Philadelphia, PA · alt-pop · new wave

Santigold

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Genre-collapsing alt-pop pioneer — 'L.E.S. Artistes' to now, always ahead, new wave and dancehall in one voice.

Santi White was born September 25, 1976, in Philadelphia, to Ron White, an advisor to the city's mayor, and Aruby Odom-White, a psychiatrist. She attended Germantown Friends School before studying music and African-American studies at Wesleyan University, and picked up the name that became her stage name from a friend's nickname during the 1990s.

Before her solo career she worked as an A&R representative at Epic Records, left that job to co-write and executive produce Res's debut album, and fronted the Philadelphia punk band Stiffed, which released an EP and an album produced by Bad Brains bassist Darryl Jenifer. Her debut solo album appeared in 2008 under the name Santogold, changed to Santigold the following year.

That first record, released on Atlantic and made with former Stiffed bandmate John Hill, mixed new wave, dub, dancehall and hip-hop production; its single L.E.S. Artistes reached the UK top 40. She toured behind it supporting M.I.A. and Björk, and Coldplay invited her to open their US shows that summer.

Her second album, Master of My Make-Believe, peaked at number 21 on the Billboard 200 in 2012 and produced the single Disparate Youth. She followed it with 99¢ in 2016, the mixtape I Don't Want: The Gold Fire Sessions in 2018, and the album Spirituals in 2022, which The Guardian described as full of feeling. Her flat, unaffected vocal delivery over dense rhythmic production has been widely imitated, and her songs sampled and licensed extensively.

She has worked with Beastie Boys, Jay-Z, Kanye West, Drake, Mark Ronson, David Byrne, Karen O, Tyler, the Creator, ASAP Rocky and Diplo, and won Best Breakthrough Artist at the 2008 NME Awards along with the Vanguard Award at the 2009 ASCAP Awards.

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alt-popnew wave