Born in Kasala, Sudan, and bearing Tunjur heritage, Saleh -- who identifies by the gender non-binary pronouns they/them -- moved to the U.S. as a child, fleeing the Second Sudanese Civil War with their family and eventually settling outside of Minneapolis. Drawn to poetry at a young age, they also developed a strong affinity for community organizing, which manifested itself both in their material and activism. Active on the poetry open-mike scene since their teenage years, Saleh sought a more dynamic platform for their art and made their first foray into music with local producer Mike Frey on the 2017 track "First Take." This led to a collaboration with Minneapolis hip-hop producer Psymun, which resulted in Saleh's debut EP, Nur. Released on the Against Giants label in 2019, the EP was a resounding critical success with a unique sound and compelling, socially conscious lyrics.
Their follow-up EP, Rosetta, appeared in June 2020, followed a few months later by the single "Angel Rock." After the 2021 stand-alone singles "Signs" and "Dashery," Saleh returned to the EP format with Crossover, a highly collaborative set featuring guests like Duckwrth, Amaarae, and Haleek Maul. The prolific artist continued producing tracks over the next year like 2022's "I Belong to You" and "Chosen." ~ Timothy Monger, Rovi