Cruel Santino

Cruel Santino, born Osayaba Andrew Ize-Iyamu on 3 June 1992 in Lagos, is a Nigerian singer, rapper and director who is widely regarded as one of the pioneers of the country’s alternative, or alté, scene. He grew up in Ikeja and is a member of the Monster Boys collective alongside the producers Genio Bambino and GMK.

He started out in 2011 as a SoundCloud rapper called Ozzy B, then became Santi in 2016 with the EP Suzie’s Funeral and the breakout song “Gangsta Fear”. “Rapid Fire” (2018), with Shane Eagle, Tomi Agape and Amaarae, took him to a wider audience, and his debut album Mandy & The Jungle followed on 17 May 2019. Subaru Boys: Final Heaven, released through Monster Boy and Interscope, came next, with the EP Cincinnati Pumpin!! in 2023.

His album K.O.T.B: The Bomberman Chronicles arrived on 5 November 2026 through Native Sounds and Warner Records, a day after “Siesta”, his duet with Mavo. Bella Shmurda and ODUMODUBLVCK are among his most frequent collaborators.