Patrick Decker (also known as Patrick Losensky; which is his birth name is unclear), better known to German gangsta rap fans as Fler, was born on the western outskirts of Berlin. With no father figure in sight, Decker experienced trouble in school, ultimately deciding to live on his own, apprenticing as a painter. Decker's hip-hop dreams came late; he did not rap at all before the age of 20.