Heavensouls

heavensouls
Born
Chidi Obialo

(2006-04-10) April 10, 2006 (age 20)
Genres
Years active2022–present
Member of
  • The Sidepeices
  • CAPERFLOWER

Chidi Obialo (born April 10, 2006), known professionally as heavensouls (styled in lowercase), is a Nigerian-American musician and record producer based in Houston, Texas. He is a member of the group The Sidepeices with collaborator Stickerbush.

Early life

Chidi Obialo was born in Nigeria on April 10, 2006. At age seven, his family moved to the United States.

Career

During the 2020s, Obialo met close collaborator Stickerbush through online forums and messaging platforms. The pair formed the group the Sidepeices releasing a trilogy of albums: Lightskin Niggas with Darkskin Problems (2024), Darkskin Niggas with Lightskin Problems (2025) and Darklight (2026). The album Darklight was described by Treble as "Tim Hecker and/or Oneohtrix Point Never producing a southern rap album".

On March 7, 2026, Obialo released the album westside trapped. Paste ranked the album at number 4 on their list "The 50 best albums of 2026 so far" and noted "His version of the expanding Epic Collage genre is more coherent than the fever dream Los Thuthanaka but tinkers with a similar ethos". He later released the single "shipping times and quiet streets" described as a "a ceremonial collage tinted by fairy therapy's agile jazz saxophone." This was followed by the release of the album Cantu of the Sower which was given a 8.2 by Pitchfork and labelled Best New Music. Obialo has been described as a "RateYourMusic darling" achieving success in the "online music" scene.

Discography

Albums

Title Album details
Debut
  • Released: 2023
  • Label: Self-released
  • Format: Digital download, streaming
Bliss
  • Released: 2023
  • Label: Self-released
  • Format: Digital download, streaming
Jambalyah
  • Released: 2024
  • Label: Self-released
  • Format: Digital download, streaming
Central Station Bootleg 3
  • Released: 2024
  • Label: Self-released
  • Format: Digital download, streaming
Lightskin Niggas With Darkskin Problems
  • Released: 2024
  • Collaborators: Heavensouls & Stickerbush (The Sidepeices)
  • Label: Self-released
  • Format: Digital download, streaming
Sharman Dealer
  • Released: 2024
  • Label: Self-released
  • Format: Digital download, streaming
northside trapped
  • Released: 2024
  • Label: Self-released
  • Format: Digital download, streaming
Fondren & 2nd Greenspoint
  • Released: 2025
  • Label: Self-released
  • Format: Digital download, streaming
Darkskin Niggas With Lightskin Problems
  • Released: 2025
  • Collaborators: Heavensouls & Stickerbush (The Sidepeices)
  • Label: Self-released
  • Format: Digital download, streaming
New York Fall, 1977
  • Released: 2025
  • Label: Self-released
  • Format: Digital download, streaming
Southside Trapped
  • Released: 2025
  • Label: Self-released
  • Format: Digital download, streaming
Darklight
  • Released: January 2026
  • Collaborators: Heavensouls & Stickerbush (The Sidepeices)
  • Label: Self-released
  • Format: Digital download, streaming
westside trapped
  • Released: March 2026
  • Label: Self-released
  • Format: Digital download, streaming
Cantu of the Sower
  • Released: October 2026
  • Label: Self-released
  • Format: Digital download, streaming

Mixtapes

Title Mixtape details
This is Where im at Rn
  • Released: 2024
  • Label: Self-released
  • Format: Digital download, streaming
Album 3
  • Released: 2024
  • Label: Self-released
  • Format: Digital download, streaming
Mixtape 1
  • Released: 2024
  • Label: Self-released
  • Format: Digital download, streaming

EPs

Title EP details
Central Station Bootleg
  • Released: 2022
  • Label: Self-released
  • Format: Digital download, streaming
Some Songs I Made w/ Friends
  • Released: 2023
  • Label: Self-released
  • Format: Digital download, streaming
Central Station Bootleg 2
  • Released: 2023
  • Label: Self-released
  • Format: Digital download, streaming
prada black-----
  • Released: 2024
  • Label: Self-released
  • Format: Digital download, streaming
Central Station Bootleg 4
  • Released: 2024
  • Label: Self-released
  • Format: Digital download, streaming
Afro-Surrealism
  • Released: 2024
  • Collaborators: Heavensouls & Stickerbush
  • Label: Self-released
  • Format: Digital download, streaming
Nekka, Your My Sorrow
  • Released: 2025
  • Label: Self-released
  • Format: Digital download, streaming

References

  1. 1 2 Snapes, Laura; Beaumont-Thomas, Ben (2026-10-02). "Add to playlist: the beautiful, breakneck chaos of Heavensouls and the week's best new tracks". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2026-10-18.
  2. 1 2 3 Murphy, Liam (2026-04-08). "The Sidepeices Are Hip-Hop's Hottest New Duo. Also, They Just Met". daily.bandcamp.com. Retrieved 2026-10-18.
  3. 1 2 Press-Reynolds, Kieran. "heavensouls: cantu of the sower EP". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2026-10-26.
  4. ↑ Morgan, Tom (2026-03-16). "The 10 best hip-hop albums of winter 2026". Treble. Retrieved 2026-10-18.
  5. 1 2 Stevens, Nathan. "heavensouls, 'westside trapped' Album Review". Paste Magazine. Retrieved 2026-10-18.
  6. ↑ Mitchell, Matt (2026-03-19). "5 songs you need to hear this week". Yahoo Entertainment. Retrieved 2026-10-18.
  7. ↑ Dombal, Ryan (2026-04-27). "Heavensouls Has Yet to Meet a Genre He Can't Awesomely Dismantle". Hearing Things. Retrieved 2026-10-19.
  8. ↑ Stevens, Nathan. "heavensouls, 'westside trapped' Album Review". Paste Magazine. Retrieved 2026-10-18.
  9. ↑ Staff, Paste. "The 50 best albums of 2026 so far". Paste Magazine. Retrieved 2026-10-18.
  10. ↑ "5 songs you need to hear this week". Paste Magazine. Retrieved 2026-10-18.