Storefront Records Launches New Era with Re-Release of Chocolate Butterfly, a Lost Gem from Founder Fantastic Negrito

OAKLAND, CA — Storefront Records proudly marks a major milestone with the release of Chocolate Butterfly, a long-shelved album from label founder Fantastic Negrito. Originally recorded over two decades ago, this project opens a new chapter for the Oakland-based label as its first offering beyond Fantastic Negrito’s established catalog.

While Fantastic Negrito’s three GRAMMY® Awards and global recognition speak for themselves, Chocolate Butterfly showcases a lesser-known, more intimate side of the artist—from a time before the spotlight. The record is a sensual, genre-blurring exploration steeped in raw soul, silky textures, and uninhibited experimentation. With echoes of Prince, D’Angelo, and the boundary-pushing style that would later define Negrito’s sound, the album is both a relic and a revelation.

“This album was a diary of a man who hadn’t been discovered yet,” says Negrito. “It’s sexy, it’s searching, it’s a snapshot of me finding my voice in the dark.”

Featuring longtime guitarist Masa Kohama and a standout guest appearance by Slimkid3 of The Pharcyde, Chocolate Butterfly sets the tone for what listeners can expect from the next wave of Storefront Records: unfiltered, genre-defiant music that thrives outside the mainstream.

As Storefront Records prepares to release debut projects from new artists this year, Chocolate Butterfly signals a bold beginning—not only for unreleased works from Fantastic Negrito but for the label’s expanding mission to spotlight vital, authentic voices from across the musical spectrum.