By Deandre Forks via Big Hassle

Oakland musician Fantastic Negrito, Grammy winner and NPR Tiny Desk Concert winner, has been named “Best Musician” by the East Bay Express annual readers poll.

Xavier Dphrepaulezz, better known by stage name Fantastic Negrito, has set the music world ablaze with his spin on blues-infused-rock. All this only a couple of years after his career was derailed by a car crash that nearly took his life, getting back on his feet by busking at BART. His 2016 album The Last Days of Oakland earned him a Grammy for Best Contemporary Blues Album, and has followed it up with the critically acclaimed Please Don’t Be Dead.

Xavier has clearly left his mark in music with fans from around the world, but particularly here in the Bay Area where he can be found performing everywhere from a sold-out shows at The Fillmore to street corners in downtown Oakland on First Fridays. His tireless approach to music and his deep involvement in the community has clearly earned him a number of loyal supporters who have not only fallen in love his music, but with the person behind the music; someone who deeply embodies the D.I.Y. spirit of the Bay Area.

Take a look into the music and the incredible story of Fantastic Negrito in our Behind the Record series. We’ll take you inside the studio with Xavier during his months-long recording process behind his latest album Please Don’t Be Dead. Keep an eye out for part four of the series, dropping next week.