Marcus Strickland's Twi-Life was formed in 2015 for the purpose of recording the saxophonist's debut Blue Note album as a leader. Its personnel includes trumpeter Keyon Harrold, bassist Kyle Miles, drummer Charles Haynes, organist Mitch Henry, and keyboardist Masayuki Hirano. Nihil Novi was produced by Meshell Ndegeocello, and features guest appearances from a star-studded cast including Robert Glasper, Chris Bruce, Chris Dave, and Pino Palladino. The album was released in April of 2016.