In 2026, Santos published his first memoir, This Wasn’t Lean On Me: Coming of Age in the Shadows of Joe Clark (1985–1989), a coming-of-age story set against the backdrop of Paterson, New Jersey, Eastside High School, and the era that inspired the film Lean On Me. Through an unflinching examination of adolescence, gangs, poverty, family, violence, and redemption, the memoir explores the enduring question of nature versus nurture and the choices that ultimately shape our lives.

Santos earned both his BA and MA in English from Montclair State University in New Jersey, concentrating on American Literature with an emphasis in Film Studies. In 1994, he completed the Filmmaking Intensive Summer Program at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts and also studied American Literature at Kingston University in England that same year.

As an educator, Santos served as Associate Course Director of English Composition at Full Sail University in Orlando, Florida, from 2012 through 2019. He also taught in the First-Year Writing Program at Montclair State University and worked as a Graduate Assistant in the university’s Film Studies Program. In 2012, he served as Arts and Literature Programming Director for the North Bergen Free Public Library, where he organized literary readings, open mic events, film screenings, and community arts programming.

As a screenwriter, Santos has optioned two feature-length screenplays. Love & Ecstasy was optioned by Swiss filmmaker Tomi Streiff, while The Navy Yard was optioned by Albert Xavier of Infinity Features.

As a filmmaker, his short documentary My Verse screened at several film festivals, including the Florida Film Festival. In 2014, the film won First Prize at FilmSlam, held at the Enzian Theater in Maitland, Florida.

As a poet, songwriter, and music producer, Santos has spent more than three decades combining spoken word, storytelling, and music. His work has been released through labels including Defected Records, Subliminal, Stealth, Ultra, and One Step Beyond Records. More recently, he has returned to songwriting and poetry, releasing original music on Spotify and other streaming platforms while continuing to explore new creative collaborations.

As a designer, Santos has created work for museum exhibits, federal visitor centers, trade shows, restaurants, and corporate clients since 1994. His creative career has spanned graphic design, branding, publishing, and experiential design.

As an entrepreneur, Santos founded Vinyl Arts Bar in Orlando, Florida, in 2015. Under his leadership, the venue evolved into a thriving arts-centered restaurant and cultural space that hosted art exhibits, poetry readings, film screenings, live music, DJ events, and community programming before being sold in 2020. He currently owns and operates a quick service restaurant in Winter Park, Florida.

Today, Santos divides his time between writing, music, business ventures, and creative projects. Whether through memoir, poetry, film, music, or design, his work is united by a common theme: the belief that our beginnings do not have to define our endings.