[3][4] An African American,[5] Lanham went through a difficult childhood; as his father was incarcerated, he was raised by his grandmother.
By 2008, he was living in a homeless shelter, although his fortunes would turn when a video of him performing extraordinary feats of calisthenics in a park, titled "Hannibal For King," became viral.
[4][5] By 2014, the video had accumulated a total of 9,502,956 views;[6] it was an emblematic moment of the history of street workout, and fueled the popularity of the activity.
[1] Following its publication, Lanham would make a "modest" income as a personal trainer, through DVD sales, and endorsement deals.
[4] In the text these references are preceded by a double dagger (‡): This biographical article related to American sports is a stub.