ISSUE #37
We don’t want to take up any more space than necessary on the internet right now for reasons you should be aware of.
That said, we think it’s worth our time to bring your attention to some Black artists you should probably be huge fans of. Thanks for reading.
Zach and Mando
Christian Rich
Above is a playlist. What do all these tracks have in common, aside from being hugely popular hip-hop, pop and R&B from the last 2 decades? All of these beats were lovingly crafted by a production duo you’ve likely never heard of. They’re brothers. They were born in Chicago, then raised in Nigeria. Kehinde and Taiwo Hassan make up Christian Rich, and they’ve been influencing some of the biggest names in American popular music since 2003 with their unique international sonic palette.
Listening to this playlist I’m struck with the fine line the Hassan brothers have managed to walk for so long - thematically coherent beats that span so many genres, instruments and influences. You definitely get the feel that these tracks are related, but it’s hard to put your finger on it unless you know about Christian Rich and have looked up their list of production credits, which is impressive to say the least.
From the stripped down synth and boom-clap of Vince Staples’ Big Fish to the luscious orchestral arrangements on Snoh Allegra’s In Your River to the lacerating eastern trap of their own track Shibuya (Ghost II), this duo brings technical expertise and creative genius to every track, and they absolutely deserve to be more well known than they are.
Tobe Nwigwe
Another Black artist you deserve to have your ears on hails from Houston, Texas, but his parents came much farther to bring the world their son’s talent. A first-generation Nigerian-American, Tobechuku Nwigwe (you can just call him Tobe) is something of a transcendental hip-hop enigma, bringing equal parts consciousness and self-assured prowess to his diverse catalogue.
Lyrically, musically and technically Tobe is on another level, and the 32 year-old has a list of fans that back him up: Dave Chapelle, Eryka Badu, Michelle Obama and Jill Scott have all spread the word about this up-and-coming virtuoso whether publicly or in Tobe’s DMs. All of this becomes more impressive when you consider that Tobe’s first live show was in 2018 - although he’s been releasing self-made music videos on Instagram for much longer, and the total tally is somewhere around 80 at this point.
Tobe has released 4 LPs to date and has appeared on NPR’s celebrated Tiny Desk series, much to the surprise and relief of his Nigerian mother who feared he would undo all the risk and sacrifice she undertook to come to America. I bet he’s glad he didn’t become a pro athlete, a doctor or a lawyer - I know I am.
Follow Tobe on his website.
