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returns to what he knows best and blends R&B grooves with Hip-Hop/Rap sensibilities - all the

while paying homage to Sly Stone, Prince and The Beatles!

Fantastic Negrito says his audience is “the tribe who will keep the love in their hearts!”. I asked
him to tell us a bit about himself and Have You Lost Your Mind Yet.
This is what he told me ……..

LL: Would you tell us about where you grew up
and the family you grew up in? What did your
parents do? What kind of music did you come
up on?

FN: I was born in Great Barrington,

Massachusetts. I lived there until I was 12 years
old. We moved to Oakland, California when I was
twelve. This was a complete culture shock. My
parents owned and operated an African
restaurant. Pop music was not allowed in our

house. We listened to everything from Jazz,
African, Indian music, Classical, anything that my
father deemed worthy of one’s salvation.

LL: You ran away from home at age 12, right?
What made you do that?

FN: I left home at twelve due to my father
insisting I practice Islam. He was a devout
Muslim. The standard was just too high. I didn't
want to practice any religion. I wanted freedom. I
was discovering popular culture, marijuana,

alcohol and women. That was far more appealing
at the age of twelve years old.

LL: How did a 12-year-old survive away from his family?

FN: I was in the Bay Area and there were so many wonderful and beautiful people from every walk
of life that helped me along the way. They came from every walk of life and they were my guardian

angels. They were rich people, poor people, Asian, Black, White, straight, gay, Latino, immigrants,
everyone. I was trying to escape the dysfunction of my family. Eventually, a very nice family
adopted me when I was 15.

LL: I think you’d agree that you’ve graduated from the “School of Hard Knocks”. How did you

learn to play music?