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Fantastic Negrito (Xavier Amin Dphrepaulezz, born 1968) the incarnation of a musician who is reborn after going through a lot of awful shit. In fact, the name Fantastic Negrito represents his third rebirth, literally coming back from death this time. The narrative on this man is as important as the sound, because the narrative is the sound. Songs born from a long hard life channeled through black roots music. Slide guitar, drums, piano. Urgent, desperate, edgy. Fantastic Negrito is the story of a man who struggled to “make it”, who “got it”, who lost it all, and somehow managed to find his way back.  Fantastic Negrito was raised in an orthodox Muslim household. His father was a Somali-Caribbean immigrant who mostly played traditional African music. When, at the age of 12, Negrito’s family moved from Massachusetts to Oakland, he was hit with an intense culture shock. He went from Arab chants to Funkadelic in one day, living in the heart of one of the wildest, most infamous, most vibrant black communities in the nation. Shit was extra real in Oakland. By the time he was 20, Negrito had taught himself to play every instrument he could get his hands on. He was recording music, but he was also caught up in street shit.

This went on for several years until a near death encounter with masked gunmen. After that, Negrito packed his bags and headed to LA, armed with a demo on cassette. It didn’t take long for Negrito to find himself entrenched in the Hollywood lifestyle; “clubs and bitches and bullshit politics that have nothing to do with great music.” Negrito signed a million dollar deal at Interscope, and soon after that, creative death.The record deal was a disaster. Gangsta rap ruled the airwaves and Negrito was in the wrong place at the wrong era. Negrito came out of the deal with a failed album and his confidence gutted. He was infected by the constant emphasis on ‘what would sell’; which looks, hooks and gimmicks would attract an audience. He lost all sense of himself. The songs stopped coming to him, so he sold all his shit and quit.

In 1999, Negrito was in a near fatal car accident that left him in a coma. His muscles atrophied while bedridden and he had to go through months of gruelling physical therapy to regain use of his legs. Rods were placed throughout his body. And worst of all, his playing hand was mutilated. Though he rehabbed intensely for several years, the damage was permanent. In 2009 he released his debut full-length album The Last Days of Oakland, which was immediately met with critical acclaim. Negrito’s music also caught the attention of Chris Cornell, who invited Negrito to tour with him, first in Europe, then North America, and finally with Cornell’s legendary supergroup Temple of the Dog. The unconventional pairing won over fans and critics everywhere. From there Negrito went on to play major festivals and tour extensively throughout Europe and North America. But none of this has been about awards or acclaim or validation. Negrito chased those before — and it nearly killed him.

Now, as he looks around, sees the world going on a similar journey…especially America. This is a man who knows what it looks like to drive off a cliff. “As a society we are so divided, we are so entrenched in our ideology, we won’t budge for common sense,” says Negrito. “We worship celebrities and billionaires, while people work harder than they ever worked, and make less money. Our children are being gunned down in school shootings and we seem numb to it! We’ve got militarized police shooting first instead of protecting and serving. Nazis in the streets. Families torn apart by deportation.  A tiny 1% getting richer while people sleep underneath freeways and overpasses in my hometown of Oakland.  Home ownership and education seem out of reach. This is not the American Dream.” America has lost its way, and now we are paying the price. Fantastic Negrito’s new album, Please Don’t Be Dead, is about what comes next. – Bio from Fantastic Negrito homepage

Fantastic Negritos debut full-length album, The Last Days of Oakland

https://youtu.be/HahZvGaaWHU

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