Ștefan Relu Mihalache, better known by his stage name Connect-R, was born on June 9, 1982 in Bucharest, Romania. He is a Romanian rapper, singer, producer and occasional actor. Connect-R became known for his collaboration with the hip-hop group R.A.C.L.A. early in his career and his successful solo endeavors after leaving the group.
Connect-R's musical career began at the age of 8, when he became a professional dancer in the dance group Primăvara. At the age of 15, he became interested in hip-hop and recorded his first song “Observ” in 1997. In 2006, Connect-R became the first rapper to perform on the Eurovision stage, representing Moldova with the song “Loca” together with Arsenii Toderash and Natalia Gordienco.
In his career, Connect-R has released several successful albums and singles such as “Dacă dragostea dispare” (2007), “From Nothing to Something” (2012), “Drăgostit” (2016) and “Slawbaz” (2017). Hits of his career include the songs “Dacă dragostea dispare”, “Burning Love”, “Still” and “Vara nu dorm”, which was a hit in the summer of 2012.
Besides his music career, Connect-R is active in the community, supporting young people of Roma origin. In 2022, his life was told in a children's book based on interviews with the artist. Connect-R continues to be an influential figure in the Romanian music scene and is actively releasing new music.