“My gift opens doors,” says Nigerian-American opera singer Babatunde Akinboboye. “It gave me a chance to act, to sing, and to collaborate.

But that wasn’t enough.

The award-winning Los Angeles-based performer wanted the full range of his existence and talent to be considered beyond the standard art categories. “I had to break the boundaries of what an artist was in my mind and just be wholly me.”

In the same way that the INFINITI QX60 combined sophistication and style, Akinboboye brought his passions for singing, acting, and storytelling together in harmony. He elevated the existing opera structure by using rap beats and patterns, creating Hip Hopera, a blend of classical and hip-hop. (Think the Beyoncé-starring film Carmen—but make it operatic.) “I was always a hip-hop fan before I got into opera, so once I got into opera, it was a completely foreign field for me. And as most foreigners do, I reached back to what was familiar. I found the references of hip-hop in opera. That’s when I realized that there was space for me here.”

The new genre spawned from a 2018 viral video and has become a go-to descriptor for plenty of sung-and-rapped musical works, including big-budget hits like Hamilton. While some would assume that Black men don’t do opera, Akinboboye believes that his success in the opera world indicates that Black people are limitless as their most authentic selves. “Blackness has always seemed to go as far as it wants to go.

And into luxury, too.

While it’s easy to feel regal under the stage lights, Akinboboye feels like a king, even amid the ease and comfort of a warm blanket and a bowl of popcorn. “It’s important to experience luxury because we all know deep down inside that we deserve it,” he says. “By virtue of being alive and making it to this point, we deserve a treat.”

For years, Akinboboye has been a champion of positive Black representation and a master of vocal range, not only making the genre more enjoyable but also creating a welcoming entry point for Black audiences to discover something new.

“In opera, we have a saying before we go on a stage, ‘In bocca al lupo,’ which means ‘into the mouth of the wolf.’ And we respond, “Crepe il lupo,” which means ‘slay the wolf.’” So, I feel like I’ve been slaying for a while.”