All For Yesterday)
Talvez seja bom partir do final
Afinal, é um ano todo só de sexta feira treze
'Cê também podia me ligar de vez em quando
Eu ando igual lagarta, triste, sem poder sair
Maybe it's good to start from the end
After all, it's a whole year of nothing but Friday the 13th
'You could call me once in a while too
I've been like a caterpillar, sad, can't go out

Imagine pressing pause on a hectic world, only to find that time keeps racing anyway. Emicida and Gilberto Gil invite us into that paradox with "É Tudo Pra Ontem," a musical conversation born in the long, suspended Fridays of the pandemic. Over gentle samba-soul and Gil’s calming refrain, Emicida raps about yellowing photos, unwashed dishes, and the ache of missing friends. Everyday images become reminders that everything ages, everything passes, and yet—right in the middle of uncertainty—life keeps sprouting like a stubborn seed pushing through concrete.

The heart of the song is the mantra “Viver é partir, voltar e repartir” (“To live is to leave, return, and share”). It suggests that real living is a cycle: we set out, we come home, and we divide what we gained with the community. Even the playful fable of God disguised as an anteater echoes this idea. When the creator finally checks on humanity, the verdict is only “more or less,” hinting that we still have work to do. The takeaway? Time is slipping through the hourglass, so reach out, forgive, create, and share your light today. Because according to Emicida, everything we dream of doing is already overdue—é tudo pra ontem.

AmarElo (Yellow)
Presentemente eu posso me
Considerar um sujeito de sorte
Porque apesar de muito moço
Me sinto são e salvo e forte
Right now I can
Consider myself a lucky guy
Because although I'm very young
I feel safe and sound and strong

“AmarElo” means “yellow” in Portuguese – the color of sunshine, positivity, and caution. Emicida mixes hip hop with a classic Belchior sample and invites the powerful voices of Majur and Pabllo Vittar to create a hymn for everyone who has ever felt pushed to the edge. The song opens with gratitude to a Brazilian God who walks at the rapper’s side, then leaps into vivid images of favela life, hunger that fuels ambition, and streets where even hope seems risky. Over a beat that feels like a warm sunrise, the three artists transform personal pain into something bright and shareable.

The chorus – “Last year I died, but this year I will not” – turns into a mantra of survival. Emicida admits to bleeding, crying “like a dog,” and flirting with self-destruction, yet he refuses to be defined by his scars. Instead, he calls listeners to wipe their tears, return to the ring, grab diplomas, and shine with “the fury of the Sun’s beauty.” “AmarElo” is both a confession and a collective pep talk: it honors the weight of depression, racism, and poverty, but insists that the story is not over. By the end, the color yellow is no longer just light – it is resistance, self-love, and the promise of standing on the podium together.

Pantera Negra (Black Panther)
Minha pele, Luanda
Antessala, Aruanda
Tipo T'Challa, Wakanda
Veneno black mamba
My skin, Luanda
Antechamber, Aruanda
Like T'Challa, Wakanda
Black mamba venom

Feel the roar of the jungle and the hum of futuristic Wakanda at the same time. In “Pantera Negra,” Brazilian rapper Emicida slips on an invisible suit of vibranium and invites listeners to do the same. He links Angola’s past (Luanda) with Marvel’s utopia (Wakanda), then charges through references to Black Mamba venom, orixás, Sabotage, and Usain Bolt. Every bar is a claw swipe against racism, a salute to Black resilience, and a shout-out to cultural heroes who prove that greatness has many shades.

Across pounding drums and razor-sharp wordplay, Emicida turns pain into power. He reminds us that knowledge, art, and community are the ultimate superpowers, whether you find them in comic books, hip-hop, or ancestral memory. By the final chorus, “Pantera Negra” feels less like a song and more like a rallying cry: keep your claws ready, stay cool, and rise again—just like the Black Panther.

