Life In Ink: Cruel Santino walks us through his life, one tattoo at a time
"This year, I experienced pain"
Last month, in a late-night cryptic tweet to his 80k following on Twitter, Cruel Santino nee Santi announced his name change. His announcement, typed as though he was addressing old friends in a group chat read, ‘u guys I had to change my name to Cruel Santino’.
He began detailing how competing copyright issues with ‘one man in Spain’ led to the eventual decision to let his former moniker, ‘Santi’ go. In a moment of sudden digital proximity to the singer/rapper, fans immediately began to hunt for the planet’s most hated man–Santi from Spain. Cruel Santino laughs about the reaction from his fans and seems to understand their indignation, but he’s past being upset about the change. In fact, he’s known this day would eventually come: “This all began sometime last year,” he tells me over Facetime. “We tried to buy the copyrights but that fell through”.
Cruel is no stranger to dropping everything and transforming with a new name or personality. It won’t be his first time either, as OG fans will remember the slick-tongued rapper from yesteryear, Ozzy B.
Two months before this announcement, Cruel Santino had released the pilot episode of the ‘Late Night Show with Daisy Ola’, a 4-minute run-through of the different names and personalities that make up the multi-hyphenate creative. In contrast to the usual Nollywood horror-inspired videos we’re used to getting, this Cruel was happy in some places, sinister in others, but outrightly joyous throughout. A change to the brooding personality we’re used to, and most people will probably have never seen Cruel dancing or even talking before.
“I have so my characters to my being and myself, it’s like so many people in one” says Santino Criminal, one of Cruel’s many personalities. We didn’t know it back then, but Cruel was strategically easing fans into the next phase for him–the ascent of Cruel Santino.
Throughout the skit, the question of ‘who hurt Cruel?’ haunts the humourous late-night show, and the entire show becomes a search for Cruel and what inspired the pain that guides his creative decisions. The question also haunts Cruel Santino in real life, as he tells me;
“I feel like this is the most I have grown in my life. One thing that made this whole experience equal parts insane and special was the fact that I felt like this year I experienced pain. I was in a crazy place and I didn’t ever think I was going to come out of it.”
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“I got two sleeves in two days” Cruel Santino tells me with a laugh. Before I am given any time to process the mental and physical strength it took to get two detailed sleeve tattoos in a matter of two days, he adds ‘I feel like is pain something I didn’t necessarily know I needed, but now that I have come out of it, I have learnt and understood so much’. There’s an ominous tone he employs when speaking about the pain he has endured this year, but this is quickly offset by a humourous story he relays to me about a racist encounter at the Dubai International Airport.
2020 has been a difficult year for all of us, as we’re currently tasked with fighting many social and personal battles simultaneously. For Cruel, he’s spent most of the year indoors and alone, working on his television show and his upcoming album. ‘There was a night where I went through an insane state of mind-fucking psychosis” he admits. The fear of being alone and dealing with his pain alone scared him so much that he had to fight his mind and pull himself out of this dark rut.
“When I fought it, I just went to the mirror and said you can’t keep wallowing in pain for the rest of your life or you are never going to do anything again. I’ve lost track of how much people have put in me – I’m referring to my fans and the people that have genuinely wanted to see me succeed, so I know I can’t let them down. When I fully realised this, I just felt like a different person.”
Enamoured by the love from family, friends, and fans, Cruel Santino decided that night to get a sleeve tattoo and he never looked back. ‘I spent that whole night trying to figure out what my first tattoo would be‘ he explains excitedly. ‘At first, I was going to get the late Britney Murphy’s name on one hand and Santigold’s name on the other’.
He quickly abandoned this idea after a close friend mentioned that permanently printing a real-life person’s name on his arm could be harmful in the long run because we all change and have different sides of ourselves we wish to amplify. He didn’t want to be stuck with someone’s name on his arm in case anything went left in future, and given that many Harry Potter fans are most likely regretting their HP-inspired tatts after J.K Rowling doubled down on her transphobia last month, no surprise there.
Here’s a breakdown of Cruel Santino’s tattoos:
(Right arm)
“The next best option for me was to get my favourite anime characters. I picked them all myself and went to the artist the next day and asked him to merge their faces together.”
Esdeath – Akame Ga Kill
Matsumoto – Bleach
Winry- Full Metal Alchemist
Nezuko – Demon Slayer
Miwako – Paradise Kiss
Okay, so my right arm is for all the women from my favourite anime shows growing up, except for Akame Ga Kill which I just watched a month ago. But I had to include Esdeath because her character was so powerful and I had never felt a character that powerful.
She was the bad guy but I fell in love with her because she was bad but she was in love and that love just spokde to me. I feel like you have to watch it to understand.
The last girl I got, I’m actually not sure of her name. I needed to include one more character and she had the coolest pink dreads so I was like fuck it, I’ll include her as well.”
(Left Arm)
Ichigo – Bleach
Guts – Berserk
Killua – Hunter x Hunter
Eric – Full Metal Alchemist
Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez – Bleach
On my left arm, I got all the bad boys. I had to add Grimmjow from Bleach, he was part of the Espada and he was so cool. All of these are shows I had watched when I was growing up, and they really formed a part of who I was.”
