Singer, songwriter, rapper, filmmaker, visual artist, Cruel Santino flexes all of his creative muscles on Subaru Boys : FINAL HEAVEN.
Influenced by his love of anime, gaming, and exploring new soundscapes, the project fuses multiple story arcs into a sonic tale of war and glory. “ I wanted to make something more than just music,” he tells Apple Music; “something that when you hear it, you just think ‘Where am I; where are you taking me to?’ I had to create a world before I made the music. I feel like world building is kind of key when you want to make a sound; it makes you have no boundaries.”
He’s joined on this epic narrative by a diverse range of guests including Skepta (“DIRTY EYES EVIL MANNERS”), Amaarae (“BORN AGAIN”), Koffee (“DEADMAN BONE”).
Kindly take a listen below.
About Cruel Santino.
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 —