Pequenas Alegrias Da Vida Adulta (Small Joys Of Adult Life)
Deve-se ter cuidado ao passar no trapézio
'Memo' que pese o desespero dos novos tempos
Se um like serve ao ódio, bro, nesse episódio
Breve o bom senso diz respire um momento
You gotta be careful when crossing the trapeze
Even if the despair of these new times weighs
If a like feeds hate, bro, in this episode
Soon common sense says take a breath

Emicida teams up with legendary songwriter Marcos Valle to turn everyday life into a groove-filled celebration. Rapping over a sunny, samba-soul backdrop, Emicida warns us to pause before diving into the "new-times" circus of online hate, inhale deeply, and remember what really counts. When a stranger’s "bom dia" becomes poetry and faith recharges the spirit, he reminds us that we can be light on a gray day and warriors for kindness.

The chorus becomes a battle cry for love: he’ll face any struggle, run any marathon, and shout "it’s for you, my love!"—all for the little victories adulthood hides. Those victories are delightfully ordinary:

  • sleeping in on a peaceful Saturday
  • the comeback goal that saves your team
  • a holiday stretched at the beach
  • finding a Tupperware lid that actually fits
  • herbs sprouting in the yard
  • a blue report-card grade, a diaper sale, or a child’s crayon gift. Each small joy stands as proof that family and everyday tenderness are nothing less than divine dreams come true.
Mãe (Mother)
Um sorriso no rosto, um aperto no peito
Imposto, imperfeito, tipo encosto, estreito
Banzo, vi tanto por aí
Pranto, de canto chorando, fazendo os outro rir
A smile on the face, a tightness in the chest
Imposed, imperfect, like a haunting, narrow
Longing, I've seen so much out there
Tears, crying in the corner, making others laugh

“Mãe” is Emicida’s heartfelt love letter to the woman who carried him through Brazil’s harshest streets and his darkest thoughts. In rapid-fire verses he retraces memories of poverty, racism, jail visits and suicidal ideation, while his mother works double shifts, scrubs rich people’s floors and still finds the strength to cradle his dreams. Each vivid scene – from “banzo”-tinged tears to Malcolm X quotes recited over dirty dishes – highlights both the weight society loads onto Black women and the quiet superpowers they summon every day.

Yet the track is anything but grim; it is a celebration of redemption, ancestry and fierce maternal love. The chorus links their hands, asking an angel for guidance as he confesses that in every victory, every beat, he hears his mother’s voice. The spoken outro, where she recalls giving birth to “Leandro,” closes the song like a family photo, reminding us that divinity can look like a Black woman wiping sweat from her brow. “Mãe” is both a personal thank-you note and a universal salute to mothers who turn struggle into possibility.

Hoje Cedo (Early Today)
Hoje cedo
Quando eu acordei e não te vi
Eu pensei em tanta coisa
Tive medo
Early today
When I woke up and didn't see you
I thought about so many things
I was scared

Picture the day barely starting and already feeling like midnight: Pitty’s haunting hook opens with an empty space in bed, trembling thoughts, and tears no one sees. That vulnerable dawn sets the emotional thermostat of the track. “Hoje Cedo” literally means “Early Today,” and the chorus captures that fragile moment when fear and loneliness sneak in before sunlight can chase them away.

Then Emicida crashes the quiet with a spotlight confession. His verses juggle glittering stages, paparazzi flashes, and backstage decadence with memories of a humble home that now feels abandoned. He fires rapid-fire lines about drugs, false smiles, industry greed, and social inequality, exposing the hidden toll of fame on mental health and family bonds. The contrast between Pitty’s soft lament and Emicida’s raw storytelling turns the song into a cinematic dawn-after-the-party scene—one that asks whether success is worth the price of lost time, loved ones, and personal peace.

Mandume
Eles querem que alguém
Que vem de onde nós vem
Seja mais humilde, baixe a cabeça
Nunca revide
They want someone
Who comes from where we come from
To be more humble, bow their head
Never retaliate

Mandume explodes like a sonic manifesto. Emicida and his all star crew patch together comic book super-powers, street slang, ancestral drums and fiery punchlines to remember Mandume ya Ndemufayo, an Angolan king who chose to fight colonial rule rather than surrender. Each verse says the same: people from the favela or the quilombo were never born to keep their heads down. The rappers turn insults, police threats and cultural theft into fuel, then answer back with pride in African roots, Black feminism, religious ancestry and the unbreakable spirit of Zumbi, Kunta Kinte and Xangô.

