Nei Braz Lopes (born May 9, 1942 in Rio de Janeiro) is a samba singer, songwriter, lawyer, writer and historian. A professional composer since the early 1970s, Lopes' partnerships include Guinga, Chico Buarque and Zé Renato. He has over 40 published books, covering a wide range of subjects such as prose, poetry, music and history, and his works are considered fundamental for African-Brazilian studies.

Born in Irajá, a traditional samba neighborhood in Rio de Janeiro, Lopes graduated as an attorney at Rio de Janeriro's Faculdade Nacional de Direito (National Law Academy), but by 1972 had abandoned his recently begun legal career to dedicate himself to music and literature. He became a prominent songwriter especially through his partnership with Wilson Moreira, with their work being recorded by a number of interpreters traditional samba and by the composers themselves in two records. By the 1980s, an already acclaimed Lopes became a vocal supporter of the Pagode movement, which took samba back to the airwaves after an eclipse period.

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