Cruel Santino

Born in Lagos in 1992 and raised in Ikeja, Cruel Santino, initially active under the names Ozzy B and then Santi, has since the mid-2010s developed a music that sits at the crossroads of neo-afropop, alternative hip-hop, alté, R&B and dancehall influences, with a sung-rap lyric style and an aesthetic that is often dark, melodic and highly visual. He began publishing in 2011 on SoundCloud with the mixtape Diaries of a Loner, followed by Birth of Santi in 2013, before more clearly revealing his universe with the EP Suzie’s Funeral in 2016 and the track 'Gangsta Fear' with Odunsi. Associated with the Monster Boys collective with producers Genio Bambino and GMK, Cruel Santino is part of the Nigerian alternative scene that was forming between Lagos, London and diaspora networks. The Mandy & The Jungle project, released in 2019 under the name Santi, marks an important step in his journey, refining a sound where oblique afropop, rap, soul and light electronic textures cross. In 2020, a name change led him to become Cruel Santino, the identity under which he continues his trajectory with 'End of the Wicked', then the album Subaru Boys: FINAL HEAVEN in 2022. Alongside his music, Cruel Santino also pursues directing work, expanding in images a coherent universe with his tracks and live appearances.