Santigold
Santi White (born September 25, 1976), known professionally as Santigold (formerly Santogold[4]), is an American singer and songwriter. Her debut studio album, Santogold (2008), received widespread critical acclaim for its cross-genre combining dub, new wave, and hip-hop. The album's second single "L.E.S. Artistes", reached the top 40 in the UK Singles Chart.
For other uses, see Santogold (disambiguation).
Santigold
Santi White
Santogold
September 25, 1976
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
- Singer
- songwriter
- record producer
2001–present
Her second album, Master of My Make-Believe (2012), peaked at number one on the Billboard Dance/Electronic Albums chart:[5] it included "Disparate Youth", her highest-charting single to date. She released her third album, 99¢, in 2016, and her second mixtape, I Don't Want: The Gold Fire Sessions, in 2018. Her fourth studio album Spirituals (2022), including the singles "High Priestess" and "Ain't Ready", received favorable reviews; The Guardian described it as a "whirlwind album full of feeling and fervour".[6]
Additionally, Santigold has collaborated with artists including Beastie Boys, JAY-Z, Kanye West, David Byrne, Mark Ronson, Karen O, ASAP Rocky, and Diplo. Her awards include "Best Breakthrough Artist" at the 2008 NME Awards,[7] and the "Vanguard award" at 2009 ASCAP Awards.[8]
Early life[edit]
Santi White was born on September 25, 1976, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania[9][10] to parents Ron White, an advisor to mayor John F. Street and Aruby Odom-White, a psychiatrist.[11] She attended Germantown Friends School in Philadelphia, and later attended college at Wesleyan University, where she double-majored in music and African-American studies. Santi has described herself as “super-social and a connector of people” in her youth, growing up in Philadelphia.[12]
She obtained her pseudonym in the 1990s after a friend gave it to her as a nickname.[13] She worked for Epic Records as an A&R representative but left the position to co-write and executive produce How I Do, the singer Res's debut album.[14]
She was the singer of Philadelphia-based punk rock band Stiffed, which released the EP Sex Sells (2003) and the album Burned Again (2005). Both record were produced by Bad Brains bassist Darryl Jenifer.[15] While in the band, White was offered a solo contract by Martin Heath of London-based independent label Lizard King Records.[3]
Personal life[edit]
She is married to Trevor Andrew, with whom she has three children,[11] a son born in 2014[89] and fraternal twins born in 2018.[90]