St. Louis upstart NandoSTL arrived swinging for the fences. Since his 2018 debut EP Good Vibes, Nando has consistently delivered a steady stream of both authentic and poignant cuts—punctuated with an unmistakably soulful style that makes him a force to be reckoned with on T-Pain’s Nappy Boy Entertainment team. His project Y.O.T.A. (Year Of The Ape) builds upon the mission he embarked on years ago, only elevated and more focused.

While working in corporate America post-grad, Nando found balance in pursuing music on the side as a form of therapy when his professional and personal life were in flux. It wasn’t until 2018 when he was full steam ahead, releasing his debut EP Good Vibes. He dropped a handful of singles over the next few years, including “Cool Lil Sunday” and the critically acclaimed “Outside,” building his buzz locally. 2020 was a monumental year for Nando. He won five awards at St. Louis’s Underground Music Awards, including Best New Artist and Artist of the Year with his follow-up EP Bamboo in tow. It was during that year that he assembled his team, with his Media Coordinator consistently hitting T-Pain over Twitch with Nando’s music. Eventually a track stuck, and when T-Pain held a competition for who would be the next signee to Nappy Boy, Nando reached the finals amongst thousands of applicants. And the rest is history. Nando dropped his debut album, Y.O.T.A, in May of 2023, and was the first artist to release an album under Nappy Boy Entertainment.

At the heart of it, Year of the Ape is a tale of triumph from one of music’s soon-to-be favorite success stories. Nando even received the ultimate St.Louis co-sign, getting a music video with the legend, Nelly. From here, he plans to continue to find new ways to connect with his fans and grow into his own as an artist.