Production, recording, and DJ team Christian Rich rose to widespread acclaim in 2013 collaborating with Childish Gambino on his Grammy-nominated album Because the Internet. Buoyed by that success, they issued their own album, FW14, in 2015.
Born in Chicago and raised in Lagos, siblings Taiwo and Kehinde Hassan initially started making music around 2001 after moving back to Chicago from Nigeria to go to school. The Hassans made small but significant moves from 2003 through 2012 — a period in which they relocated to Los Angeles and collaborated with Lil' Kim, Clipse, Foxy Brown, Armand Van Helden, mentors N.E.R.D., and Rye Rye. They also released tracks of their own, including the part-dubstep, part-trap, part-pop “All You Need” and “Back Room.” The duo’s first big year was 2013. Four of that year’s Top Ten albums — J. Cole’s Born Sinner, Earl Sweatshirt’s Doris, Drake’s Nothing Was the Same, and Childish Gambino’s Because the Internet — featured the duo’s work. They also earned a Grammy nomination for their work with Gambino. Another Christian Rich single, the dreamily off-center “In Between,” as well as the EP SS14, came out in 2014. The full-length album FW14 arrived a year later and featured a guest appearance from funk legend Steve Arrington. In 2019, they released the single “Shibuya (Ghost II)” featuring Jaden Smith, Vic Mensa, and Belly. ~ Andy Kellman