Featured image credits/CruelSantino
Tami is somewhere dissociating. Tweet her your favourite meme @tamimak_
ICYMI: Wavy the Creator walks us through her state of mind, one tattoo at a time
Studio monkey shoulder is funding ideas to bring music communities to life
N20 million up for
Following a successful first campaign, Studio Monkey Shoulder returns to Nigeria for the second year in a row. A brainchild of the Scottish Whisky brand Monkey Shoulder and online radio station Worldwide FM, Studio Monkey Shoulder is a grassroots music initiative created to fund trailblazers who are pushing sonic boundaries while also fostering real-world connections across different regions. Last year, Jazzhole received the Nigerian grant to digitally remaster rare archival recordings that preserve and celebrate Nigeria’s rich musical heritage.
This year, the competition, in continued partnership with legendary DJ and Worldwide FM founder Gilles Peterson, once again invites the country’s most innovative and ambitious grassroots music communities – everything from from independent record stores to DIY music venues, online radio stations and collectives – to apply for a £10,000 grant (₦20 million) to bring their hugely imaginative music projects to life.
“I am thrilled to see Studio Monkey Shoulder grow in its second year in partnership with Worldwide FM. It’s been a privilege to work with the communities we supported in 2024, seeing their projects thrive and come to life,” Peterson stated in a press release. “I am excited to uncover more amazing community-driven projects in Nigeria and witness the talent that comes with it as the project evolves in year two.”
The winner of this year’s grant will join an international creative network that’s designed to elevate community voices and bring their stories to a global stage. Applications for Nigeria’s Studio Monkey Shoulder Fund open on April 28th and close on June 1st.
For full details and to apply, visit this website
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Fanti Carnival Returns to Lagos This Easter with a Vibrant Celebration of Afro-Brazilian Culture
The historic Fanti Carnival is set to make its grand return on Easter Sunday, April 20, 2025, bringing the...
The historic Fanti Carnival is set to make its grand return on Easter Sunday, April 20, 2025, bringing the streets of Lagos Island alive with colour, music, and culture. With roots dating back to 1890, the Lagos Fanti Carnival is one of Nigeria’s oldest and most vibrant cultural traditions, celebrating the deep ties between Nigeria and Brazil through a dynamic fusion of Afro-Brazilian heritage and modern creativity.
This year’s edition is supported by the Lagos State Ministry of Tourism, Arts, and Culture, in partnership with Robert Taylor Media and the Brazilian Descendants Association of Lagos. Together, they aim to honour the legacy of the Afro-Brazilian community in Lagos — descendants of formerly enslaved returnees who shaped the city’s culture, religion, and architecture.
The carnival procession will kick off at 12:00 PM, starting from Old Defence Road and will end at the JK Randle Centre, with accreditation beginning at 10:00 AM. Attendees can expect a stunning showcase of traditional costumes, Afro-Brazilian drumming, dance, and performances from local creatives reinterpreting heritage for a new generation.
Whether you’re drawn to the dazzling pageantry, the live performances, or the chance to connect with a rich cultural history, the Fanti Carnival is an unmissable event this Easter.
Tickets are now available, and more information can be found via the official Fanti Carnival website or their social platforms.
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Vlisco’s “The Garden Of Sisterhood” Campaign Comes To Life in New “MAYANGA” Video
A celebration of creativity and cultural
Dutch textile brand Vlisco recently unveiled its latest campaign ‘The Garden Of Sisterhood,’ as part of its women’s month celebration. The campaign, which looks to extend Vlisco’s rich legacy in African fashion and its ongoing celebration of creativity and cultural storytelling, takes inspiration from Congolese musical icon Fally Ipupa’s latest single, “Mayanga.” The song’s accompanying music video was shot in the Ivory Coast, and seamlessly balances Ipupa’s signature soulful Rumba music with intricate floral motifs and soft, elegant colour palettes that celebrate the strength and individuality that blossoms through community.
In addition to Fally Ipupa, Vlisco also tapped up Ivorian fashion designer Loza Maléombho and Nigerian director Daniel Obasi to contribute to ‘The Garden Of Sisterhood’ campaign. Maléombho’s unique designs and Obasi’s striking storytelling helped contribute to actualising Vlisco’s distinct aesthetic and vision of merging heritage, creativity and fashion.
In a statement discussing the collaboration with Vlisco, the Congolese superstar described it as a beautiful experience. “They understood my vision of working with talented artists and honouring the beautiful women who wear Vlisco fabrics. By creating exclusive designs for me and the remarkable women in the cast, Vlisco really brought our artistic vision to life, harmoniously fusing music and fashion,” he said.
Similarly, Marlou van Engelen, the creative director of Vlisco, expressed that it was an honour working with Fally Ipupa. “His song ‘MAYANGA’ perfectly reflects our admiration for the women who shaped us, inspire us, and mean so much to us. For us, it’s not just about fashion; it’s about the stories told through our beautiful prints. And I believe the best stories are always told together,” she said in a statement.
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