Some artists are manufactured in studios. Others are carved out of circumstance. S$treetz belongs to the second category. 🌑🎛️
Born Darrico L. Underwood on May 27, 1989, in Alabaster, Alabama, S$treetz entered the world carrying the weight of instability before he could even understand it. Shortly after his birth, his family relocated to Cincinnati, Ohio, where life unfolded through hardship, separation, and survival. With complications between his parents, he spent part of his childhood living with his grandparents while his family worked to rebuild stability. Raised without a father and surrounded by the realities many young Black children faced growing up in underserved communities, he learned early that resilience was not optional.
Before music became his language, movement did. Street basketball courts and neighborhood football games became his proving grounds. He wasn’t interested in organized leagues or polished uniforms. Competition in the streets carried its own energy. Though smaller in stature, S$treetz became known for his speed, athleticism, and determination, often turning jokes about his pigeon-toed walk into motivation. Beneath the competitiveness was a kid developing discipline, confidence, and heart.
Music entered his life unexpectedly through choir class at White Oak Middle School under the direction of Ms. Baker. At first, singing was unfamiliar territory. But the experience planted something deeper than technique. Performing downtown at Fountain Square in front of a large audience helped erase his stage fright permanently, replacing fear with hunger. The lessons from those years still echo in his memory today.
Outside of music and sports, S$treetz became deeply fascinated with video games, especially the Final Fantasy franchise. What others saw as fantasy, he saw as reflection. The themes of isolation, struggle, transformation, and finding allies along difficult paths resonated deeply with him. Those ideas eventually inspired the name of his production company, LevlledUp, a symbol of growth through adversity and evolution through experience.
At age 13, he wrote his first rap over Warren G’s “This DJ” while sitting at his grandmother’s house. By 15, music had become an obsession. Discovering that his stepbrother also wrote lyrics ignited a creative spark that quickly turned into nonstop sessions over instrumentals and neighborhood collaborations. One of the defining moments of his early development came through a local artist known as Troub, who welcomed him into a home studio environment and encouraged his potential. That validation became fuel.
Soon after, S$treetz began teaching himself production software, recording techniques, and songwriting structure. By 16, he was independently producing beats, writing songs, recording vocals, and experimenting with engineering. Music became more than entertainment. It became therapy, identity, escape, and purpose all at once. Through collaboration, he also learned one of the hardest truths about ambition: not everyone who starts the journey beside you finishes it beside you.
In 2012, S$treetz fully committed to his solo path. He invested in professional studio equipment, expanded his engineering knowledge, studied mixing and mastering, and even stepped into visual production to strengthen his creative independence. Every lesson sharpened his sound and deepened his vision.
Today, S$treetz stands as more than an artist. He represents persistence, self-education, and authenticity in an era often driven by image over substance. His music reflects the conditions he came from, the battles he endured, and the evolution he continues to experience. With new releases planned throughout 2026 and 2027, he is focused on building a legacy that feels lived-in, honest, cinematic, and unapologetically real. 🔥
