The Testimony of MC Jottapê: Giving Up The Funk Life

Discovering MC Jottapê

I may not be fluent in Brazilian Portuguese, but I know enough to get around if you know what I mean. I first found out about Jottapê from Sintonia in 2019 and was an avid listener of his song Eterna Sacanagem. It was on my 2019 and 2020 YouTube Music recap! My love for Sintonia even made a cameo in The Archives of BFF universe through the fictional show Mind of Heart Soul, where Jean took Leo’s role in a Brazilian series set in the favelas of Salvador despite not knowing a lick of Portuguese. So let’s just say, I was a fan. So, when I saw MC Jottapê give his life to Christ, I knew he deserved a spot in On The Archives blog.

MC Jottapê's Testimony: A Transformation in Christ

“Eu voltei para Jesus ali Outubro de 2023. Eu me batizei junto com a Esté, a minha esposa, e desde então o Espírito Santo já foi me constrangendo de várias coisas que eu fazia é drogas, loucura, e principalmente ali o que foi mais impactante foi o meu trabalho né.”(I returned to Jesus in October 2023. I was baptized together with Esté, my wife, and since then, the Holy Spirit has been constraining me from several things I did, whether it was drugs, madness, and mainly, the most impactful change was in my work.)

To start MC Jottapê's testimony, born João Pedro Correia de Carvalho on June 2, 2000, in Mato Grosso do Sul, was a popular funk singer and actor. With hundreds of millions of views on YouTube, he was a well-known face in Brazilian entertainment, starring in Sintonia and the children’s novela Chiquititas (which astonishingly has 545 episodes in one season!).

Jottapê and his wife, Estefany, grew up attending Catholic church on Sundays but didn’t understand what it meant to have a relationship with God. They were heavily distracted by secular culture. However, God persistently pursued them. Over time, Jottapê became more open about his struggles and started leaning on the Lord rather than keeping his internal battles a secret.

The Cost of Funk vs. The Reward of Faith

The lifestyle of a funk artist took a toll on Jottapê’s physical and mental health. He struggled with the reality of leaving behind a lucrative career to follow Christ. Funk music offers a profitable path, especially for low-income Brazilian artists, but at what cost?

God used Jottapê's barber—who is also a pastor—to plant seeds of faith in his heart. Their relationship started professionally with routine haircuts, but their conversations soon shifted to faith. At first, the barber hesitated to share God's message, but the Holy Spirit urged him to speak up.

“O Espírito Santo me falou o que que precisaria falar naquela mensagem, só que eu não queria misturar porque na época ele era meu cliente, então não queria misturar o profissional com o pessoal. Então eu relutei bastante para mandar essa mensagem para ele. Só que depois de uma quatro vezes que ele tinha ido lá na nossa barbearia. O Espírito Santo me apertou de tal forma que eu falei não vai ter jeito vou precisar mandar mensagem para ele...”(The Holy Spirit told me what I needed to say in that message, but I didn't want to mix it up because at the time, he was my client. So, I was very reluctant to send him that message. But after he had come to our barbershop four times, the Holy Spirit pressed me so hard that I said there's no way, I'm going to have to send him a message...)

Jottapê confirmed he was going through a difficult time, and soon after, he invited the barber to a barbecue at his house. This marked the beginning of a new journey toward Christ.

Jottapê's Announcement: Walking Away from Funk

At the Netflix premiere of Sintonia's final season in early 2025, Jottapê publicly announced that he was walking away from his funk career to dedicate his life fully to Christ.

But what is funk? Funk is a sub-genre of hip-hop, heavily focused on sex and partying, but also an accessible platform for aspiring musicians from Brazil's favelas. Popular funk artists include MC Kevinho and Anitta.

With Jottapê and his wife stepping away from this world, a revival seems to be stirring within the funk industry. Despite Sintonia being created by funk powerhouse Kondzilla, God has always been present in the show. When I first watched Sintonia in 2019, I assumed it was canceled due to COVID, only to see it return and wrap up with five seasons.

Though Jottapê’s character in Sintonia (MC Doni) didn’t have a coming-to-Christ storyline like co-star Bruna Mascarenhas' character, God's hand was at work in Jottapê's real-life journey. From his barber, to the Holy Spirit's constant tugging, God never gave up on him or Estefany.

I knew something was up when I saw the giant "YESHUA" tattoo on Jottapê's face in season five. It was as if God was saying, “I’m not done with him yet.”

A New Era: Gospel and Evangelism

Now, Jottapê sings gospel songs and evangelizes while embracing his role as a husband and father. I am confident that this is just the beginning of a wave of transformation within the Brazilian funk scene—especially among Kondzilla artists.

If you loved this testimony, check out The Archives of BFF and follow the testimony of a music group’s journey to Christ.