The track is both a history lesson and a call to action. It denounces the whitewashing of heroes, the elitism of Brazil’s high-rises, and the demand that the Black majority stay “humble.” At the same time it celebrates resistance: selling wolf teeth after being thrown to the wolves, laughing while carrying scars, using rap as armor and megaphone. Mandume ultimately invites the listener to raise their own voice, reclaim what is theirs by right and make sure oppression never passes unpunished again.

Madagascar
Noites de Madagascar
Quantas estrelas vi ali em seu olhar
Coisas com as quais posso me acostumar
Facin', posso me acostumar facin'
Nights of Madagascar
How many stars I saw there in your gaze
Things I can get used to
Easy, I can get used to it easy

Feel the warm breeze of the Indian Ocean, the scent of salt and flowers, and a sky sprinkled with impossible amounts of stars. In “Madagascar,” Emicida turns a tropical night into a postcard of affection: he sees the universe reflected in a lover’s eyes, hears birds singing over a deep-blue sea, and decides these are pleasures he could get used to. The rapper mixes sensory details with references to poets like Pablo Neruda and Mia Couto to show how art, nature, and romance can weave together, soothing the spirit the same way soft foam curls around bare feet on the beach.

At its heart, the song is a celebration of Black heritage, tenderness, and slow-motion joy. Emicida treats love as both adventure and refuge: while the world can be harsh, the couple’s lazy mornings, playful teasing, and long embraces create a protective spell. Every verse invites the listener to stretch like a cat in the sun and trust that time is on their side. The message is simple yet powerful—pay attention to life’s small wonders, and you’ll find enough beauty to carry you through any storm.

Triunfo (Triumph)
Não escolhi fazer RAP não, na moral
O RAP me escolheu porque eu aguento ser real
Como se faz necessário, tiozão
Uns rima por ter talento
I didn't choose to do RAP, honestly
RAP chose me because I can handle being real
As it becomes necessary, old man
Some rhyme for having talent

Get ready for a street-level victory lap! In “Triunfo,” Brazilian rapper Emicida tells us he didn’t pick rap – rap picked him because he can handle hard truths. Over pulsating beats, he steps up as a “spokesperson for the forgotten,” shining a spotlight on Brazil’s favelas, crooked politics, and the daily hustle for dignity. Emicida turns the mic into a sword, promising to flip the script: if the king refuses to be humble, he’ll make the humble into kings.

The song is a rallying cry for resilience, pride, and big-picture dreams. Emicida celebrates money, success, and love, but only as tools to lift the entire community. He warns that fame without respect is quicksand, that the streets test everyone, and that every choice can create a Gandhi or a tyrant. “Triunfo” is the sound of marching drums, an Ashanti-style comeback for people long sidelined. It’s gritty, hopeful, and fiercely motivational – the perfect anthem to remind learners that words carry power, and triumph starts in the mind before it shakes the world.

Eminência Parda (Eminence Parda)
Muriquinho pequinino, muriquinho pequinino
'Purugunta' aonde vai, 'purugunta' aonde vai
Escapei da morte, agora sei pra onde eu vou
Sei que não foi sorte, eu sempre quis 'tá onde eu 'tô
Little muriqui, tiny muriqui
Asking where it's going, asking where it's going
I escaped death, now I know where I'm going
I know it wasn't luck, I always wanted to be where I am

Eminência Parda feels like an action-packed movie told through rhymes. Emicida and his guests celebrate surviving close calls, turning street hustle into lyrical muscle, and proving that their rise was never luck. The hook "Escapei da morte, agora sei pra onde eu vou" sets the tone: they dodged death, found purpose, and now stride through life with pockets full of confidence, ice on the wrist, and a mind sharpened by ancient wisdom. References to Exu, Jesus 2.0, and quantum oceans mix spirituality with science, showing that Black knowledge is vast and unstoppable.

The second half flips from personal triumph to collective mission. The rappers call for reversing colonial narratives, empowering the Black community, and refusing to beg for peace. They swap despair for determination, shouting "Fuck a opressão" while pledging cooperation, abundance, and eternal growth. In short, the song is a swagger-filled manifesto: it honors ancestors, mocks haters, and invites listeners to walk on water alongside them—because once you escape death, anything is possible.

We have more songs with translations on our website and mobile app. You can find the links to the website and our mobile app below. We hope you enjoy learning Portuguese with music!