Lachi (artist)

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Lachi Music (professionally known as Lachi) is an American recording artist, songwriter, touring performer, record producer, media personality, author, and disability culture advocate based in New York City.[1] Lachi's music is often described as Pop or Dance music.[2][3][4] Lachi is also the founder and CEO of RAMPD.[5]

Early life

Lachi was born in Maryland to Nigerian immigrant parents.[6] 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.[7] She is legally blind due to Coloboma.[8]

Lachi attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where she created the all female a cappella group The UNC Cadence.[9][10] 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.[11]

Career

Music career

Lachi was spotted performing at an unofficial South by Southwest showcase by Fanatic Records/EMI, who signed her for one album.[12] On July 27, 2010, her self-titled album Lachi was released,[13] which included the single "We Can Fly".[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 collaborated with Israeli World Music producer Zafrir Ifrach to create the Mediterranean-infused Dance track "Dalale" which garnered over a million views on YouTube in August 2016.[19] She then teamed up with Trend Def studios to co-write and co-produce[20] the song "Rude" which features Snoop Dogg.[21] In 2017 after releasing the Dance / Hip Hop crossover track "Living A Lie" featuring Styles P,[22][23][24] she collaborated with Markus Schulz on a song titled "Far" which Schulz placed on his 2018 Trance music album, We Are The Light.[25] The song was also chosen by DJ Armin van Buuren for his mix album A State of Trance Year Mix 2019.[26] In 2019, she wrote and performed Go with Drum and Bass producer Maduk which was featured on several gaming platforms.[27]

In March 2020, Lachi received her second Independent Music Awards nomination for her a cappella arrangement of the song Money by Cardi B.[28] 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.[29]

In March 2022, Lachi received a grant from the Pop Culture Collaborative, to create and release 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.[30][31] By June 2022, Lachi was elected to Board Governor by the Recording Academy New York Chapter voting membership and appointed the chapter's DEI Ambassador.Script error: No such module "Unsubst".

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.[32] 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 piece spotlighting American Sign Language, Audio description and other forms of Disability culture, Disability art, featured Amber Galloway, Ali Stroker and other notable talent and saw support from Coldplay and Google. The song received a Shorty Award, a Diversity in Cannes Award, and was an International Songwriting Competition winner.[33][34][35]

In 2024, Lachi released the "Mad Different" project, a 4-part acoustic concert series featuring collaborations with artists from varying counter-culture communities. Supported by the Pop Culture Collaborative, New Music USA and Wave Financial and shot in New York's Amazon Music studios, the video series featured songs like "Out of the Dark," "That Kinda Black" and "Diseducation" with ASL performance and audio-description by special guests such as Imani Barbarin, Spencer West and Molly Burke.[36]

By June 2025, Lachi was elected to the Recording Academy's National Board of Trustees and named in the 2025 Billboard Pride List, honoring music industry movers and shakers.[37][38]

Disability advocacy

Lachi began speaking and performing regularly at Disability Pride events and festivals in 2017.[39] promoting disability representation and inclusion in media,[40] By 2020, the New York Times listed Lachi as one of the "28 Ways to Learn About Disability Culture."[41]

In March 2021, Lachi launched "The Off Beat," a YouTube series chronicling her journey from low vision to no vision.Script error: No such module "Unsubst". In August 2021, Lachi was dubbed "a foot-soldier for disability pride" by Forbes Magazine.[42] Later that year, she established the global consultancy and member network RAMPD (Recording Artists and Music Professionals with Disabilities) which works with notable music entities, firms and organizations like Netflix and Live Nation to amplify Disability culture within the music industry while empowering working music creators and professionals with disabilities.[43][44] 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, Audio description, and American Sign Language on the red carpet.[45][46]

Throughout 2021 and 2022, Lachi established herself as a go-to voice on disability advocacy in music, speaking with and performing at the White House, the United Nations, the Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center, and the BBC, among other notable appearances.[47] By 2023, Lachi gained recognition for her work bridging disability and pop culture, making numerous appearances as an artist, expert and personality, including on Good Morning America, The Breakfast Club, TIME and in two Google accessibility commercials.[48][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] In October of that year, Lachi appeared as the host for the Webby Award winning PBS American Masters series Renegades (a digital series showcasing the contributions to American culture of unsung heroes with disabilities).[52] In November 2024, Lachi was named an ADCOLOR Innovator of the Year for her advocacy and work with RAMPD.[53]

In June 2025, Lachi was named in Forbes' inaugural Accessibility 100 List, honoring leaders and innovators in accessibility.[54]

