Xavier

Born to the first Somalian ambassador to the United Nations, Xavier Dphrepaulezz grew up in Oakland under the rigorous observances of Sunni Islam. Prayer formed the core of his daily routine during those early years, and Arthur Fiedler supplied the only music his household permitted. Oakland’s streets, however, introduced him to R&B, where the sounds of Sly and the Family Stone and James Brown quickly captured his attention. His father responded by ordering him out of the house, yet Xavier sustained himself while steadily sharpening his musical abilities. At twenty-five he performed every instrument on his debut album, The X Factor, issued in 1995.