Hip-hop and R&B artist DeAndre4Stackz was born in a Kenyan refugee camp during the Somali Civil War. His parents, of Somali Bantu descent, had previously been running from the war since 1991, which eventually led them to the camp in Kakuma.

His love for music first began as a child, when his father - a clothes tailor - would take him to the marketplace in Kakuma, where the latest American artists like 50 Cent and Michael Jackson would always be played in the background. When DeAndre4Stackz moved to the US, he was soon introduced to hip-hop through shows like 106 & Park and MTV Jam, where he started to discover his favorite artists — Kanye West, Jay-Z and Jadakiss among others.

Now based in Boston, DeAndre4Stackz cites ‘go-getters’ and hustlers as key inspirations for his music. “Anyone that has made it from the ground up inspires me. I love to see people win. That’s one of my messages as an artist. I want you to feel like you have the ability to get wherever you need to be, no matter where you start from.” His new project, ‘The night before I met you, Desiree’.