Nigerian musician and auteur Cruel Santino (fka Santi) burst on the music scene with critically acclaimed debut album, Mandy & The Jungle (2019) dazzling fans with tracks like “Sparky,” “Freaky,” and “Rapid Fire” — molding a genre unto himself fed by his love for pop-indie, alternative, rap, dancehall and more. The definitive album was an ode to all the things that built the foundation of who Cruel Santino is — a genre agnostic creative force to be reckoned with. Alongside the fresh sounds, Cruel Santino also directed the visuals tied to the project honing in on his craft with creative collective Monster Boy. Inspired by the occult and Nollywood films, his eye for mise-en-scene and visual narration caught the eye of collaborator Goldlink who tapped Cruel for the rapper’s “U Say” video featuring Tyler, The Creator and Jay Prince. Not long after, the Dubai, UAE based artist signed with management company Love Renaissance. In 2020, Cruel Santino announced his very own label, Monster Boy — a Interscope Records joint venture. Not afraid to always evolve and create, we’re learning that this is Cruel Santino’s extravagant universe and we’re lucky to be co-existing in it.
