Fantastic Negrito

Based in Oakland, California, Fantastic Negrito, born Xavier Amin Dphrepaulezz, has developed since the mid-2010s a project that blends blues, soul, and rock with touches of funk in an aesthetic often described as a return to the raw forms of Black American music. After beginning his career in the 1990s under his given name, the artist withdrew for a long period before relaunching his career under the alias Fantastic Negrito, gaining notice on the Bay Area independent scene. The first album under that name, The Last Days of Oakland (2016), established a tense, organic style centered on a gritty voice, blues guitar riffs, and minimalist arrangements. It was followed by Please Don’t Be Dead (2018) and Have You Lost Your Mind Yet? (2020), which extended that approach while incorporating more soul and psychedelic rock. In 2022 he released White Jesus Black Problems, a concept project informed by family research into the history of slavery, where blues, gospel, folk influences and more contemporary rhythms intersect. Alongside these releases, Fantastic Negrito tours extensively in Europe and North America, appears at general festivals and blues-specific events, and occasionally collaborates with musicians from rock, soul, and hip-hop scenes, forging a path focused on exploring African-American tradition in a distinctly contemporary setting.