Fantastic Negrito: Have You Lost Your Mind Yet?

Fantastic Negrito: I am one of the most damaged people that I know. My mom rejected me. My dad ignored me. I spent years in foster care. Music saved me.

Mercurial bluesman Fantastic Negrito faces his demons amidst the mental health crisis ravaging his Oakland community. As he creates his most personal album, Negrito seeks to answer: in a sick society, how do you keep from going crazy?

Beyond the bombastic stage persona of Fantastic Negrito lies a 51-year-old survivor, hustler, and self-described ‘recovering narcissist’ named Xavier Dphrepaulezz. After his improbable midlife transformation from busking bluesman to back-to-back Grammy winner, Xavier is now ready to face his demons.

Full of musical performances and featuring intimate and often hilarious interviews with philosopher-poet Xavier and his brilliant band of collaborators and close friends, the film traces his journey from early isolation as a Black Muslim kid in rural Massachusetts to Bay Area star with a global fanbase. Along the way, the story of a singular musician unfolds as Xavier evolves from misfit, to homeless teenager, drug dealer, struggling L.A. pop hopeful, underground punk innovator, and urban farmer. From tragedy to triumph to tragedy and back again, FANTASTIC NEGRITO: Have You Lost Your Mind Yet? is a rollercoaster story of life and creation after destruction.

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Host or Publisher Sarah Webster Fabio Center for Social Justice