Fashion

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.[55] Since 2023, Lachi has walked the GRAMMY Awards red carpet wearing elegant dresses and matching bedazzled glam canes,[56] and has appeared at numerous galas and red carpets sporting her canes, including the Barbie (film) pink carpet premiere with a pink bejeweled glam cane.[57]

Awards and nominations

Year Nominated Work Category Award Result
2020 Money (A cappella) Independent Music Award Best A Cappella Song Independent Music Awards Template:Nom
2021 The Bigger Plans Project Award of Recognition, best Short Film on Disability Issues IndieFest Film Awards Template:Win
2021 The Off Beat: Going Blind and Staying Fabulous Best A Web Series Top Short Film Festival Template:Win
2022 RAMPD Social Justice Nightlife Culture Awards Template:Win
2022 RAMPD Libera Awards Humanitarian Award American Association of Independent Music Template:Nom
2022 Community leadership Honoree Diversability D30 Disability Impact List Template:Win
2023 RAMPD Zero Project Award United Nations Zero Project Template:Win
2023 Media and Entertainment Leading Women Honoree Ad Age Template:Win
2023 Community Leadership Lead On Award Access Living Template:Win
2023 Outstanding Contributions to the Art Habey Awards for Outstanding Contributions to the Arts New York Carolina Club Template:Win
2023 Entrepreneurship Judith Heumann Innovation & Entrepreneurship Award 2gether International Template:Win
2024 Lift Me Up Song for Social Causes Award International Songwriting Competition Template:Win
2024 Lift Me Up Bronze Award, Audience Honoree SHORTY Awards Template:Win
2024 Disability Advocacy Edith Prentiss Award Disability Rights Advocates (DRA) Template:Win
2024 Achievements 2024 Woman of the Year USA Today Template:Win
2024 Achievements 2024 Innovator of the Year ADCOLOR Template:Win
2025 Entrepreneurship Female Founders 500 Honoree Inc Template:Win
2025 Disability Advocacy Accessibility 100 Forbes Template:Win
2025 Achievements Music Industry Pride List Billboard Template:Win

Discography

Singles and Collaborations

Title Artists Date Comments
Far Markus Schulz and Lachi October 2018 (U.S.) We Are the Light Album [58]
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
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
Out of the Dark Lachi ft Medusa Oct 2024 (Global) Mad Different Series
Diseducation Dec 2024 (Global) Mad Different Series
That Kinda Black Lachi ft Frank Nitty Dec 2024 (Global) Mad Different Series
Diseducation (Dance Mix) special guest Apl.de.ap Dec 2024 (Global) Mad Different Series
Professional May 2025 (Global) Mad Different Series

Albums and EPs

Title Date Comments
It's Our Time October 2014 (U.S.)
The Boss EP June 2015 (U.S.) Singles: "Boss"

Filmography

Year Film/Show Role Notes
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
2024 Renegades American Masters Host A PBS digital series.[59]

Publications

Novels

  • M. Lachi, The Ivory Staff: A Dark Fairy Tale of Kings and War, Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2019 Template:ISBN
  • M. Lachi, Death Tengo, Publisher: Running Wild Press, 2023 Template:ISBN
  • Lachi, I Identify as Blind; A Brazen Celebration of Disability Culture, Identity, and Power, Publisher: Tiny Reparations Books | Penguin Random House, 2025 Template:ISBN

See also

References

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External links

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  31. ↑ Kat Bein (December 12, 2022). "First Spin: The Week's Best New Dance Tracks From The Martinez Brothers, Nocturnal Sunshine & More". Billboard
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  46. ↑ Abbey White (February 6, 2023). "How the Recording Academy, RAMPD Expanded Accessibility and Disability Inclusion for the Grammys' L.A. Return". The Hollywood Reporter
  47. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  48. ↑ Raul Krauthausen (October 18, 2023). "Guided Frame on Google Pixel With Lachi" Disability News Digest
  49. ↑ TIME (January 6, 2025). "11 Ways to Respond When Someone Insults a Loved One’s Disability ". TIME
  50. ↑ TEDxCherryCreek (November 8, 2023). "Lachi". TEDxCherry Creek
  51. ↑ Peter D Kramer (February 29, 2024). "Blind singer-songwriter Lachi makes her name by raising canes as an activist" USA Today
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  55. ↑ Audrey Smith and Anita Rao (June 3, 2022). [Glam Canes and Blind Pride: Disrupting Stereotypes About Vision Loss]. WUNC
  56. ↑ Donya Momenian (February 6, 2023). "Grammys 2023 Red Carpet Fashion: All the Celebrity Outfits & Looks — See Photos. Teen Vogue
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