Cruel Santino Launches ‘King Of The Bounce’ Era With Two-Pack Release

Three years after the release of his landmark sophomore project Subaru Boy: FINAL HEAVEN, Nigerian singer, songwriter, and filmmaker Cruel Santino has initiated a new creative cycle. The Lagos-born auteur, a central figure in West Africa’s Alté movement, has released a two-pack featuring the singles “International Collector” and “Ozempic,” signaling the sonic direction of his upcoming third album, King Of The Bounce.

“International Collector” serves as a mellow, cinematic introduction to this new era. Developed between 2024 and 2026, the track features subterranean instrumentals and liquid percussion. A significant turning point in the song's production occurred in 2025 during a collaboration with Anatole Muster.

“I met Anatole muster in 2025, i loved the tape he put out and and he played me some stuff on collector which led to my mind opening on more stuff to add on the song . So, I still thought the song could be more cinematic to fit the world I'm building and took one more year to work on it,” Santino explained.

The second track, “Ozempic,” features a long-awaited collaboration with Jeriq and was produced by Vic Reagan, a close friend and member of Santino's collective. Described by the artist as an "original" bounce track, it draws from the foundational inspirations of his musical journey.

“Ozempic to me is one of the origin of the bounces - its an original - stemmed in what inspired and made us chase this journey - produced by Vic reagan - a close friend of mine whom we share a collective together and features my good friend Jeriq - fans have been waiting for this for a while so i am happy its coming out honestly,” Santino stated.

Formerly known as Ozzy B and Santi, Cruel Santino has built a reputation for genre-blurring and world-building, drawing from influences as diverse as Asian cinema, indie pop, and vintage Nigerian music. His process remains deliberate and multifaceted, often balancing music production with film and animation.

Regarding the new release, Santino maintains a focus on the broader project ahead: “It's a really good song. It just sounds like something that I felt needed to come out on the two-pack. I don't really have any expectation for how people would take those two songs, but there's a lot of really insane songs on my album.”