O.S.T.R. (aka Adam Ostrowski; born Lodz, Poland, on May 15, 1980) is one of the few rappers in his country to have an educational background in musical studies. A violin player as a youngster, O.S.T.R. went on to a hip-hop career that achieved momentum with his first album, Masz To Jak W Banku, in 2001. Across most of the next decade, O.S.T.R. released nearly ten albums, including Tabasko in 2002, Jazzurekcja in 2004, and the Emade-produced Szum Rodzi Halas in 2005. His popularity was such that O.S.T.R. was featured in various festivals in Poland, including the Heineken Open'er Festival, where he performed on his own and with Bloc Party. In 2008, O.S.T.R. released Ja Tu Tylko Spzatam, which -- in addition to going gold -- managed a Top Five placement in the Polish charts. ~ Chris True