Lachi (artist) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Lachi
Background information
Origin	Towson, Maryland, United States, New York City United States
Genres	Pop / Dance Music / Singer Songwriter / Fiction
Occupations	Singer, disability advocate, actress, host, author, touring performer, executive
Instruments	Vocals, piano
Labels	EMI/Caroline Distribution / Sony Music Entertainment

Lachi is an American singer, songwriter, and performer from New York City. She is also an actress, author, and a strong voice for people with disabilities. Her music is usually Pop or Dance music. Lachi also started and leads an organization called RAMPD.

Lachi's Early Life

Lachi was born in Maryland. Her parents were immigrants from Nigeria. Her mother, Dr. Marcellina Offoha, is a writer and a professor. Lachi grew up in different places, including New York, Philadelphia, and North Carolina.

Lachi is legally blind because of a condition called Coloboma. This means her eyes did not form completely.

She went to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. There, she started an all-female singing group called The UNC Cadence. Later, she moved to New York City to follow her dreams in music and writing. She also studied music at New York University.

Lachi's Career Journey

Music and Songs

Lachi was discovered at a music event called South by Southwest. She signed a deal with Fanatic Records/EMI. On July 27, 2010, she released her first album, Lachi. It included a popular song called "We Can Fly." During this time, she was featured on radio shows like Oprah Radio and NPR. She also performed at PrideFest (Milwaukee), opening for the famous singer Patti LaBelle.

Lachi later worked with Zafrir Ifrach, a music producer from Israel. They created a dance song called "Dalale." This song got over a million views on YouTube in 2016. She also worked with Trend Def studios to write and produce "Rude." This song featured pop artist Kendra Black and rapper Snoop Dogg.

In 2017, Lachi released "Living A Lie" with rapper Styles P. She then teamed up with Markus Schulz for a song called "Far." This song was on his 2018 album, We Are The Light. Famous DJ Armin van Buuren also chose "Far" for his mix album. In 2019, she wrote and sang "Go" with Drum and Bass producer Maduk. This song was used in several video games.

In March 2020, Lachi was nominated for an Independent Music Award. This was for her a cappella version of the song Money by Cardi B. In 2021, Lachi started to combine her music career with her advocacy work. She became a Co-chair for The Recording Academy New York Chapter Advocacy Committee.

In February 2022, Lachi released "Say The Words." The song's title means that society should not be afraid to use the word "Disability." In March 2022, Lachi received a special grant. This helped her combine disability ideas with popular music. She created and released "Black Girl Cornrows." This Dance-pop song is about self-expression and Visual description. Lachi wrote, performed, and produced it. It also featured Yvie Oddly and QuestionATL.

In June 2022, Lachi was chosen to be a Board Governor for the Recording Academy New York Chapter. She also became the chapter's DEI Ambassador.

In July 2023, Lachi released "Lift Me Up." This pop song honored her mentor and friend, disability rights activist Judy Heumann. July is Disability Pride Month. The song was shown on MTV.com and reached number 29 on the Adult Contemporary charts. The music video for "Lift Me Up" showed American Sign Language and Audio description. It featured famous talents like Amber Galloway and Ali Stroker. Google also supported the video. The song won a Shorty Award and other honors.

In 2024, Lachi launched the "Mad Different" project. This is a series of acoustic concert videos. It features Lachi working with artists from different communities. The series was filmed at Amazon Music studios in New York. It includes songs like "Out of the Dark" and "A Girl." These videos also feature ASL performances and audio descriptions by guests like Spencer West and Molly Burke.

Speaking Up for Disability Rights

Lachi started speaking and performing at Disability Pride events in 2017. She wanted to see more people with disabilities in media and entertainment. By 2020, New York Times listed Lachi as a way to learn about disability culture.

In March 2021, Lachi started "The Off Beat." This YouTube series showed her journey from having low vision to no vision. In August 2021, Forbes Magazine called Lachi "a foot-soldier for disability pride." Later that year, she created RAMPD. This is a global group for Recording Artists and Music Professionals with Disabilities. RAMPD works with big companies like Netflix and Live Nation. They help make the music industry more inclusive and accessible for people with disabilities.

Starting in 2022, RAMPD began working with the Recording Academy. They helped make the Grammy Awards more accessible. This included adding ramps, Sign language interpreters, live captions, and Audio description on the red carpet.

Throughout 2021 and 2022, Lachi became a leading voice for disability advocacy in music. She spoke and performed at important places like the White House, the United Nations, and the Kennedy Center. By 2023, Lachi was known for connecting disability and pop culture. She appeared on shows like Good Morning America and in Google accessibility commercials. In November 2023, Lachi gave a TEDx talk. She spoke and sang about disability identity and pride.

In February 2024, USA Today named Lachi a 2024 Woman of the Year.

In October 2024, Lachi hosted the PBS American Masters series Renegades. This digital series shows the contributions of unsung heroes with disabilities. In November 2024, Lachi was named an ADCOLOR Innovator of the Year. This was for her advocacy work with RAMPD.

Lachi's Fashion Style

Lachi became known for her "glam canes" in 2021. She started decorating her white cane with rhinestones to match her outfits. This was her way of celebrating accessibility. Since 2023, Lachi has walked the GRAMMY Awards red carpet. She wears elegant dresses with matching bedazzled glam canes. She has also appeared at many other events with her stylish canes. This includes the Barbie (film) pink carpet premiere, where she had a pink bejeweled glam cane.

Awards and Nominations

Discography

Singles and Collaborations

Albums and EPs

Filmography

See also

• Mononymous persons