Three-time Grammy Award winner Fantastic Negrito has a new album arriving on July 17, 2026. Aptly titled Fantastic Negrito Alive!, the release showcases the artist in his live element.
Fantastic Negrito is the stage name of Xavier Amin Dphrepaulezz, who had previously recorded and performed under the mononym Xavier. He released X-Factor for Interscope in 1996 but it failed to gain commercial traction despite its funk and soul styling.
He was in a near fatal car crash in 1999 and was in a coma for three weeks. He lost the use of his playing hand. Interscope terminated his contract. He left the music business in 2007 for several years before returning in 2014 under the moniker of Fantastic Negrito. This time around things were different.
In 2015 Fantastic Negrito was the winner of the inaugural Tiny Desk Concert. Bolstered by a new outlook on life, his music embodied a rediscovered sense of purpose. Gone was the polished sound of X-Factor. The new sound had a grittier, bluesier edge to it while still incorporating funk, soul, and even rock. He would win Best Contemporary Blues Album awards for The Last Days of Oakland (2017), Please Don’t Be Dead (2019), and Have You Lost Your Mind Yet? (2021).
Those familiar with Fantastic Negrito’s work will be pleased with the selection of songs on Fantastic Negrito Alive! “Night Has Turned To Day” and “An Honest Man” (both featured in his Tiny Desk Concert) are included, along with “Living With Strangers,” “I Hope Somebody’s Loving You,” “Working Poor,” and “The Duffler.”
A scheduled interview with Fantastic Negrito fell through due to some technical difficulties. There was a bit of irony there as a recent release from his live album is entitled “Please Computer,” a phrase I repeated to myself more than once as I attempted to determine where the glitch lay.
When a reschedule of the interview could not be arranged, Fantastic Negrito graciously agreed to answer some written questions instead. We both plan to arrange a live interview at a later date. The following has been edited for space but the answers are in his own words.
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What does the name Fantastic Negrito mean to you?
The name Fantastic Negrito represents something beautiful, powerful, liberating, and unapologetic. It also stands for forgiveness—choosing not to blame the world for what has happened to you. It’s about taking something that’s been discarded, misunderstood, or underestimated and wearing it with pride.
I see myself as an up-cycled artist. Like an old jacket people once laughed at or thought was useless, somehow becoming the coolest thing in the room; that’s how I view my life.
In “Please Computer” you make an almost dystopian plea to not let computers end the man. Who are you making this plea to? What scares you about computers? What should scare us about computers?
That’s a fascinating interpretation of the song. I actually love hearing how people interpret it.
I’m not anti-technology. Technology is one of the greatest tools humanity has ever created. What worries me is when the tool starts using us instead of us using the tool.
I’m not against computers any more than I’m against a hammer or a guitar. And to use another example, I’m not anti-gun. My brother was gunned down when he was fourteen years old, but my real opposition is to the destruction of life force. It’s the same idea here. I’m against anything that diminishes our humanity.
When I perform that song, it becomes almost like a meditation. The repetition is intentional. It becomes a mantra. Every night I sing it, I find myself slipping into a trance. The song takes me somewhere different every time, and I come out of it feeling like I’ve had a conversation with something bigger than myself.
After spending a lot of time away from music and then returning to great success with three Grammy Awards, did you have a sense of being rejuvenated?
I don’t really think of it as a comeback because I wasn’t trying to come back from anything.
I was perfectly happy playing songs at train stations and on street corners. I was older. I had children. I wasn’t chasing fame anymore—I just wanted to contribute something good to the world. That was enough for me.
The Grammy Awards were beautiful, and I’m deeply grateful for them, but they weren’t the destination. Gratitude is really what changed me.
I’ve learned that if I stay on that path, I’m good. If I stray, I’m bad.
For Fantastic Negrito Alive, how did you choose which performances to include? Did you know when you were performing them they would be on the album?
I think we’re living in an age of perfect recordings, AI, Auto-Tune, endless overdubs, and unlimited second chances. So I thought, why not just throw up a few microphones and record the live shows?
I didn’t go into those shows thinking, “I’m making a live album.” I just let it happen. Later, I listened back and chose the performances that felt the most compelling and the most raw.
There are no overdubs. No Auto-Tune. No second takes. It’s just a moment captured between the band, the audience, and myself.
The Fantastic Negrito band is Xavier Dphrepaulezz (lead Vocals, rhythm guitar), Bryan Simmons (keys, background vocals), Clark Sims (lead guitar, background vocals), Lily Stern (bass guitar, background vocals), and James Small (drums).
As Fantastic Negrito says, “put on this double vinyl, turn it up loud, and just experience Fantastic Negrito Alive.”
US Tour dates:
Aug 20 – Phoenix, AZ @ Musical Instrument Museum
Aug 21 – Santa Fe, NM @ Santa Fe Plaza
Aug 22 – Tucson, AZ @ La Rosa
Sep 26 – San Francisco, CA @ Davies Symphony Hall (with the SF Symphony)
