Cruel Santino’s 2019 Mandy & The Jungle is still one of the most important projects in recent memory. As a keystone of the West African Cultural Renaissance, the heart & soul of Nigerian Alté, and its exploration of how both movements continue to drive greater global culture, it’s both an omnipotent compass of where music is heading and a vibrant introduction to one of music’s most genius emerging names. A year later, Santi has continued to release new music (and directing new videos), albeit mostly as a guest across a prolific spread of artistry. And tethered to his most recent collaboration with Octavian and Obongjayar, Santi’s newest, End Of The Wicked is another experimental push for his own canon, for Nigerian-centric music, and for the continuation of a new global wave.

 

End Of The Wicked feels at one time minimalist and deeply layered – a trend of the Nigerian transcendentalist’s one-of-a-kind aesthetic. His laid-back delivery is signature to the Alté movement, whereas his production is born of a merging between UK electronic and West African percussion. The result is at first confounding, but instantly rings anthemic in its beautifully global soundscape. And with the addition of similarly mellow, experimental Octavian, End Of The Wicked thrives as an exploration of West African-originated futurism impossible to describe without mentioning the name, Cruel Santino.