Mbarz is no stranger to a life full of unexpected turns and second chances. Born in Odessa, Ukraine, he migrated to Germany at the tender age of two before embarking on a new journey to the U.S. in 2001, at the age of 13. Settling in Staten Island, New York, Mbarz navigated a complex double life that saw him balancing academic pursuits with a much darker path.

Fluent in three languages, Mbarz’s upbringing was far from typical. While he worked hard toward a future in accounting, graduating from the State University of New York at Albany in 2011, his personal life was rife with turmoil. Throughout his adolescence and early adulthood, he found himself entangled in the street life—slinging drugs and constantly brushing up against the law. A raging opiate addiction took hold of him after a back surgery, leaving Mbarz battling both physical and legal demons.

With multiple felony cases pending and a green card that he couldn’t renew due to his legal struggles, Mbarz had no choice but to return to Germany, a country he still held citizenship in. In 2013, with the help of his mother, he boarded a plane back to Berlin, leaving the U.S. behind but bringing his unresolved struggles with him. It took six months for him to rid his system of opiates and to finally feel relief from the withdrawal symptoms. Those months were grueling, but they marked the beginning of a new chapter.

By 2014, Mbarz began rebuilding his life. He took a refresher course in German accounting and started picking up temp jobs in various firms. It seemed like his life was settling into a new rhythm—until 2018, when an unexpected spiritual awakening during a trip to Turkey changed everything.

During the trip, Mbarz went five days without weed, experiencing a sort of unintentional detox. This period of clarity, combined with the gift of a hematite bracelet, unlocked something within him. When he returned to Berlin on October 30th, 2018, he found himself naturally gravitating towards music. That day, he lit a spliff, picked up his iPhone, opened the notepad, and wrote his first verse. It came as naturally as breathing.

Without any formal aspirations to be a musician, Mbarz recorded the verse in one take on his iPhone’s voice memo. The beat he chose? Jay-Z’s “A Million and One Questions”—a fitting reflection of the state of his mind at the time. In that moment, at the age of 31, Mbarz’s life took yet another turn. It was the beginning of his journey as a rapper.

Though Mbarz never saw himself as a musician, he always felt different from those around him. He seemed to know things others didn’t—an innate understanding of the world that now fuels his lyrics. His music comes from a place of experience, pain, and a search for redemption, all of which he continues to explore today.

The story of Mbarz is far from finished. It’s a testament to the power of resilience, self-discovery, and the healing power of creativity. From numbers to rhymes, Mbarz continues to evolve, taking listeners on a journey as raw and real as his own life.

Watch his journey unfold in the music video for “A Million and One Questions” here.