Marin Ivanović, better known as Stoka, is a Croatian rapper and TV host whose career began in Zagreb in the late 1990s. As half of the legendary duo Nered & Stoka, he helped shape the city's hip-hop scene with their debut album Spremni za rat, notorious for its bold and controversial content.
Born June 24, 1981, in Zagreb, he developed his passion for rap and graffiti culture early on. Over the years, Stoka has collaborated with a wide spectrum of Croatian artists—from Josipa Lisac and Nina Badrić to Dino Dvornik, Tony Cetinski, Hladno Pivo, and Jacques Houdek—as well as with American rap icons Onyx.
His solo discography spans six albums: Stole, Kravlje ludilo, Pogodi ko se beko, ZG Gangsta, Stara škola kreka – iz tame u svjetlo, and Incident. The album Stara škola kreka – iz tame u svjetlo also inspired an autobiographical monodrama performed over 250 times across the region. Through this artistic work, Stoka candidly shared his 18-year struggle with cocaine addiction and his path to spiritual redemption.
In 2007, he entered a therapeutic community in Ivanovci, marking a turning point in his personal life. Following that, he celebrated his return to the music scene with a show at Vintage Industrial Bar in Zagreb and commemorated 20 years in the business with a landmark concert at Tvornica Kulture.
Today, Stoka is recognized as a sincere artist who uses music, theatre, and public engagement to deliver powerful messages of hope, faith, and resilience. His stage has become more than a performance—it's a mirror of reality, support, and the courage to rise again.
