| Lachi | |
| Background: | solo_singer |
| Origin: | Towson, Maryland, United States, New York City United States |
| Occupations: | Singer, disability advocate, actress, activist, author, touring performer |
| Instruments: | Vocals |
| Genre: | Pop / EDM / Singer Songwriter / Fiction |
| Label: | EMI/Caroline Distribution / Sony Music Entertainment |
Lachi is an American singer-songwriter, touring performer, producer, actress, author, disability advocate, and cultural activist based in New York City. Lachi's music is often described as Pop or Dance music.[1] [2] [3] Lachi is also the founder and CEO of RAMPD.[4]
Lachi was born in Maryland to Nigerian immigrant parents.[5] Her mother is Dr. Marcellina Offoha, an author and academic. She grew up in many places, including, upstate New York, West Philadelphia and North Carolina.[6] She is legally blind, due to Coloboma.[7]
Lachi attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where she created the all female a cappella group The UNC Cadence.[8] [9] She then moved to New York City to embark upon her music and writing careers while studying music at New York University. Apart from obtaining side music gigs, she worked at the New York District's United States Army Corps of Engineers.[10]
Lachi began her music career as an unsigned artist, independently releasing the album And This Is My Life... in 2006 and the album Ugly Beautiful in 2008.[11] She was spotted at a South by Southwest showcase by Fanatic Records/EMI, who then signed her for one album.[12] On July 27, 2010, her self-titled album Lachi was released.[13] Songs from the album included the single "We Can Fly" and "Emo Children".[14] During this time, Lachi was featured on Oprah Radio, CW and NPR,[15] [16] [17] and performed at PrideFest (Milwaukee), where she opened for Patti LaBelle.[18]
Lachi later released The Boss EP through Trend Def's Sony imprint in June 2015.[19] In August 2016, Lachi collaborated with Israeli World Music producer Zafrir Ifrach and Moroccan vocalist Maxime Karouchi to create the Mediterranean-infused EDM track Dalale which garnered over a million views on YouTube.[20] She again collaborated with Trend Def studios to co-write and co-produce[21] the song "Rude" which features pop artist Kendra Black and rapper Snoop Dogg.[22]
In 2017 after releasing the EDM Hip Hop crossover track "Living A Lie" featuring Styles P,[23] [24] [25] she then collaborated with Markus Schulz on a song titled "Far" which Schulz placed on his 2018 Trance music album, We Are The Light.[26] The song was also chosen by DJ Armin van Buuren for his mix album A State of Trance Year Mix 2019.[27] In 2019, she wrote and performed Go with Drum and Bass producer Maduk which found placement on several gaming platforms.[28]
In March 2020, Lachi received her second Independent Music Awards nomination for her a cappella arrangement of the song Money by Cardi B.[29] And by October 2020, she had joined the Recording Academy New York Chapter Advocacy Committee.[30] In September 2020, she was featured as a panelist on ADAM Audio's Women in Music 2020 panel.[31]
Throughout 2021, Lachi's music career and advocacy work began to overlap, starting with her appointment to Co-chair The Recording Academy New York Chapter Advocacy Committee.[32]
In February 2022, Lachi released the track Say The Words, attributing the title to a need for society to simply say the word "Disability," a social campaign popularized by civil rights historian Lawrence Carter. The following month, Lachi received a grant, from the prestigious Pop Culture Collaborative, to begin work blending disability concepts with popular music.[33] The resulted in the creation and release of Dance-pop single "Black Girl Cornrows" a song about Self-expression and Visual description written, performed and produced by Lachi, co-produced by Black Caviar (duo) and featuring Yvie Oddly and QuestionATL.[34]
In June 2022, Lachi was elected to Board Governor by the Recording Academy New York Chapter voting membership and appointed the chapter's DEI Ambassador.
