Nu Deco at the Adrienne Arsht Center featuring Masego & J’Nai Bridges

For Masego, legacy is the name of the game. Ask the self-taught singer, songwriter, rapper, DJ, and multi-instrumentalist about what he wants out of his career, and the answer is simple: to create experiences that people will remember, and music that makes him feel good.

As part of his self-described “TrapHouseJazz” genre, Masego brings playfulness, humor, and svelte sensitivities to his music while adding instruments, like his trusty saxophone, into places where they don’t belong. From 2016’s energetic Pink Polo EP to his silky 2018 debut album Lady Lady, the Jamaica-born, Virginia-raised artist has garnered international acclaim for creating soundscapes that veer away from the expected. Lady Lady, featuring him and FKJ’s Platinum-certified hit “Tadow,” landed on several Billboard charts, including No. 4 on Top New Artist Albums Consumption, No. 13 on R&B Album Sales, No. 22 on Heatseekers Albums, and No. 40 on R&B/Hip Hop Album Sales charts.

And outside of his own music, he’s collaborated with peers like Alex Isley, Joyce Wrice, ELHAE, KAMAUU, Sinead Harnett, SiR, Kehlani and, most recently, alongside J.I.D. and Rapsody for the official Judas and the Black Messiah soundtrack. “I know I'm great at collecting the energy in the room and making a great song,” he says. “The art of making a song—that's the legacy.”

His most recent project Studying Abroad, is another example. The 2020 EP, inspired by old travel memories and the life moments they were tied to, brought a slice of wanderlust to fans during a time when touring was off the table with standouts like the D’Mile-produced “Bye Felicia,” “Silver Tongue Devil” with Shenseea and “Mystery Lady” with Don Toliver, the latter of which racked up over 37 million streams on Spotify.

The project signals a moment of personal growth and widening of horizons, both within and outside of music. As Masego continues to work on music for himself and others, he’s laying the foundation to be more than just an entertainer. Beyond musicianship, he’s also grown into a mentor, a connector, a businessman, and soon, a visual storyteller. Inspired by the work of Japanese animator, director, and manga artist Hayao Miyazaki, Masego is working on an animation project that fuses his love for art, music, and storytelling with his desire to mentor illustrators, musicians, and writers looking to elevate their craft.

“I'm just trying to level myself up where if somebody said ‘You're the GOAT’ or ‘You're a legend,’ I want to believe it,” he says. “I want to keep creating and affecting culture in such a way that when we look back at it, it's like, okay, yeah, this was phenomenal.”