Santi

Artist Playlists

About Santi

After suddenly retiring from rapping under the name OzzyB, Afropop artist Cruel Santino (previously Santi) was reborn as the de facto honcho of the Nigerian alté movement. • Upon discovering Drake’s Thank Me Later, the Nigeria-born artist realized it was possible to achieve success as a singer-rapper and began making music as OzzyB. • Shortly after dropping his 2011 debut mixtape, Diaries of a Loner, he retreated from the music industry and began exploring the works of indie-pop artists Santigold and Vampire Weekend. • He reemerged in 2013 with Birth of Santi, an announcement of his new moniker and his first attempt at creating music uninhibited by the limitations of the rap genre. • In 2016, Santi released his defining coming-of-age project Suzie’s Funeral, which established him as a leading force in Nigeria’s alté scene. (Alté means “alternative”—it describes various sounds, including R&B, indie and dancehall.) • Santi released his debut album, Mandy & The Jungle, in 2019. Lead single “Rapid Fire” has racked up more than 7.5 million streams. • As a result of copyright issues, Santi changed his name to Cruel Santino in 2020.

GENRE
Hip-Hop/Rap
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