Lachi released the anthemic alternative pop song "Lift Me Up" in July 2023 in memorial of mentor and friend, disability rights activist Judy Heumann, July being Disability Pride Month.[35] The song, in collaboration with James Ian and featuring Gaelynn Lea, debuted on MTV.com, peaking at number 29 on the Adult Contemporary Mediabase charts; and the music video, a high-production performance piece spotlighting American Sign Language, Audio description and other forms of Disability culture, Disability art and featuring Amber Galloway, Ali Stroker and other notable talent, saw sponsor support from Google. The song received a Shorty Award and was an International Songwriting Competition winner.[36] [37] [38]
Lachi began speaking and performing regularly at Disability Pride events and festivals in 2017.[39] promoting disability representation and inclusion in media,[40]
In 2020, the New York Times listed Lachi as one of the "28 Ways to Learn About Disability Culture."[41]
In March 2021, she launched "The Off Beat," a YouTube series chronicling her journey from low vision to no vision. The Foundation Fighting Blindness partnered on the first several episodes which included interviews with YouTuber Molly Burke and gospel group The Blind Boys of Alabama. Later that year, Lachi hosted the pilot episode of the PBS series Renegades (a segment showcasing the contributions to American culture of people with disabilities),[42] and she was subsequently dubbed "a foot-soldier for disability pride" by Forbes Magazine.[43] Later that year, she established the global network RAMPD or Recording Artists and Music Professionals with Disabilities.[44] [45]
Throughout 2021 and 2022, Lachi established herself as a go-to disability advocate in the music industry, speaking with and performing at places like the White House, the United Nations, the Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center, and the BBC, among other notable appearances.[46]
Starting in 2022, RAMPD began partnering with the Recording Academy to help make the Grammy Awards more accessible: working to add a visibly ramped dais, Sign language interpreters, live captioning, and Audio description, American Sign Language and ramps on the red carpet.[47] [48]
Throughout 2023, Lachi gained recognition for her work bringing disability into pop culture, making numerous appearances as an artist, expert and personality, including on Good Morning America and in two Google accessibility commercials.[49] In November of that year, Lachi presented at TEDx Cherry Creek, speaking and performing original songs discussing disability identity and pride.[50]
In February 2024, Lachi was named a 2024 Woman of the Year by USA Today.[51]
Lachi popularized her glam canes concept in 2021, when she began bejeweling her mobility white cane with rhinestones matching designer outfits in celebration of accessibility.[52] In 2023 Lachi walked the GRAMMY Awards red carpet wearing a purple Alex Perry dress, with a matching bedazzled glam cane [53] and most notably attended the Barbie (film) pink carpet premiere with a pink bejeweled glam cane.[54]
| Year | Nominated Work | Category | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Money (A cappella) | Independent Music Award Best A Cappella Song | Independent Music Awards | |
| 2021 | The Bigger Plans Project | Award of Recognition, best Short Film on Disability Issues | IndieFest Film Awards | |
| 2021 | The Off Beat: Going Blind and Staying Fabulous | Best A Web Series | Top Short Film Festival | |
| 2021 | Genius (A cappella) | Best Collaboration | The WAVY Awards | |
| 2022 | RAMPD | Social Justice | Nightlife Culture Awards | |
| 2022 | RAMPD | Libera Awards Humanitarian Award | American Association of Independent Music | |
| 2022 | Community leadership | Honoree | Diversability D30 Disability Impact List | |
| 2023 | RAMPD | Zero Project Award | United Nations Zero Project | |
| 2023 | Media and Entertainment | Leading Women Honoree | Ad Age | |
| 2023 | Creative Entrepreneurship | EDDIE Award | Synergies Work | |
| 2023 | Community Leadership | Lead On Award | Access Living | |
| 2023 | Outstanding Contributions to the Art | Habey Awards for Outstanding Contributions to the Arts | New York Carolina Club | |
| 2023 | Entrepreneurship | Judith Heumann Innovation & Entrepreneurship Award | 2gether International | |
| 2024 | Lift Me Up | Song for Social Causes Award | International Songwriting Competition | |
| 2024 | Lift Me Up | Bronze Award, Audience Honoree | SHORTY Awards | |
| 2024 | Achievements | 2024 Woman of the Year | USA Today | |
| Far | Markus Schulz and Lachi | October 2018 (U.S.) | We Are the Light Album [55] | |
| Go | Maduk (musician) and Lachi | February 2019 (Global) | Released by Liquicity | |
| What I Want | Julian Javan and Lachi | February 2019 (U.S.) | Featured in feature film Married Young | |
| Bigger Plans | INVIDA and Lachi | October 2020 (Global) | ||
| Duality | Psyrus and Lachi | September 2021 (Global) | ||
| Selfish | Lachi | October 2021 (U.S.) | Featured in Spotify's Created by Women | |
| Say The Words | Alexander Turok, Bulin and Lachi | October 2020 (Global) | Released by Blanco Y Negro | |
| Bad Choices | Lachi featuring Guy Faux | June 2022 (U.S.) | ||
| Black Girl Cornrows | Lachi and Black Caviar featuring Yvie Oddly and QuestionATL | December 2022 (U.S.) | Celebrates Visual description | |
| Lift Me Up | Lachi and James Ian ft Gaelynn Lea | July 2023 (Global) | In memorial of disability rights activist Judy Heumann |
| Such A Fool | December 2011 (U.S.) | ||
| It's Our Time | October 2014 (U.S.) | ||
| The Boss EP | June 2015 (U.S.) | Singles: "Boss" |
| 2021 | Renegades American Masters | Host | A PBS segment.[56] |
| 2022 | Jeen-Yuhs A Kanye Trilogy | Audio description narrator | A Netflix Documentary on Kanye West |
| 2022 | Keys to Success | Self | A short-doc featuring Alicia Keys |
| 2023 | Unlucky In Love | Wendy Lindell (lead), Casting Dir. | Award winning short film |
| 2023 | Lift Me Up | Music Performer (lead), Producer | Music Video |
| 2023 | Guided Frame with Lachi | Self | Google Commercial |