Born during one of his mother’s three prison sentences, and raised around drugs, alcohol and prostitution until the age of five, SleekoGotBars’s struggles are something that influence his music, but his approach to amplifying these struggles is what sets him apart from other rappers. “Some run away from the pain of the struggle and indulge in drugs and hide behind face tattoos. I’m giving you free game on how to maneuver around the road blocks life puts in your way because I’ve experienced all of it,” said Sleeko. Raised in Dayton, Ohio, music was always a part of SleekoGotBars’s DNA. Both of his parents sang lead vocals in rock bands, and he grew up with everything from Nirvana to Jay-Z blaring out of the speakers in his home. At age thirteen, after being taken to a recording studio by a friend, he began making music. Not too long after Sleeko went through a rebellious stage and was suspended from school. He was then forced to choose between rap music and his home. Sleeko ultimately chose his passion and found himself homeless because of it.