Lando Chill

Residing in Tucson, Arizona, Lando Chill crafts hip-hop that freely incorporates funk, gospel, jazz, indie rock, and folk without remaining confined to any one style. Groups such as Spearhead and the Roots come to mind as he records and performs alongside a live ensemble featuring Chris Pierce on bass, Lasso on keyboards, guitars, and sampler, and Jimmy Borquez on drums and guitars. Even when his lyrics turn most introspective—confronting personal struggles and existential questions—they retain an encouraging, affirmative perspective.

Born and raised in Chicago as Lance Washington, he later moved to Arizona to pursue film studies at college. Poetry initially served as an outlet for his depression, after which he began rapping under the Star Wars-inspired name Lando Chillrissian, later shortened to Lando Chill. He started composing material for his debut album in late 2014 and began touring the United States with his band the next year.

Mello Music Group released the first full-length, For Mark, Your Son, in 2016; the album offered an intense self-examination shaped by the rapper’s father, who died of a heart attack when Washington was four years old. Shortly afterward came the eight-song EP Madera Canyon, which presented live band versions of selections from the album together with additional tracks. His second album, The Boy Who Spoke to the Wind, appeared in 2017, drawing influence from Paulo Coelho’s book The Alchemist while exploring a more abstract, experimental sound than his previous work.